"There's no place like home, there's no place like home"…never has a statement been more appropriate. Even Kansas will never be like Kansas again. But instead of discussing Dorothy's trip to Oz, I'm going to try and focus on the face of travel in "our new world."

We have been changed-terrorists have instilled us with fear and we are forever affected.

One thing is certain. The face of travel as we've known it ceases to exist. Mere weeks ago, an entire world was open to us. We only had to be curious, and we could venture to lands that appeared exotic, romantic, spiritual, serene. We were profoundly interested in understanding and embracing new cultures, visiting the lands of our ancestors-retracing our family trees. Our boundaries seemed as limitless as our imaginations.

We have every right to be afraid to travel at this time. That once in a lifetime trip to Nepal should probably be put on hold for now. But it is a good time to take all the renewed patriotic enthusiasm on the road...visit this great country of ours.

Check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, or the one in Seattle. Check out Atlanta, or New Orleans during the off season. A bed & breakfast in Napa Valley might suit your taste. Rent an RV and visit the National Parks. Go skiing in the Colorado Rockies-or just tobogganing down a snowy slope this winter. Disney is already draping millions of holiday lights. Spend a quiet weekend in a cabin in the woods or visit family and friends. Take a steamboat cruise down the Mississippi River or canoe on the Suwannee. February is a great time to whale watch from the shores of Hawaii. What is Pennsylvania's Amish up to these days? The lights of Las Vegas are brighter than ever, and bring the family-it's a blast! Alaska's frontier will still be there to savor next spring. A spa, a mountain, a city, a circus, a steam engine, an antique car show, bass fishing, bird watching, hiking, bicycling--so many things to savor. Take a moment to refresh your soul. Embrace your own backyard, and it will reward you in so many ways. Rejoice in all the beauty America has to offer.

As for the rest of the world, we are a country made up of people from "out there." Out there-beyond our shores. America is a sum of every culture in the world. A place people are welcome to live freely. Who has the right to hate us for having the freedom to make personal choices? Ignorance and greed feed hate, and who better to hate than we who are proud and strong. We can never hope to understand the minds that have infinitely altered our perceptions. But we can move ahead and live every moment as a testimony to our strength and resolve - we will survive. Let freedom ring.