As I've been bragging constantly about my upcoming 3+ week trip to Spain, I've been surprized about how people have reacted. About 1/2 of the people I know have tried to convince me its a bad idea to travel this year. I guess people like many of us MM members have traveling in our blood.

Rere!
Don't let those people dampen your spirits! I am a flight attendant, so if anyone should be aware of the dangers of traveling right now, it should be me. My company lost 2 airplanes in the September 11 attacks. We are still grieving over the loss of our co-workers and passengers. I must sometimes get on up to 4 flights a day for work, but I feel perfectly safe. The fact of the matter is, there has always been some risk involved when traveling whether by plane, train, or automobile. It is STILL more dangerous to travel by car than by plane. If anything, air travel is more secure now than it has ever been. Don't let the terrorists or anyone else keep you from living life to its fullest and doing the things you enjoy! You only get to go around once, so make the most of it. Nothing is going to stop me from going to Spain on vacation in January! It will be a welcome reprieve from everything going on here in the states. Have a great trip!

I think you speak words of wisdom, i! Thanks.

You're right, rere. Many of us DO have traveling in our blood. I'd rather risk death and travel than feel confined. Travel invokes exhilaration and freedom like no other activity if you ask me. I was more than a little frightened before going to Perú last Christmas/New Years. I'd heard so many stories and few of them positive. But after seeing it for myself I felt perfectly safe and had the most wonderful time of my entire life!!! REALLY! I'm not ashamed to say my 2-weeks in Perú where more exhilarating than my months in Spain!! It was different, sad, exciting, historical, and a REAL eye-opener. AND it has such a STRONG Spanish (that's FROM SPAIN...hehehe..) influence that it was all the more interesting to me.

I can't agree more with iwalanic. rere, INVITE the excitement you have a right to feel. CHERISH the precious moments in Spain. Travel and feel free. ENJOY the almond tapas which come with your drink. TASTE and remember the tortilla española when it first hits your palate. FEEL the energy while walking down the streets of Spain. Mmmm... I envy you. But I'll only envy you until I can do these things for myself at the end of December! Woo Hoo! Have a GREAT time, rere!

Saludos, MadridMan

I had same kind of worries before my trip to South America last November. I visited Perú and Bolivia during a month and really wished that I could have stayed longer. I´ll never forget those amazing weeks.

Many people advised me against travelling because in their opinion it was far too dangerous... The worst thing that happened to me was that some pickpocket stole a roll of film from my plastic bag. Fortunately unexposed. (I didn´t even notice the theft at that time.)

The only thing I regret is that I didn´t make that trip earlier. Travelling enriches your life SO MUCH. Meeting new people, learning more about different cultures, history etc. or just relaxing and having fun. Do you want to live without it? I don´t.

Enjoy your trip!

P.S. Someone has worked out that it takes 22000 years of constant travelling by plane before you´ll meet an accident so why worry?

If you think traveling alone is dangerous and should not be done, I challenge you to read The Art of Travel . Not only does this book examine the reasons you SHOULD travel, it encourages you to, even if you are by yourself. You will almost always meet up with others traveling alone, who are the same as you.

It is true that most people either travel with someone or not at all. What bad logic. Do you want to look back at all the things you "could" have done, but didn't?

I am a perfect example of that. Before my trip to Spain last year, I almost said "why bother", what can be so much better than where I live now?" I kind of didn't even want to go. But now that I visited Madrid and many other great cities, all I want to do is go back. I wouldn't even rule out living there someday.

So get off the couch, buy some plane tickets, and go have fun!