Almost five years ago I decided that I would not take more than one flight per year. Thanks to Covid, I’ve succeeded beyond that because I have flown even less since the pandemic started. In these five years, I’ve only taken one flight. Now my family and I travel by train, and we recently changed our car for an electric one. The hardest part of not flying is that my mother lives on another continent, so I barely see her. I was already used to visiting her every three years, but now this time might well extend.

Another difficulty with not flying is seeing friends and acquaintances flying for holidays as usual. This sometimes makes me feel stuck and envious, but then I make my peace with my initial decision and go on with my life.