Anyone who has traveled with a pet knows that the process can become quite and ordeal. The animals sit in their cages, cramped in the dark belly of the plane where there is no one to calm their nerves. All the while their owners sit above them in coach, heavy with guilt wondering if their furry friend will ever forgive them for such a torturous act.

Recently a recent talk-show segment that aired on the Fox News network outraged the Canadian government. A round-table discussion with the host and his guests took place while they made the rounds making fun of Canada and its military efforts.

When the end of your work contract is about to expire, there is a sense of excitement, relief and sadness. Leaving the old for the new is always trying, but when your job was overseas and you’re now heading home, things can get tricky.

The Foreign Affairs of Canada website, the watchdog for Canadian travelers, has placed the travel advisory for Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip at the second-lowest level of warning, “exercise high degree of caution.” It’s been this way for a while, and the news makes it evident that the State of Israel never seems to be stable—and it isn’t. But despite these red flags, can you still travel to the holy land?

I was away for a while, something to do with work. During some down time I met a man named Danny. He too was traveling alone, so we went for dinner together. We talked hard and fast, as if making up for lost time. He had an energy about him that drew me, like he needed this attention as much as I did.