My heart aches with Paris, Nice, Istanbul, Brussels and every other city and country around the world that have been affected by terror attacks. Terror in some way, shape or form affects each and every one of us. It affects our way of thinking, our way of interacting with one another, it affects our habits, most importantly it affects the way we travel.
After the attacks on Nice, France on Bastille Day, I was scrolling through my Facebook timeline and spotted a few posts about cancelling upcoming trips to France. I cringed. I cringed because the terrorists are winning! We can’t let them disrupt our lives. We can’t allow them to divide us. We can’t live in fear. We can’t let them stop us from travelling.
Now, I know many people are looking at me sideways. “They just bombed a country and you want us to continue travelling?” I can hear you’ll judging me. After the bombings in Paris during December 2015, I was hesitant to travel there, but I wasn’t about to cancel my trip. There are terrorist living and breathing around me every day. They go to the grocery store with me, they let me out of street corners. There are terrorists living in every community, every country and truth be told, it can happen anywhere.
Now, I’m not saying book a flight and travel to a known area of conflict, but I’m saying don’t let terror shut you out from seeing this beautiful world. There are areas of conflict within the continent of Africa, but that will not stop me from visiting cities like South Africa, Cape Town, Kenya, or Zanzibar. What is important before travelling though is to put in some work. Research your destination, research if there is an ongoing civil war, disruptions or anything that may remotely affect you on your travels. During your travels be aware, be alert. Ensure that you have emergency contacts for your local embassy, and ensure that someone knows your whereabouts at all times. I usually always email an itinerary of my day to family or friends.
So please, don’t cancel those trips. Pack your bags, hop on that plane, explore more and always travel major!
