So destiny has packed our bags and my husband, Danny, and I will travel to five European countries during the month of June. One of them is England. I had thought it perfect timing that Blogger’s Bash 2017 would be held in London while we traveled from Scotland to France. We made our reservations near Victoria Station and are ready to go. I can’t wait to meet my blogging friends from the UK.
Then the unthinkable happened in Manchester. Prime Minister Theresa May raised the terrorist threat flag from severe to critical adding “an attack is imminent.” She called for police presence on the streets and help from the military. Not exactly the relaxing trip I’d planned.
We stopped in NYC on our way to Europe a few weeks before 9/11. My son, Kelly, wanted to see the World Trade Center, so we taxied down to the financial district. You never know. (I’m behind the camera.)
Why so much hatred in the world? Of all concerts, why Ariana Grande? She is queen of the tweens. So many little girls attended. Why would killing little girls be a terrorist’s goal? I imagine a horrific, hellish afterlife where they suffer for eternity. That line of thought ends with me hating them. That’s not the answer. Hate begets hate. Somehow or other, things have got to settle down. We all need to peace the hell out.
World leaders tweeted strong defensive strategies like stopping ISIS before their routine attacks undermine and dismantle the government. That didn’t sit well with me. I’m not a defense kind of gal. I loved the Pope’s message: “Dialogue allows us to plan for a future in common. Through dialogue we build peace, taking care of everyone.” That’s playing offense.
Every day security ramps up. Some British tourist attractions are closed. Worries have extended to France, Belgium and Germany. Great.
It’s no big deal to hunker down in Scotland. I am an Outlander super fan and could find tons of activities to keep me busy. But I visualize terrorists hidden in gloomy alleys who watch my cowardly reaction. They throw up their hands and shout, “We win!” I’m not a coward. I refuse to live my life in fear. Instead, I will be vigilant.
I have no control over others and their hatred. I only have control over myself. But I can make an impact by loving others without judgement and living my wild life. If it means going to Europe in June where terrorism just got real, then the Wild Ride will get a little wilder. I can’t wait! The countdown has begun.
Would you cancel your trip? What would you do to stay safe? Any travel tips, you’d like to share?
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Susie Lindau's Wild Ride 
Great thoughts Susie. Honestly, I’d pull back and stay on U.S. soil, let things settle a bit. Call me chicken but my survival instinct is alive and well. I wish you and Danny a very safe and awesome trip. ❤️👍🏻😄
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Thanks, John!
We are going as planned. I’m more worried about driving on the wrong side of the road in Scotland! I wonder if there’s a training video on YouTube… Ha!
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No worries, I rode a scooter on the left side in Bermuda some years ago. Think opposites!
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Go, be safe, be aware, but still live! Have a safe trip and an awesome time!!!
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Thanks so much, OM! That’s the plan. I hope to do a lot of blogging on the fly. It will be a wild month!
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Awesome! I hope it’s a blast!
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Thank you! It will be an adventure, for sure. I hope to live large and meet a lot of interesting people along the way.
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I would not cancel my trip, and I doubt that option did much more than flicker across your mind. I look forward to the photos and stories you will return with. I follow a large number of bloggers but there is a core that I identify with and especially are interested in, yourself included. You and my wife could talk about the trials and triumphs of beating cancer, and poor husbands would be forgotten, oy vey.
Go forward, that’s what you do. Keep on triumphing.
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Awww! Thanks so much! I bet we would have a great time.
You know me so well. I really couldn’t conceive of bailing. I did tweet my UK friends and they laughed off May’s alert as political. My personal trainer said he felt “people were on edge” while he lived there. We’ll have a great time. I hope to blog on location1
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Go on the trip and don’t cancel. The creeps shouldn’t win! Safe travels, you’ll be fine!
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Thanks so much!
We will be fine. It’s driving on the wrong side of the road that worries me. Ha!
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I would go. Enjoy the bloggers bash. I hope to go next year. I grew up in Scotland and my sister lives right by the little harbour used at the beginning of series 2 of Outlander. I am a big fan and look forward to series 3. 😊
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Oh, WOW! That is very cool. Any tips on where to stay, restaurants, etc….? We’re still in the planning stage, if you can believe it. We leave next Friday!
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What parts are you planning to see. I grew up in a little village near Stirling which has an awesome castle. It would be worth seeing Loch Lomond which is beautiful and Outlander was partly filmed in the harbour at Dysart just on the edge of Kirkcaldy. The whole of Fife has beautiful little harbours and Edinburgh is very special too…
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Safe travels! Things that happen will happen. It’s in God’s hands. Keep on loving without judgement and you will be fine. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Michele! My husband said the same thing after reading this post. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since the death of my brother in March, it’s that we have no control.
It will be a great trip, I’m sure!
