As we come to the beginning of a new year, I know many people who are planning on traveling this year. Now in light of the attack on Paris in November of 2015, many people are afraid to step outside their front door, let alone get on a plane and travel. All I have to say is... you cannot, and should not, stop traveling.

I am a study abroad mentor, and part of my job is preparing students who are going abroad to London. I, along with other mentors, had mentees who were in London and Italy during the attack on Paris. Everyone was safe and accounted for and I encouraged my mentee to finish her semester in London and to not be afraid.

I encourage everyone else to do the same for the following reasons:

1. You let fear win.

If you stopped traveling or think that it is now unsafe to travel, then you are letting fear win. Yes, you do live a safer life if you never travel (and certainly your Netflix loves you for your choice), but you live in fear of something bad happening to you if you travel. People still traveled after horrible events (WWI & WWII, The Vietnam War, and the Terrorist Attack on 9/11/01, just to name a few) because they still had the urge to see the world. Living a life of fear is not a healthy way to live.

2. You become more cultured.

I say this to everyone I meet who may be traveling for the first time. You get exposed to different ways of life than you ever would being at home. You learn about new foods, a new culture and get a new perspective on a different way of life. You grow more as a person becoming more cultured.

3. Traveling is more fun with a friend.

Your friend may be more or less or just about the same as you when it comes to traveling. As long as you have each other you are sure to have a lot of adventures together. Having someone else with you will also help keep a steady head on your shoulders.

4. The memories.

The stories and memories from your travels will be excellent for your family and loved ones to hear. And you will get very excited when someone asks you "What was it like?" and you get to relive your adventure all over again.

5. Things happen.

Good or bad, these will both happen to you. All you have to do when you are given one or the other is to 'Just keep swimming' or as I say 'Just keep traveling.'