Security and travel

Sometimes we don't realize how good we have it. There have been few times in History when people have been able to travel great distances in relative safety.

We like to think that's possible because of all the roads, trains, and airlines. That's what makes travel quicker and easier. The thing that really makes long distance travel possible is security. At one time a person took their chances going to the next town. Bandits lurked along what passed for roads. Now we can travel thousands of miles in relative safety.

Yes, there are places that are more dangerous than others, but overall the average person is safe. It's amazing that someone can travel across the vast distances of the US. In addition, a US passport allows one to enter almost every country in the world without a Visa. Many other countries have similar arrangements. That's simply amazing.

We can even travel to countries that we consider our rivals, like Russia and China. There may be some political tension, but the average person can still travel to those places.

The world has many conflicts, but we aren't in a world war. Count your blessings. Borders would shut pretty quickly.

It's bad enough that the Syrian refugee crisis has caused enough turmoil that Europe is considering closing its borders once again. That would be a great loss of freedom. Europeans love their travel.

I only wish I could travel more than I already do. Who knows how much longer these historically unique times will last? I hope to get a few more stamps in my passport in case the dark days ever come again.

-Sixbears

Projects and bug out ideas

I've a lot of little projects that need doing. Most of them require warmer weather. We had snow on Monday and there's still pockets that haven't melted yet. It's been below freezing at night so even on sunny days it takes forever to warm up.

My lovely wife has started a lot of plants inside. With any luck they'll survive the transfer to the garden when it warms up.

The battery on the boat is totally dead. It's so dead it won't take a charge. At the end of last summer it seemed to be fading, so it's no real surprise it quit entirely. Better to discover it now than when the boat is on the lake.

I decided to take a trip into town to talk to my insurance company. A lot of people don't know that if they take their car into Canada they need a Canadian proof of insurance card. My insurance company hands them out free of charge but people have to ask for them.

It's funny how many people say they are going to run to Canada after the presidential election. Almost nobody will. Even if someone wants to leave the US and move to Canada, it's very hard for the average Joe to do so. Having a lot of money makes it easier, but plenty of countries accept rich people.

Most people can't even legally cross the border for a visit as most Americans lack valid passports. How many preppers have bug out vehicles but can't take them across the border? The best time to bug out is before everything falls apart. That means there'll probably be active border control, at least during the early stages. (when you really should be getting out)

Canada is a great place to visit, but there are reasons my ancestors left there. Factory work in New England beat the heck out of starving to death on a Quebec potato farm.

I must admit to being tempted to take a sailboat and disappear over the horizon until things sort themselves out.

-Sixbears