By Jessica Kleczka, November 17, 2022
I’ve never been a big flyer. Growing up in Germany as a working-class immigrant child, most of our holidays abroad were made by car. Back in the early 2000s, it was the cheaper and more convenient travel option.
Only in my teens did I venture on the occasional short-haul flight, and even squeezed in a weekend holiday to the south of France (I’ll never understand how anyone could find these trips relaxing). But flying never grew on me. While I understand the convenience it offers to some, it feels wrong to be that high up in the air.
After moving to the UK, I mostly opted for trains and buses to Europe. When I became a climate activist during my uni years, I made the full transition to flight-free travel.
