Repeat After Me: What, Me Worry?

22 May 2026

I love to travel. It is like a nectar of the gods for me. What would the future be without a next trip in the works? 

And, I enjoy the planning. My motto is: plan, there will be enough surprises without building them into my schedule. Why turn travel into a gladiatorial event staged by Travel Gods, who seem to wake each morning asking, “How can we spice things up for our pilgrim today?” Why be clutching my boarding pass only to find a flight is cancelled with no Plan B?  

Which brings me to a modern dilemma. All the chaos currently facing travelers today, especially anyone foolish enough to believe a direct flight actually goes directly these days.

War and Bombs Bursting in Air

First, the Travel Gods begin with a classic: War. Apparently travel needed a touch of geopolitical tension. Destinations once described as quaint are now currently unavailable, and flight paths zigzag like nervous scribbles once open amid free skies. The Travel Gods have a dark sense of humor, inserting global conflict as if it were just another checkbox between window seat and vegetarian meal.  Suddenly, the biggest worry is not legroom, but whether a flight can fly near a restricted war zone.

I harbored a travel rule for years: never visit a country the US has bombed in the last 20 years. In the last 40 years (1986–2026), the United States has conducted bombing campaigns, airstrikes, or drone strikes in at least 15–20 countries, primarily in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Even more frightening, just in the last year, the USA’s dear leader has threatened to bomb or invade at least 14 countries. The idiot in chief has insulted even more. Good Travel Gods, I ask, how can a decent human being insult Canada or Greenland? 

My list of currently unavailable destinations seems to be getting longer by the day. Fortunately, most of these countries like Americans. It is our government they distrust and hate. I don’t blame them – so do I.

Gas Shortages

Next – Surprise! War equaled repercussions which equaled a serious global fuel shortage. Big dah! The mental powers in government hadn’t thought of that? Or does not care? 

Flight fares are affected. Fewer people can afford travel be it in air or in a car. Flight cut-backs and cancellations are happening. Higher prices and fewer travelers mean repercussions for the service industries around the world. The US is somewhat insulated because most of our stockpile of jet fuel is domestically produced. But European and Asian countries rely heavily on oil from the Middle East. With less oil flowing through the strait, jet fuel supplies have plummeted.

While the US sees higher prices and reduced supplies, Europe faces severe fuel shortages. There actually exists discussions amid EU members to consider purchasing fuel from the United States. 

Except for instilling fear and diversion and making a dollar off the misfortune of others, our government doesn’t seem to care. Instead, Washington calls our allies “cowards” and “unhelpful,” and threatens that the U.S. “won’t be there to help you anymore.”

Alienation of Our Allies 

Of course, no journey would be complete without a little diplomatic awkwardness. The alienation of our allies adds a subtle spice to border crossings, where smiles are thinner and questions linger just a beat too long. One rehearses their answers like an actor preparing for a role: “Purpose of visit? Tourism. Duration of stay? Brief. Intentions? Pure and wholesome, I assure you.” Others wonder how you personally contributed to the state of international relations.

I want to wear a t-shirt that says “SORRY! WE hate him, too.” Everyone, absolutely everyone in the world knows who him is. I carry around a mix of relief that others generally do like Americans, and a mild embarrassment, as though apologizing on behalf of my entire nation. I can’t say Sorry enough.

Pestilence (COVID)

And then, pestilence—our old friend COVID—still lurks like an uninvited guest who refuses to leave the party. Travel continues to include a dance of masks or no masks. A simple cough in an airport lounge clangs like a warning bell and can clear a room faster than a fire alarm. You become hyper-aware of every sneeze, sniffle, every suspicious glance. The Travel Gods, it seems, enjoy reminding us that the tiniest invisible hitchhiker can bring the mightiest itinerary to its knees.

Airline Strikes

Just when you think you’ve cleared the gauntlet, an airline strike descends. Nothing tests the human spirit like a departure board full of cancellations. Flights vanish with the casual cruelty of a magician’s trick, and you are left clutching your boarding pass as though it might still materialize into something useful. Customer service lines stretch into eternity, staffed by agents who have seen too much and promise too little.

I narrowly flew between two of these walkouts about a month ago. While I support the workers, I also hate the thought, like all travelers, of having a critical flight cancelled. At least, most times, the union gives a 24-hour warning. 

Grumpiness of Age

Finally, the most insidious obstacle of all: the quiet, creeping grumpiness of age. Once, I bounded through airports with reckless enthusiasm; now I calculate walking distances to the lounge. Seats seem smaller, lines longer, and patience a finite resource. Now, the good old days come at a price.  I pay for the perks in order to cut the lines, use the lounge, and board priority. 

And yet, despite the challenges, the irritations, and the undeniable allure of staying put, I still go because somewhere deep down, the wanderer remains. I roll my eyes at the Travel Gods, sigh, and board anyway. 

What, Me Worry?: Boarding Anyway

And yet—after the shortages, the headlines, the diplomatic frost, the lingering masks, the strikes, and the unmistakable creak of time – I board a plane. Not because the obstacles have vanished, but because they never do. The Travel Gods can scatter as many hurdles as they like; they underestimate the quiet, stubborn pull of travel. 

This trip is specifically designed with a purpose. In years past, I have enjoyed the privilege of hosting foreign students in my home. I remain close to these daughters of mine and their families. I hosted Didi of Germany in 1987, Maria of Sweden in 1988, and Bea of Switzerland in 1990.

My daughters are on the other side of the ocean, and that is reason enough to defy every inconvenience placed in my path. So, I fasten my seatbelt, offer a small nod to the chaos below, and take off anyway. I carry with me the comforting truth that while the world may be unpredictable, the desire to challenge it remains wonderfully, reassuringly constant.