25 Years Later: Why We Still Travel

Twenty-five years ago, the world changed.

For those of us who remember September 11, 2001, it is difficult to explain the feeling of that day to someone who didn’t experience it. We watched the unimaginable unfold in real time. We mourned people we had never met. And suddenly, things we had taken for granted—including the simple act of getting on an airplane—felt very different.

Travel changed after 9/11.

Security changed. Airports changed. Our sense of certainty changed.

But something else became clearer too.

Life isn’t promised. Go experience it.

I’ve spent more than three decades in hospitality and travel publishing, and the older I get, the less interested I am in travel simply as a collection of places.

I’ve been fortunate to see beautiful hotels, incredible destinations and parts of the world I once only imagined visiting. But the things I remember most aren’t always the five-star suites or spectacular views.

They’re the people.

A conversation with someone whose life looks nothing like mine. A meal that lasted longer than expected. Watching a sunset with someone I love. Experiencing a culture that challenged the way I saw something. Standing somewhere far from home and realizing how big—and at the same time how connected—this world really is.

That’s what travel can give us.

September 11 also reminds us that behind every journey is a person trying to get somewhere.

Home.

To someone they love.

To a business meeting.

To a wedding.

To an adventure they’ve dreamed about for years.

Every ticket has a story attached to it.

Twenty-five years later, I think that’s worth remembering.

Don’t keep waiting for the perfect time to take the trip.

Use the vacation days.

Take your kids somewhere they’ll remember.

Go back to the place you love.

Sit with people who live differently than you do.

Be curious.

Be present.

And when you travel, don’t just collect photographs.

Collect perspective.

Today we remember the lives lost on September 11, the families forever changed and the extraordinary courage shown by so many.

And perhaps we honor them in another small way too:

By being grateful we’re here—and making something meaningful out of the journey we’ve been given.