I received a call from my father today asking if this trip was still going to happen. My mother continually calls and tells me (doesn’t ask) that I won’t be able to go to Egypt in a week. Their fear is linked to what’s happening in Gaza at this very moment. When I first heard their comments, I laughed and told them, “You do realize that I am going to Egypt and not Israel, right?” After time passed and I thought more about what they have been saying and asking, I realize that they are truly concerned for my well-being and don’t really care that Egypt isn’t Israel. Rather, when they look at a map and see the close proximity of the Gaza strip to Egypt, the alarm bells start ringing. As I put aside my own “traveler’s superiority” (you know, the attitude that many of us can acquire after being fortunate enough to travel internationally) I realize that their fear is not unwarranted.