Then, we had a daughter, and that changed things. I had no desire to spend many hours in a train, airplane, or car with a baby. And I soon realized that these things are even less fun with a toddler. I remember the train journeys I spent running after my daughter through the train as she started pawing at people left and right. I shudder at a ten-hour flight to the US, or a long train ride to Paris. Of course, my daughter is eight now, and that has become less of a problem.
But, the pandemic also happened, and climate problems went from bad to worse over the past decade. These days I really feel ashamed at the idea of going on a city trip for a few days by plane. It also turns out, unsurprisingly, that my eight-year-old is less enthralled by a gallery of renaissance paintings than I am.