Is it justified to feel worried about traveling to other countries?

[Komeiji Koishi]

So, context: in a few hours I'm headed to the airport to go to Mexico again. It's a routine thing for me, I guess. But honestly this year I don't feel too sure about it, having seen the news lately. There's been several really disconcerting events going on in the past few months, both in Mexico and in the worldwide stage, and it's gotten me a little... Paranoid(?) about traveling. I know that's a very very very worst case scenario, slippery slope way of thinking, but I can't help shake my worries.

So... Yeah. Are those worries justified or am I worrying over nothing?

I would've posted this in FFTF but I kind of felt like this is a more serious topic, and maybe so it could help travelers in general, I guess. This would've gone in SD but my friends i showed it to says otherwise.

Message for the mods, I'm not going to be here for the next few days, once i leave, so if you feel that the topic goes out of hand, for some reason or another, you can lock the thread.

[I.M. Gei]

you're going out of your comfort zone in going abroad, it's totally understandable to feel nervous.

[eclipse]

The world is a better and worse place than what you see in the news. I don't know where in Mexico you're going, but if you've been there before, you should have an idea of what to expect. Things don't go from quiet suburb to sky-high crime rate overnight!

I think this is the best subforum for this topic, and had you posted it to Serious Discussion, I would've moved it here.

[Komeiji Koishi]

you're going out of your comfort zone in going abroad, it's totally understandable to feel nervous.

In a way, yeah. It's not like it's the first time I'm doing this, though. I've gone, i think, 3 times in the past 4 years? So it's probably not that.

The world is a better and worse place than what you see in the news. I don't know where in Mexico you're going, but if you've been there before, you should have an idea of what to expect. Things don't go from quiet suburb to sky-high crime rate overnight!

I think this is the best subforum for this topic, and had you posted it to Serious Discussion, I would've moved it here.

I'm headed to mexico city, where i have been to before many times. Even with that in mind I still feel worried, due to recent events.

Alright, glad to hear it.

[Knight]

No place is as comfortable as home, it's an understandable feeling. Even going to England for me was sketchy at first.

[BeMine96]

I think so. Right now, If I were to travel, I would be scared honestly. I'm afraid people will avoid me or glare at me because of how people view us, muslims, nowadays because of ISIS. I feel like I'm gonna be called terrorist or be verbally attacked, idk. I wanted to study abroad so bad but I think I kinda changed my mind.

So yeah, I think it's justified.

[blah the Prussian]

Depends on where in Mexico you plan to go. I would steer clear of the poorer areas, but personal experience says that the tourist areas are completely fine.

[angienessyo]

It's reasonable to feel nervous! I went to England last year, which didn't have anything major going on at the time but was still freaking out. It's extremely unlikely anything will happen to you, so there's no point in worrying too much.

[Shin]

As long as you don't do anything silly, travel's generally pretty safe. There's stories of all these horrible things that happen, but you need to remember that most people have no problems at all. It's not like the news covers holidays that go OK!

[amiabletemplar]

I don't think it's ever truly wrong to feel apprehensive about travel. Travel can be dangerous. You're in a place where the laws, language, culture, etc. are all different. And even the act of travelling, itself, can be dangerous.

The issue is whether or not this healthy "fear" is severe enough to be a source of anxiety. Do your concerns keep you awake at night? Do you find yourself irritable or nervous at random times of day, due to thinking about your upcoming travels? Do these thoughts occupy your mind, even when you should be focused on other tasks? If any of those are "yes," then I'd say yeah, your fears have become a problem and you should try to do something about them--they are negatively impacting your ability to live your life.

If you feel fear about something, and that thing actually has the capacity to harm you, it is a pretty normal thing. Healthy responses are to prepare for the possible negative consequences, and to investigate the dangers (from a safe distance, of course) so you can go into the situation well-informed. From just your initial post, it sounds like your fears are healthy ones, and you're more afraid of the fear than the object of the fears. Remain alert and vigilant, but try not to lose any sleep over it. The vast majority of people who travel--even when the danger level is higher--come out just fine.