First of all, thoughts and prayers to the people of France and especially those who lost loved ones. I think it is more complex than either of the two polar positions (absolutely go or no way I'm going). I think every family's situation and decision making differs, and I honestly believe you need to do what is in the best interest of your family. For us, our 13 y/o son is supposed to go to Paris and France for a French immersion tour during April vacation. My first inclination was to have him continue to go, however, he came to us and said he's not sure he wants to go. He said this is 2 terrorist attacks in less than a year. He asked what is France going to do differently. We are going to let some time pass, and re-assess. Perhaps as more information comes out, the sting will lessen.
In terms of referencing Boston and New York, I can speak to Boston as we've lived here all of our lives. When put in absolutes, did people stop going to Boston, the obvious answer is no, of course they did not stop coming to Boston. However, after attending over 20 marathons as a spectator, what I can say is that there were not as many along the marathon route, and the overall experience is in fact very different (better in some ways, worse in others). Can bad things happen anywhere in the world? Yes, absolutely. I've travelled to over 40 countries on business. I've spent considerable time in the Mideast and Israel. That doesn't necessarily mean I want to go there during turbulent times (either on business where I have a ton of resources at my disposal or on vacation). I guess this is a long winded way of saying I think people have to make decisions based on what is best for their family, and whatever that decision is, I respect it.
There were no delays flying from Frankfurt back to the good ol' USA either. Go and have a blast!
