Kate Taylor/Business Insider
Making the most of my time in Thailand
- After more than a month of international travel, I cancelled my trip to Bali due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- While New York City has more confirmed cases than the entire country of Indonesia, the stress of constantly traveling amidst the coronavirus outbreak wore me down.
- I would rather be back in the US, as it remains uncertain how the outbreak will progress in America and how the government will respond.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
I just cancelled a dream trip to Bali because of the coronavirus outbreak. And, it's not because I think I'm any more likely to get sick in Indonesia than I am in the US.
If anything, I think I'm more likely to catch COVID-19 if I head back to my apartment in New York City.
Over the last month, I've staunchly defended my decision to keep a trip through South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand going instead of returning to the US. The CDC did not advise against visiting the countries and, on the ground, I felt just as safe as I would have back in New York.
On a country-wide level, I still stand by my decision. As of Monday, there are more than 500 cases in the US, including more than 100 in New York state. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand all still have less than 100.
South Korea's number of recorded cases exploded about a week after I left, reaching more than 7,300 as of Monday. However, the country's ability to test thousands of people and its extensive information campaign - which was already in place while I was in Seoul - have been applauded by experts.
If I feel so safe, why have I decided to head back to the US? There are a number of reasons, both personal and global. In the end, it's not a concern about getting sick that made me decide to cancel my trip - it's being sick of constantly traveling in a state of anxious uncertainty.
Here are the factors that helped me decide it was time to stop my endless international travel and cancel my trip to Bali.