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In my other life, I manage a musician. We are coming to the end of what will be a year long tour. We seem to be coming to an end as we started, with terrorist activities in Europe. After a very quick band, crew and staff meeting we came to the unanimous decision that we will not be denied. I did something that you probably can’t do. I hired security to travel with us and impressed the need for enhanced venue security on local promoters. You can probably do three things. 1. Do whatever it is you want to do. 2. Use a high sense of situational awareness. 3. If the worst thing happens, don’t run. Hit the deck. Dig a hole in the pavement. Stay down. Oh yeah, we’ll be in Europe too.
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You are the coolest! Thanks for the tips. You are taking the right approach. When I saw everyone run from Manchester Stadium, I thought the same thing. Hit the deck. They ran toward the terrorist.
Will you be in Scotland, London, Paris, Belgium or Amsterdam? I’d love to see your band!
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They ran everywhere, which is normal. But staying up leaves you open to flying stuff. That’s what a tough old sargent taught me once. Tour sked. London 6 July. Delft (near Amsterdam) 8 July. EastFlanders, Belgium 9 July. Paris 11 July. I just manage them, it’s my musical miss’ band. 🎼🎶🎹🎹🎹🎤
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I keep thinking about the ISIS people wanting to kill anyone who doesn’t think like they do. How do they expect anyone to come over to their way of thinking when they do such horrendous acts? As for your holiday, be watchful, but as someone (Streets of Nuremberg) said, you can’t let the creeps win.
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That’s so right, Anneli, we can’t let them win. You bring up such a great point. There are other ways of changing people’s minds. I’m sick of fear tactics. We just went through an election won because of them.
We’ll be fine and I’ll blog updates along the way!
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Looking forward to the blog posts.
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My husband and I will be traveling internationally as well this summer. Too late to back out now. Not that I would. Like you, I can’t live my life in fear. Here’s to both of us having a great–albeit perhaps vigilant–time!
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Fantastic attitude! That’s the only way to defeat terrorism.
I hope your trip is amazing! Sorry I missed your comment somehow!
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Have a great trip! We traveled there last June and met up with 5 bloggers.
I blogged about it here: https://thecvillean.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/forsooth-i-fear-thou-dost-feign-literary-competence-whilst-partaking-of-perquisite-scarcely-gained/.
Hope you get to meet many bloggers as well. It makes it even more special.
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Thanks Al! It was a blast. Loved your meetup post. I’m not familiar with your blogger friends. Amazing how many of us are out there. Ha!
Hope you’re enjoying your summer. Sorry I missed your comment!
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Someone who was injured in Brussels was already scheduled to speak here in town before Manchester–go figure! Anyway, he said that he thinks stooping to women and children means they’re panicking. I’m not sure about that–offshoots like Boko Haram make it clear that they’ve never cared about women and children. I think the internet is ramping up recruiting and there’s nothing we can do about it. I know that sounds gloomy, but I also know that statistics say that we’re more likely to die in a car crash…and that pure observation points out that they (almost) never strike the same place twice, because it would be too predictable. (Except for Paris, apparently.) If anything, places like Nice, Brussels and Manchester are probably the safest places!
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That is so true, Daya!
I think the odds are less than a car crash since they happen daily. Anyways, we had a blast and went right into the tourist traps. Lived to tell the tale! Lots to come
Sorry I missed your comment. 🙂
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I’d go, see what I could see, be aware of my surroundings, but not get too hung up on what could happen. It won’t be a carefree vacation, but it will be an interesting one. Tender mercies to you.
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We had a blast! Once I saw all the little kids and families living their lives, I was over it. We went right into the tourist traps and didn’t bat an eye. Instead, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Sorry I missed your comment! I hope your summer has been stellar!
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No prob. Glad you had fun. That’s what a vacation needs to be all about.
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It was a wild one!
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I don’t believe a few misguided lunatics should be allowed to dictate one’s life. Furthermore, to some extent I’m a fatalist. I know of people who have, for example, fled South Africa because of violent crime only to become a victim of it overseas. The fact that it was less likely to happen there didn’t make it go away.
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That is horribly ironic. I agree about fate. We went and had so much fun! I saw so many families out and about living their lives that I never worried.
Thanks Colonist! Sorry I missed your comment!
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I definitely wouldn’t cancel. We cannot let the minds of a group of extremists dictate how we live our lives. To stay home & never have the opportunity to connect with others across this earth would be like declaring defeat to the principles of living in harmony with our fellow human beings. It is even more important that we continue to get to know one another, to understand each others cultures, to practice tolerance & seek peaceful ways of overcoming our differences. Safe travels Susie!
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Well said, Lynn! Wow!
We went and had so much fun. It was such a relief to see everyone out and about. I never thought twice about going to touristy places. More to come about that!
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I’m going to Scotland in June and will not cancel. Hope you have a great trip.
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Ha! When will you be there?
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June 19th through the 30th
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Have a great time! We’ll be onto other countries by then. Have you been before?
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Nope. First time. Is home to my mother’s side of the family.
