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Travis Barker, famed Blink-182 member, faced his worst nightmare in 2008 surviving a harrowing plane crash. Struggling with suicidal thoughts post-accident, he found solace in a vital realization. Now, in a new relationship with Kourtney Kardashian, the question lingers: can their bond endure his tumultuous past?
For the majority of his career, Travis Barker has been known as the red-hot, tattooed bad-boy drummer of Blink-182. He’d enjoyed what many would describe as a “middling” level of fame: famous but overshadowed, beloved but undistinguished. He’s a rockstar through and through, yet he’d only been a well-known figure in his own circle and flying under the radar everywhere else. Cut to 2021, and he’s become one of the most high-profile men on the planet. That’s what happens when you become romantically associated with one of the most powerful families in the zeitgeist: The Kardashians. He and Kourtney are breaking barriers in a few unique ways, and their dynamic is frankly a refreshing change of pace for Kourtney, who’s been mired in domestic drama for as long as we can remember. While Kourtney’s emotional development consumes the lion’s share of the coverage, we should also examine Travis’ progress and how Kourtney is helping him heal and overcome obstacles. A fairly ordinary travel milestone recorded over the last few days shouldn’t have been the sensationalized headline it was, but given Travis’ background, it makes sense why it’s being celebrated across the board. It’s also leading a number of people to look closely into Travis, his journey, and how it intersects with that of Kourtney. As it turns out, their timing couldn’t have been more remarkable. Travis is the last remaining survivor of a deadly plane crash Audiences are only now beginning to learn about the 2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash and its long-lasting consequences. Travis, his security guard Che Still, personal assistant Chris Baker, and disc jockey Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein were scheduled to fly out to California from Columbia, South Carolina, on September 19, 2008. DJ and Travis had performed in Columbia earlier that night and were looking forward to returning to California in a private plane; they approached the luxurious experience as a “treat” to mark the special occasion of their concert. And then I was on fire, running like hell. I was running for my family: I didn’t care about anything except being with my dad, my sister, Shanna, my three kids [...] I faced my absolute biggest fear, looked it right in the eye – but I don’t know if I’ll ever fly again.Travis Barker to Rolling StoneUnfortunately, while gliding through the runway itself, the plane caught on fire and skidded off its course into the highway, after which it collided with an embankment and came to a perilous halt. Travis and DJ were able to evacuate by sliding down the plane’s wing. Barker said he was “soaked up with jet fuel” and was in flames himself. Travis and DJ were the only two survivors; the remaining four passengers, including the two pilots, perished. Travis spent the next eleven weeks in critical care and burn centers. The explosion had burned over 65% of his body, and he required 16 surgeries, including a series of blood transfusions and skin grafts one after the other. He was overcome with shame and self-disgust, especially since it was his request that his security guard accompanied him on the flight. He didn’t feel worthy of being alive and was in so much pain through recovery that he faced suicidal impulses nearly every day. He went so far as to call up his friends and offer them $1 million to end his life. “I mean, [medical officials] had to take my phone out of my room because I was making these phone calls,” he told Good Morning America. He didn’t fly for 13 years before meeting Kourtney The drummer started attending counseling for his post-traumatic stress disorder but felt “intense guilty” nearly every day. Over time, with the support of his ex-wife Shanna and three children, he was able to heal and find his footing in life. However, the distress associated with surviving such a horrific ordeal never fades. “It feels like death’s way over there, and every day I’m running away from it,” he said in 2009. To top it off, his fellow survivor, DJ AM, died within a year of the crash due to a drug overdose. Travis’ accident debilitated him inside out, and he avoided flying for the next thirteen years. Oddly enough, he’d always had a deep-rooted fear of flying and had only been able to subdue it in his adulthood. In the Rolling Stone interview, Travis shared how, as a teenager, he was “sure” he would die in a plane crash. When Blink-182 were designing their album cover for Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Travis begged not to be assigned with the plane icon, saying, “I have a really f***ed-up fear of flying.”The fact that he came so close to his eerie prophecy is either an extraordinary coincidence or just a twisted endeavor of fate. Either way, the plane