October — is there a better month in which to travel? Perhaps only May. Virtually anywhere one wants to go — for autumnal leaves, grape harvests, Oktoberfest, manageable crowds and wonderful weather — that is October. I personally don’t take advantage in the ever-present hope of the Dodgers going deep in the post season (emphasis on “hope”). Plus we have standing family travel over Thanksgiving. Posts to follow from this year’s upcoming trip to Vancouver.
So when the State Department just issued a Worldwide Caution Alert, obviously as a result of the heinous terrorist attacks on Israel, what does one do? Cancel that trip to Iran?
To state the obvious, we never know what is going to happen. Full stop. So trying to protect oneself can often be a fool’s errand. There are the well-known “hot spots” — including Iran — that are currently listed as Level 4.
But what about everywhere else? Here’s my advice. Travel, but always be aware of your surroundings. Allow extra time for security at every airport. Sign up for STEP (that is a must) for travel alerts and general information. For anyone wondering how travel insurance figures into the equation, that will be covered in a separate post.
Beyond that, I say go. Always go. As a wise but anonymous person once said:
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”