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As far as I am concerned we are controlled by fate. I could walk out this door and get hit by a car.. When your number is up its up.. Go have fun
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That’s what I believe too. I’m more worried about driving on the wrong side of the road. Ha!
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Hi Susie ~ We’ve been in France for the last month and will be here for another month. We were here last year just outside Nice when the terrible attack took place there. There are evil people all around the world and the one thing we must do is to keep living our lives and not let them deter us. Stick to your travel plans. Be the kind and thoughtful people you always are. Celebrate the diversity of cultures you experience. It’s the least each of us can do in our own small way. Onward! ❤️
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Thanks Pat! That’s EXACTLY what we will do. We can’t avoid risk. It’s involved in everyday living. It’s all about having a fun adventure and experiencing different cultures. Maybe I can talk Danny into buying a kilt. Ha!
How cool that you’re there for two months! Did you do your house swap?
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This year we rented for five weeks (just one left) and then I’m leading our women’s tour for 12 days. After that two of my BFF’s are coming over for a ten-day girls’ fling. I’ll be back in Toronto June 30th.
Bon voyage ~ can’t wait for your posts!
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Wow! That sounds fantastic, Pat! You really know how to live. 🙂
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Go ahead and enjoy your trip. Let us pretend the terrorists don’t exist. After all, that seems to be the philosophy of the enlightened world. Win them with love, as long as it takes past the Doomsday. Because they are the Doom themselves.
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You’re right, Uma. I will enjoy it! The best thing is to keep putting the positive vibes out there and live our lives.
Thanks so much!
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I haven’t traveled out of the country in many years, but hopefully by the time you go things will be settled down. And if not, more time in Scotland would be an amazing backup plan. I can’t wait to see all your pictures!
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Thanks, Lacey! I think it will be good for me to loosen up and blog more often, anyway. Ha!
We are heading out in a week, but we are sticking to our plan. The funny thing is, we haven’t finalized any deets in Scotland yet! There are too many choices and places to see!
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I read on someone else’s blog about when they went to Scotland. He said he wished he didn’t have to leave and can’t wait till he gets to go back. No matter what you do, it sounds like it’ll be amazing!
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I LOVED it!
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YAY!!!
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I really believe in living our lives, however; being aware and safety matters too. It is sad what is going on in the world. I think at times they want us to hate and fear and turn against each other and that is so not the answer. Go about our lives, travel, adventure, explore and do what makes you happy and brings you joy. You may need to adjust when traveling (i.e. have a backup plan in the places you are traveling to, maybe stay in places with more front desk security with doormen and secure doors, try not to stick out like a tourist and blend in with the locals, etc.).
Happy Traveling Wild Rider!!!
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Thanks for the tips, Renee!
I remember a long time ago, someone said they don’t pack much. Instead, they buy what the locals are wearing to blend in! Great idea. And I love to shop while on vacation. If the photos I’ve seen on line are any indication, there are a lot of colorful tops being sold in Europe! We’ll be staying in decent places and even a castle or two. I wonder if I’ll see any ghosts?
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Happy Ghost Hunting 🙂 Enjoy Your Travels!!!
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I went to France last spring just after the Brussels shooting. We did not want terrorists to win. We also wanted to support the people morally as well as economically. Tourism was down 40 per cent. Many locals thanked us for coming.
We had a great trip and felt safe due to the increased military presence.
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There was hardly any military presence in London. I felt safe and had a blast! It’s the only way to combat terrorism. Ignore it.
Thanks so much for the comment, Lori! I somehow missed your comment. Lots more about the trip has been blogged. I have enough fodder for months to come. Ha!
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PS..have a wonderful trip!!
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Enjoy the trip and live in the now, with a wee bit more vigilance added in. I cant wait to read about your adventure and see the photos!
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Thanks so much, Galen! That’s the plan. I’ll keep everyone posted!
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The reality of most ‘terrorist threat levels’ is that they’re implemented after the horse has bolted. Most, not all. I’d go, but I’d pay a bit more attention to my surroundings, not looking for trouble, but not ignoring it either. Life is too short (cancer taught me that, and you as well 🙂 ) to let fear stand in the way of living.
Lots of pictures of your adventures please. 🙂
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I’ve got enough adventure and photo fodder to last a year of blogging. Ha!
It was a blast and in a very good way. 🙂 That post is coming up soon….
Sorry I missed your comment!
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Nope. Wouldn’t cancel. In a weird way, Europe might be the safest place to be! But you have to know that I live in New York City. Friends and family from the nice safe Midwest always ask me if I’m afraid to live here. Hey, things can happen anywhere! BTW, I put my travel where my mouth is. Years ago, The Dude and I did not cancel our plans to travel to Rome right after Chernobyl, when everyone was afraid of the Nuclear Cloud. We had the whole city to ourselves (!)
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Good for you traveling to Rome! We absolutely felt safe and had a blast on our trip. I’ve posted a few adventures with lots more to come including the Bash in London.
Thanks for your comment!
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