When it comes to almost anything, there are two ways to live: stifled by fear or courageously venturing in pursuit of fulfilling your deepest curiosities.
Growing up just across Sandy Hook Bay from New York City, the effects of the September 11th attacks were all too real for me. I know far too many people who are now without dads, moms, aunts, uncles, etc.
My town’s beach was no longer a beautiful September oasis, finally free of tourists. Instead, for weeks, across the water there was a constant pouring of thick smoke into the sky. It reeked of death, of burning metal and of evil.
For the next 10 years, I’d wake up in the middle of the night screaming down the hall for my parents after having nightmares of “the bad guys.” Whenever I saw a plane flying even remotely low to the ground and heading toward the city (as most planes above my house are), I’d pray that it was still the pilot driving. That day took away the entirety of my trust in the safety of planes and of traveling. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned that I can’t allow that mentality.
If you live your life in fear of what could happen, then they automatically win.
Before bed, my dad used to lay on my bed and talk to me about “the bad guys.” I’d tell him how I needed to do things like see the Eiffel Tower, visit family and eat pizza in Italy, but I didn’t want to have to face “the bad guys.” He’d say to me, “If you’re too scared to get on a plane and see the world, then those people automatically win.”
A few years and many more of these “sucker-punch”-eqsue terrorist attacks later, students my age are being presented with the opportunity to study abroad: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely foreign culture.
My decision to go abroad has been met multiple times by comments like, “Wow, you’re brave,” or a wary, “Are you sure you want to go there? Haven’t you seen the news?”
To both of those questions, I give a big, "Yes." Quite frankly, watching the news just makes me want to travel more, to show the “bad guys” who stole countless hours of my childhood’s sleep that they can’t stop me. I’m not afraid of what they do. I know that somewhere, the faint possibility of ending up in wrong place at the wrong time exists. However, I refuse to let these risks stop me from exploring the beauty of the earth, from living out my dreams, from connecting with new people of different backgrounds and from learning so much about myself and our world.
I've been incredibly lucky to have traveled to many different countries and parts of the world so far, and each time I take away a new perspective on this planet and the people who live in it. A few days ago, I came across the quote, "The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page." I truly agree that those who have the resources to do so, owe it to themselves to explore a new part of our "book," without letting anything, especially those who so cowardly inflict horror upon others, stop them.
Terrorism can take lives. Terrorism can destroy national landmarks. Terrorism can make the world's most powerful leaders feel small. But it can't stop me from doing what I want to do: read every page this universe's "book" has to offer.
