What If Travel Feels Scary?
Zeke and Terri at La Badira, Hammamet, Tunisia (April 2026)
When we were planning our spring trip, Zeke really wanted to go someplace other than Europe, especially France. I was determined to continue learning French and, although I was somewhat nervous about traveling to North Africa, agreed that Tunisia and Morocco would be a good compromise.
Spoiler: we loved Tunisia and, while we struggled with the concentration of tourists in Marrakech, we can't wait to see more of both Tunisia and Morocco. It reminded us that there's a difference between overtourism and the concentration of tourists in a few places.
Looking back, I am trying to remember what I was so nervous about and I think it came down to two things: lack of familiarity and worrying that there wouldn’t be enough to hold my interest.
As someone who loves art, architecture, and history, I imagined Tunisia and Morocco as crowded souks and vast deserts, neither of which screamed interesting art and architecture.
In other words, I was afraid of being bored.
Turns out I was just uneducated. Nothing in my upbringing or education informed me about these two countries. Fortunately, we explored, hired guides, read about places, and now we are absolutely fascinated and can’t wait to learn and experience more.
I think I was also afraid that the basics would be difficult like bathroom conditions and navigating the medinas. Little did I know that most of the places our guide took us, as well as the places we chose to visit on our own, would have western-style toilets, at least in the women’s restrooms. I carried tissues just in case there was no toilet paper, or coins to pay for it. It was never an issue.
As for navigating the medinas, in one of our videos (maybe Road Trip in Tunisia), I commented that it was like being in Venice…you wander, you get lost, you find your way, and usually there’s something interesting to see along the way, most likely architecture or a cat. It really was no big deal.
Every person we met was kind and welcoming. We were told people were very proud of their countries, homes, and cultures and wanted to share them with visitors. This was evident everywhere we went.
This is exactly why we think we all need to travel more, especially to places that feel unfamiliar. It's one thing to rely on stereotypes or assumptions shaped by the news, social media, or simply not knowing any better. It's something entirely different to sit down with people, hear their stories, admire what they've built, and realize how much you didn't know.
I know I'm not the only one who creates a picture in my mind based on incomplete information, or even misinformation, and mistakes that picture for reality. That’s what I did here and something I am resisting as we plan our next trip.
After producing the Tunisia videos I told Zeke I couldn’t go to Scandinavia right now. It feels too predictable and I want to take advantage of my newfound confidence to explore places that feel less familiar.
Right now, we are researching a southeast Europe adventure…Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
I'm getting over my need to be at least a little fluent in the language. I'll learn a few phrases, but otherwise I'll use Google Translate. I can’t allow the self-imposed language requirement to prevent us from visiting these fascinating and beautiful countries full of rich history, architecture, art, and gorgeous geography.
Travel has a way of replacing assumptions with experience. That's a lesson I'll happily keep learning.
Are you afraid to travel anywhere? Have you been afraid to travel somewhere and gone anyway? How did it go? Drop us a line and let us know at zekeandterri@gmail.com
In the meantime, enjoy our two Tunisia videos. The first was our arrival, Carthage, and the National Bardo Museum which we absolutely loved (We Almost Didn’t Make It to Tunisia). The second video (Road Trip in Tunisia) was our road trip to Sousse, El Djem, Kairouan, and Hammamet (pictured above). If you have a few extra minutes, check out our latest Tranquil Escape from the National Bardo Museum. If you haven’t been, all three of these videos will inspire you to add Tunisia to your travel bucket list.
❤️Terri