"Oh, I wasn't born like this. I was in an accident with a really powerful space rock and whatever I was exposed to gave me superpowers."

So she had to fly the old fashioned way, and for a lot of her life, she wasn't even aware of there being anything out there beyond the moon that circled her planet. and then for six years she wasn't aware that there was anything less. She's still trying to find the balance between the two.

Also the difference between her and Steve is that Carol doesn't really care about hiding her powers.

"So I've lived a little of both lives."