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| Me with my pals Sara and Kelly in Sevilla, Spain. There is little photographic evidence of my last Europe trip, because this was back in the day (2005) when cameras used film. And you can't waste those frames on selfies! |
I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of the world. With the the upcoming anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, the attacks in Portland, Manchester, and London, and myriad other acts of violence that have occurred in the interim, it's hard not to think about it, really. And having a loose cannon in the White House does little to ease my mind (but that's a whole other blog post).
The idea became more personal when my mom called last week as I was driving home from work. We chatted while I was stuck in traffic (hands-free via Bluetooth, don't worry), and I mentioned I've been researching a trip to Brussels and Iceland.
"Be careful," she cautioned. "Brussels had all those attacks." I know she's my mom and thus she worries, but the threat of a terrorist event didn't even register on my list of concerns about the trip. I was more nervous about not speaking the language and finding an AirBnB that was affordable but still had a bathroom and no bedbugs. So her comment gave me pause.
Bad things do happen. And they can happen anywhere, at any time. My house is 15 minutes from the movie theater where a dozen people were killed in 2012. The last time I was in Europe, I happened to visit London in between the two July 2005 bombings. I don't say that to imply "Look at me! I've narrowly escaped tragedy!" but merely to point out the sadly ubiquitous nature of these events. Being out and about in the world today comes with a degree of risk.
But I don't want to let that stop me. I've always wanted to see the world, and I'm finally in a situation where I have both the PTO and funds to do so. So while I can't say I'll be venturing to the Middle East anytime soon, I don't want to put travel on hold until we somehow unlock the secret to world peace. Letting fear overshadow the things that bring me joy in life feels like letting the bad guys win. And if someone gets to win in my life, I want it to be me. So I'll proceed, with caution. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
