Don’t Stop Traveling
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the horrible but all too common events in Paris on Friday…
As I’ve mentioned before, my boyfriend and I have a trip planned to Paris in a mere three weeks’ time. We’re going because I have vacation days to use up, because he’s been to Paris only once and for only two days, because it’s an easy trip for me as I’ve been there dozens of times, and because Paris in December is simply lovely.
People–mainly parental-type figures in my life (including my mother), but also strangers on the internet–have wanted to know whether or not we’re canceling our trip.
And my response?
Absolutely not.
The word “terrorism” came about because the cowards who commit these awful acts of mass murder do it for that very reason: to make us all afraid. Not going to Paris, not traveling, living in fear? It’s letting them win.
Never mind that from a practical standpoint, I have a far better chance of getting run over by a taxi on my way home today than I do of being a victim of terrorism. If you tried to actively avoid everything that can kill you, you’d never leave your house. (Never mind that there are plenty of things inside your house that can also kill you.) The point is, it does not do to live one’s life in fear.
And especially, especially, do not let fear prevent you from traveling. Travel is good for everyone. It expands your mind, lets you experience new things, lets you understand that people are just people, no matter where you go. Never leaving your comfort zone isn’t just boring, it’s also bad for you, and for society as a whole. Travel is a direct antidote to narrow-minded bigotry, which is something I encounter far, far too often here in the good old US of A (especially in light of current events. I’ve abandoned the comments section on Facebook posts for good now. I just can’t.)
You know the saying, “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for”? Don’t spend your life a great ship in a tiny, safe harbor.
Sail.
Image taken by me October 2012 in Paris, France.
Lovely sentiment and post – Terror should never stop the Wandering and wander of the travelers. Traveling is an art, a state of mind and just an unforgettable experience
Those who travel and look for safety, they are most likely called tourists. We travel because we want to see new things. We wouldn’t go to where has the civil war now (or if they are closed because of that reason) but if they think it’s not safe, you will never reach anywhere.
Right on. Yes, the situation in Paris is still very unstable, but I believe that everything should be better by December (even in the following week!). There’s a possibility that I will have to go through Paris if I end up going to the Alsace region in a few weeks, but by then should be all right. Here’s to traveling!
I grew up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the only response to this kind of thing is to keep living your life. I hope you have a wonderful trip!
Oh wow. Thanks for commenting and for the well wishes–good to hear from someone who’s actually lived through it. As a sidenote, that period in Irish history has always fascinated me–I’ve seriously considered writing a novel about it someday.
Such true thoughts. Stopping to travel would be the totally wrong thing to do right now. Instead you should still support the whole traveling economy. Travel is what makes the Western society so free. We definitely shouldn’t let some terorists ruin this for everyone!
You know the saying, “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for”? Don’t spend your life a great ship in a tiny, safe harbor.
Love this!
Yes, so much yes! I especially love what you said about travel being the antidote to bigotry. While not foolproof, that is so often true. I wish more people would do it, simply to open their minds and their hearts.
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