About a week ago I wrote a post about worrying. I was worrying about flying in Eastern Europe so close to the Black Sea, where Russia and Ukraine and Crimea have been unsettled and there had been terror concerns surrounding the Sochi Olympics.
Now I have another reason to worry; the Malaysian Airlines plane that disappeared over water. It frightens me to find out that some countries are lax about checking passports. It frightens me that there is a period of about an hour when a flight over water is out of contact with radar or radio or any kind of tracking. I have flown back and forth across the Atlantic six times in my life and never worried about it before, but I am worrying about it now.
I hate worrying. It takes all the fun out of life. Instead of looking forward to a trip, I find myself dreading it for weeks at a time. Should I back out and disappoint my friends with whom we are supposed to travel? Can we get any money back? Will my husband lose patience with my nervousness? Or should I just decide to go and try to put it out of my mind for now?
Judy if your consular advice is a travel warning for this region, you have every right to delay the trip for another time. Your feelings are important too.
ReplyDeleteSince I commented last, Australia has travel warnings in place on this region at the moment. If you cannot get your money back I guess that would be a big factor in whether to go or not.
Those close to you should respect your feelings which to me seem quite sensible - nothing wrong with postponing the trip under the present circumstances.
Thank you for you very sensible comment, Pam. I am going to check for official warnings.
ReplyDeleteWell, you've gone to Hawaii many times and that plane is over water for a long time...and everything was fine...right?
ReplyDeleteI actually looked at travel warnings this morning, I was curious. There was one for the Ukraine, unsurprisingly, but I don't remember any for Bosnia, etc. Mostly Muslim and African countries, and some South American ones where kidnapping is common. There was even one for Mexico, but we went there last year. I guess Cancun is sort of "exempt."
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Bearette. I've never been too nervous flying over the water to Hawaii. I am always aware that we are over nothing but water for a long time. I think it helps that we are flying west so it stays light throughout the flight. On the other hand, flying east across the Atlantic is mostly in the dark. I guess I feel better when I can see what's out there.
ReplyDeleteEvery time we go to Mexico my mother worries. The last time the hotel sent us a letter thanking us for coming and assuring us that the Cancun area is safe. I showed the letter to my mom.