crash, unsurprisingly, exacerbated his terror a hundredfold. In 2019, he said, “I don’t know if I’ll ever fly again.” He maneuvered through his dilemma by traveling by ship or car instead. Sometimes he would avoid tours altogether if flying was the most feasible option. via Kourtney Kardashian’s Instagram I couldn’t walk down the street. If I saw a plane [in the sky], I was determined it was going to crash, and I just didn’t want to see itTravis Barker to Men's HealthThankfully, upon meeting Kourtney, the 45-year-old finally began exploring the idea of stepping into an aircraft again. On June 25, he tweeted, “I might fly again,” without providing any context. Of course, fans couldn’t help but jump to conclusions; they speculated Travis was planning to overcome his fears for Kourtney’s sake as she is a globetrotting socialite always on the go. On August 17, Travis posted a photo on Instagram hoisting up his girlfriend with a private jet in the background. “With you anything is possible,” he captioned the photo. A source told PEOPLE Kourtney has been “very supportive” and that she never pushed him toward air travel. In another report, it’s mentioned Kourtney allegedly held her boyfriend’s hand as the plane took off. If this isn’t the sign of a sweet, passionate bond, we don’t know what is. Yes, it’s impossible to say whether the romance has legs and if it can withstand the strenuous complexities on the horizon, but Kourtney and Travis are moving in the right direction with immense empathy, care, and understanding. It’s an exemplary show of life that’s bound to inspire countless others. Take your time with your fearsThere’s external pressure to conquer your fears as quickly as humanly possible and leave them in the rearview mirror — out of sight, out of mind. However, there’s a mental and emotional cost to pushing yourself before you’re ready. If you act without preparation or a solid understanding of what’s at stake, you might come out in worse shape than you went in, with your fright exploding in all directions and your trauma becoming worse. Just as Travis waited for the right moment to take the plunge, we can also take our time with our fear. Whether it’s five, ten, or fifty years, it will happen, and if it doesn’t and you’re still able to live life to the fullest, so be it. The best we can do leading up to the moment is to go with a plan, find people you trust and respect, and not be afraid of failure. More inspiring stories:Kourtney Kardashian’s Romance With Travis Barker Is a Reminder To Let Go Of Your Toxic ExHow Travis Barker And Kourtney Kardashian Set The Foundation For Lasting LoveWhy We Need to Talk About Kim Kardashian’s Emotional Breakdown Over Her MarriageWhy Khloe Kardashian’s Photo Scandal Has People Talking For The Wrong Reasons
The Kardashian clan is no stranger to poor decision-making, but when push comes to shove, they know how to put their foot down. That’s precisely what the eldest Kardashian sister, Kourtney, had to do when she realized that her partner of ten years, and the father to her three children, Scott Disick, wasn’t going to change in the least. It’s immensely grueling to issue an ultimatum to such a crucial individual in your life, knowing that if you mess up the split and become hostile to each other, it can risk the upbringing and general outlook of your children. Kourtney’s pleasant, albeit surprising, romance with rock musician Travis Barker of Blink-182 not only underlines the contrast between the two dalliances but also demonstrates that it’s an uphill battle to shake off toxic routines and begin anew. However, if you manage to execute it with empathy and patience, it can become your biggest source of strength. Kourtney and Travis make such a delightful, unlikely pair that it’s worth exploring their beginnings and chart Kourtney’s growth over the last fifteen years:Kourtney left Scott because he refused to change and lacked “consistency”The one thing to note about Kourtney and Scott’s entanglement is that it comprises a million intricate layers that no one really has the time or energy to properly unpack. They met in 2006 at a party thrown by Girls Gone Wild's Francis in Mexico and commenced a partnership that lasted for ten years and produced three children: Mason, Penelope, and Reign. Due to the highly transparent nature of Keeping Up With Kardashians and the painstaking way the series featured the couple, audiences have a thorough understanding of how their rapport evolved over the years. It’s safe to say Scott’s questionable conduct has been a thorn in Kourtney’s side for years — his relentless partying, the cheating, and the occasional lapses into alcoholism have all played a part in Kourtney’s refusal to marry him despite being urged to do so by her family and Scott himself. Scott’s made so many, like, major life improvements and he’s such a great dad and I’m really proud of him. But the biggest thing is having consistency. I just think him playing the role of the victim — I just can’t have it keep going on and on. Kourtney Kardashian on Keeping Up With The Kardashians By mid-2015, the relationship was proving to be