Recently, we have discussed the possibility of me taking my brother on a trip to Iceland. I realize that, like most parents, you are skeptical of the idea of us traveling away to an unknown country by ourselves. I can understand your displeasure with the idea of your two oldest sons leaving into what you may perceive as a dangerous endeavor half way around the world. However, now that we are both coming into adulthood, I believe that we have the right to make the decision to embark on such a trip by ourselves. Growing up you taught us to carefully consider things before we made decisions and this is exactly what I have done. I have spent the past month doing …show more content…
I realize that with travel comes the risk of personal harm, and this of course would cause you to be weary of us doing so. I would remind you however, of my trip to New Zealand and how seamless my traveling experience was. This trip was the first trip I had ever embarked on by myself, and I believe that the fact that I was able to do it with so little trouble goes to show how easy and safe travel really is. You have expressed to me your concerns with the safety of air travel, stating that we may be putting ourselves in danger by climbing into something we cannot get out of for many hours at ridiculous speeds miles above the ground. However, according to Christine Negroni, “hurtling through the air at 500 mph six miles above the ground is less likely to result in your demise than almost any other type of travel”. Indeed with today’s manufacturer’s knowledge of real world factors, they can make refinements to these planes which can “make a genuine difference in safety instead of only design” (Negroni). And as far as safety among airlines goes, Captain Dave Thomas has been quoted as saying that “[e]verything we do is motivated and governed by safety which is always the first consideration” (Pemberton). Moving away from air travel, you also expressed worry as to how we would handle various problematic situations that could occur while overseas. While I may not have the direct answer to your question, I have looked into the Canadian government’s travel advice and tips in order to prepare us. They advise everything from a travel safety kit to informing our country’s embassy in Iceland of our visit. UBC offers what is called a “Student Safety Abroad Program” which prepares students for travel overseas. They provide resources such as “learning modules, pre-departure briefings, and checklists” which are all available on their website