The State Department recently issued a travel alert regarding Europe. It’s no surprise, considering the recent events that have taken place in Europe. The media has covered these attacks aggressively, as our newsfeeds and newspapers show us. It seems like there is no place that is safe. First Europe, what next?

Paris.

Brussels.

San Bernardino.

I’ve been to the first. I have tickets to travel through the second. I live 45-minutes away from the third.

When news of the Brussels attack began to circulate, I thought of the layover I had planned in Brussels. I thought about all the potential places that could be attacked next in Europe. I thought about canceling my first extended solo trip through Europe. Then I thought of a life full of decisions fueled by fear.

The most terrifying thought was the last one.

Life is fleeting and frightening. It is full of risks and unplanned encounters. It is all too easy to stop living and become paralyzed by the fear of the unknown.

Comfort zones are so persuasive, yet they are far from safe. I live 45-minutes away from San Bernardino, and I live in my comfort zone. The sound of police sirens has become a song on the soundtrack of my college life, and I live in my comfort zone. The truth is life-shattering moments happen in even the safest places. They happen in Europe, but they also happen right here in California.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for people to just hop on a plane and try to get into Syria or Iraq. Areas of such high risk do need proper expertise and training on protocol. What I am advocating is a mentality not of fear but of awareness.

In the midst of all that is happening, I do believe there is a response that is neither paranoid nor foolish. I choose to step out of my comfort zone. I choose to go. Why? Because there will always be potential dangers in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, in the Americas and even in good old Australia.

Be smart and be safe, but do not be held captive by fear.