untenable, and Kourtney called it quits. Scott subsequently checked into a rehab facility to treat his addiction issues. During a KUWTK reunion special with Andy Cohen, Kourtney elaborated on her decision to finally dissolve the union. “The infidelity, I only knew about it at the end, so I think the substance abuse was the deal-breaker,” she revealed. Though Scott, for his part, acknowledged his wrongdoings and undertook discernible measures to work on himself, Kourtney became concerned about a potential relapse into bad behavior and the pain it might inflict on her young family. What’s worse is that the rest of the Kardashians maintained a soft spot for Scott and kept pressuring Kourtney into reuniting with him. This occurred so frequently that Kourtney had a breakdown, as depicted in an episode, in which she accused her family of “enabling” Scott. “When Scott and I broke up, I set certain boundaries with him,” she said, adding that she doesn’t plan on sitting around as he works on himself. She has an adequate sense of self-worth and doesn’t intend to put her life on hold in the hopes he would drastically change one day. Kourtney and Travis’ relationship, on the contrary, is based on “maturity”Travis Barker and Scott Disick are akin to chalk and cheese. Time will tell, of course, whether ‘Kravis’ is able to overcome the big hurdles, but they’ve already gotten off to a stellar start. It also has a lot to do with their level of maturity — they’re becoming romantically involved with each other in their forties and therefore bring more to the table in terms of experience and emotional development. They’d also been friends for several years before deciding to embark upon a romance. The duo was photographed having dinner together and attending a Hillsong evening church service back in 2018. In addition, they’ve resided in the same Calabasas gated community for years, their families well acquainted with one another. Travis also maintains an acute familiarity with the reality television machine; he, his ex-wife Shanna Moakler, and their children appeared in the show Meet The Barkers, which aired on MTV between 2005 and 2006. And now, I'm spending time with a woman who's a great mom, who's a great friend, and you don't have to worry about any of those things. It just comes natural. It's a maturity thing.Travis Barker on The Drew Barrymore ShowNevertheless, it wasn’t until January 2021 that Travis and Kourtney were rumored to be seeing each other. Travis started leaving a few flirtatious emojis on Kourtney’s Instagram photos, and it was becoming increasingly clear that a sparkling new Hollywood coupling was taking shape. Kourtney went public with their courtship on Valentine’s Day by posting a cute photo of the couple holding hands. In the next few months, they’ve escalated the PDA and have been spotted everywhere from Disneyland to UFC fight nights. Excitement about their unusual but refreshing love story continues to sweep across social media, and it appears that the parties themselves share in the enthusiasm just as well. Travis gushed about his new girlfriend on The Drew Barrymore Show and said there’s a seismic difference between dating someone like Kourtney, a mother of three children, vs. a single woman with no offspring. He doesn’t have to worry about coordinating schedules or prioritizing the girl over his children; he can just be himself, and Kourtney understands. Kourtney has remained silent about the meat and potatoes of the relationship, but if her social media presence is anything to go by, she seems as content and pleased as ever. No signs of the drama she faced with Scott, and she’s able to invest her energy into someone who truly comprehends the meaning as well as the values associated with family. Recognize and appreciate progress in your lifeChange is inevitable, as they say. Scott refused to or was simply unable to change his ways and reject the vices that defined him. The effort to clean up arrived a little too late, and it wasn’t enough to change his girlfriend’s mind. Kourtney decided she’d had enough and wanted to find someone mature enough to understand her concern around her family, someone who would pay heed to her wishes and prioritize her every step of the way. Travis showed up just at the right time. And on October 17th 2021, the couple solidified their commitment to each other by getting engaged.As we develop and mature over time, we must hold the exact expectations for our loved ones. Sometimes they change for the better, sometimes for worse, but if they refuse to fend off their worst impulses over and over again, perhaps it’s a sign they’re not ready to support your growth. As you embrace improvement in your life, it’s essential to recognize and appreciate those that demonstrate progress in their own journey. More inspiring stories:Why We Need to Talk About Kim Kardashian’s Emotional Breakdown Over Her MarriageWhy Khloe Kardashian’s Photo Scandal Has People Talking For The Wrong ReasonsHow Travis Barker And Kourtney Kardashian Set The Foundation For Lasting LoveCiara and Russell Wilson Prove The Power Of Moving On From A Toxic Ex
