Revisiting New York: Politics, history and famil(iarit)y

Yesterday, I returned from my 10th visit to New York. After I blogged about my New York Nostalgia last autumn, I actually went through with it and booked a 12-day trip to New York, despite some doubts I had, mainly regarding the political situation1. Is politics a reason not to visit a place? Depends. I think if you think like that, then I think a lot of countries are off the table for a vacation as well… most countries in the Middle East and northern Africa for example, for their treatment of women and queer people, some European countries with right-wing governments – popular vacation spots like Italy or Türkiye for example. But where do you draw the line? Do you not travel to Switzerland because that’s where Alice Weidel lives?2 IMHO boycotting yourself from visiting countries on such grounds is just virtue signaling. On the contrary, I think that traveling is the best way to learn how places like these work and why they are the way they are. I learned a lot by revisiting New York…