Do you dare to travel in these times?

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Do you dare to travel in these times? Wars are going on here and there, Swedes have earned a dubious reputation as Islamophobes, and even the earth's crust seems unsettled and ready to spew lava or ash. Might it not be wise to stay at home after all?

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A troubled world

When the world finally woke up after the pandemic and travelling became possible again, it suddenly became unsettled in other ways. The war in Ukraine is close, both geographically and emotionally, and the fear of Russia has returned. What is Putin really up to?

And as if these battles weren't enough, the war between Israel and Hamas flared up unexpectedly, displaying unprecedented atrocities that make it hard to read the news.

Waving the Swedish flag no longer feels as unilaterally positive in all situations. After Koran burnings and misinterpreted statements, there is a risk that Swedes will be perceived as Islamophobic.

Sometimes it feels like there's unrest everywhere and even the earth's crust is twitching and shaking, threatening to spew lava and ash.

Isn't it safer to stay at home?

In the most anxious moments, you might wonder if it's not safest to stay at home? After all, anything outside your own neighbourhood can be super scary.

Since we work as travel writers, we travel a lot, and usually have several trips booked. And it is actually then, when travelling, that we have the greatest opportunity to question the creepiness.

Recently we have been travelling in Uzbekistan, Poland and Turkey. As usual when travelling, we met lots of nice, lovely and generous people in these countries. We visited cities with a nice atmosphere, had interesting exchanges with locals and had many good laughs. And no, travelling did not feel the least bit unsafe.

But, shouldn't you be a bit careful anyway?

But shouldn't you be a bit careful when travelling? Well, it's always a bit dangerous to live, because you can die. Things can happen both at home and away, and the biggest difference when you are travelling, compared to when you are at home, is that you often have less control.

We always check out MFA travel information to different countries (also available as a handy app called "UD Resklar") before travelling to another country. We don't just mean that we check if there is an "advisory", but above all we check their information on, for example, road safety, crime, health care, local laws and customs, natural conditions, etc. It's always good to have some knowledge when travelling!

So, you can travel in these times?

If you ask us, you can definitely travel in these times. The good thing about travelling is that you are reminded that there are a lot of nice, friendly and caring people around the world, and that it's not all doom and gloom. You're also reminded of the beauty of exchange - what happens when people from different countries and cultures talk to and understand each other's different circumstances and ways of looking at the world.

But, if someone Icelandic volcano starts spraying a lot of ash? Yes, the planes might not be able to take off. We'll have to go by camper van or take the train ...

How do you think, do you dare to travel in these times?

Now we wonder, how do you think? Do you dare to travel in these times?

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