The morning of September 11, 2001 is well-ingrained in my memory. Within a few days of the attack, I called Adventure Center and verified my October trip was still scheduled, which meant I had to decide whether or not to head for The Middle East. My parent's definitely did not want me to go. My brother, on the other hand, took the opposing view.
Deep down, I knew fear alone was not a reason to cancel my plans, however the 24/7 media coverage of death and destruction was effective at swaying me. And then there was a sign, in the form of Delta canceling their service to Cairo. Suddenly, I would be due a full refund on my airfare, which made giving up my $200 tour deposit seem inconsequential.
Life seemed to sway me away from international travel, thereafter, as it wasn't until several years later in 2005 that I would dust off my passport and board a flight to Costa Rica. If it weren't for that complete lack of travel in my early 20's, I might not have decided to make up for it with a big trip around the world in my early 30's.
And it was on that RTW trip that I made sure to visit Egypt – Cairo, the Pyramids, Luxor, and Aswan – complete with Nile River cruise and several felucca rides to make up for 2001.
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Interesting post. I think we should follow our guts when it comes to travel. Not only because of dangers or health concerns, but also regarding our feelings of attachment to certain places or people.
I'm still thinking about leaving for an open world trip with my son when he's 5, but I still have some concerns regarding my extended family and of course fears to sort out.
Hi Monica – I agree about learning to trust your instincts. At times that kept me in a particular city or country longer than planned, while other times it meant I skip a place completely (Vietnam).
I found myself in a similar situation, but decided to travel. I was actually scheduled to depart from NYC in the early afternoon of 9-11 for three months of travel in Asia. I left my job, sublet my room in my apartment, and stored many of my things at my mom's. But rather than fly out that day, I watched the towers fall from the waterfront in Hoboken, NJ.
It took me a a couple of weeks to rework visas, flights, and pre-arranged tours, all while sleeping on my sofa and volunteering with the Salvation Army. A month later I found myself in the mountains of Nepal, far away from the fears and anxieties back home. Yes I was nervous about still going, but I had planned the trip for years and was determined to still follow through on it.
If I had let the fear and 24/7 paranoia presented to us on the news get to me, I would have missed out on a life changing experience. And once I was in Asia, I never felt threatened or scared. In fact, everyone I encountered was very understanding and sympathetic to Americans.
I'm all about following your gut when it comes to safety. It's just sad that many Americans skip traveling internationally because of the fear presented to us – pre- and post-9/11.
Here is more about my decision to still travel and the experience I had: http://briefcasetobackpack.com/2008/12/letting-…
Wow, that is quite a situation to be in. Thanks for sharing.
The more I travel, the less I try to let fear guide my decision-making. I think I taught myself a big lesson (and a few others too) when I 1) visited Colombia, and 2) decided to live there for 6 months in the former murder capital of the world!
I try not to let fear get to me too much when traveling because I am so inspired by it. And the events of 9-11 and those who responded to it inspired me even more and made me realize I needed to continue to follow my dream.
And today is no better day then to reflect on that. Here are some people who inspired me at that time: http://wanderlustprod.com/wordpress/reflecting-…
I cant blame anyone for not traveling immediately after 9/11. We had no idea of knowing if there were going to be more attacks, or when or where.
I traveled to London 6 months later and I chose a seat specifically on the aisle because I wanted to be to jump on and mix it up with anyone who threatened the plane. I think everyone flying for the first time after 9/11 was VERY conscious of where they sat and who was on board with them.
Hey Brian – good point about the not knowing what was coming next. My Dad had mentioned a few days ago how he really thought the cities of the US would end up like the Middle East. Glad that hasn't been the case.
Hey Brian – good point about the not knowing what was coming next. My Dad had mentioned a few days ago how he really thought the cities of the US would end up like the Middle East. Glad that hasn't been the case.