Travel in the modern age

The first I went abroad in a trip by myself was 17 years ago. I was 19, green and felt in some ways overwhelmed by the moment. I hardly remember the details of that first trip to Paris and Amsterdam, just small details. I remember my anecdotes and I guess that's enough... but what surprises me now is the frequency and normalcy with which we travel. I can go on my phone and within a few minutes can have an e-ticket waiting for me in my inbox. 

A month ago, I wasn't sure whether I'd head back to the US. It was a thought floating about but nothing I'd truly considered, the prices for flights were already pretty expensive and it wasn't looking likely. Armelle decided to give it a look and within moments I was all set. New York for the holidays with my family and friends. 

If I had lived in the 1940's, I couldn't dream about going to another continent on vacation? What would I do for money? What if I didn't speak the language? How would I get back? Even back when I was 19 it was tough, Google Maps wasn't a thing, Google Translate didn't exist and it was difficult to take out money from a foreign bank.

Flash forward to today, I'm hanging out at a cafe in Brussels, uploading pics to Instagram, reading articles on ESPN and listening to music on Spotify. I'm in contact in real-time with folks around the world (back in the days you needed phone cards to stay in touch and dial a long ass pin to connect), life has changed so much (for better and for worse).