Being an international student, I often treat traveling as a routine, while in reality, I hardly recognize that the ability to cross borders is a privilege most people will never experience. 

I still vividly remember my first time travelling alone, which was the summer I left for Fordham. Standing at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport with three heavy suitcases, my family and I were taking our last photos before my flight to New York. Still, I wonder what my parents saw when I was at the security gate waving my final goodbyes. I thought they saw a mature version of me, but now I feel like they saw a little girl who threw a tantrum years ago because she didn’t want to study abroad. At 18, navigating the airport felt like independence and chaos at the same time. I got to experience traveling for the first time in Taiwan, running to catch the next flight and waiting at the passport control line at John F. Kennedy Airport. This flight remains truly meaningful, as it marks the start of my study abroad journey in the U.S. 

However, that experience is far from universal. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2023, “approximately 78% of the world population has never flown,” and this figure varies widely by region. Only about 20% of people worldwide have ever been on a flight. Although air travel is growing, it is still out of reach for a major portion of the global population. This is due to many factors such as financial inequality and accessibility.

I have heard many pieces of advice for young people on how they should “travel more, explore more and get more experiences.” From my perspective, that advice assumes equal access, which is nonexistent. The most important barrier is financial hardship as international flight tickets are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2025 show that the consumer price index for airline tickets rose by 25%, outpacing inflation. Another difficulty is mobility privilege. The main issue is that many individuals don’t have a valid passport to even exit their home country, and if they do, a low-ranking one poses great difficulty in obtaining a visa. 

Last summer, I was back in Vietnam to visit my family when there was a pause in the grant and extension of the F-1 visa globally, which caused distress for many students and families. I received many phone calls from my parents and friends asking about updates on the process and planning for what would happen if we could not get back to Fordham in time. Fortunately, the embassy announced that the process went back to normal after a few weeks, which gave us great relief. But I know the steps of obtaining a visa can be very complicated and are different for each country. Experiences like these highlight that the ability to travel is not simply about willingness or curiosity but one shaped by policies and documentation, which are often unpredictable. They remind us that for many, mobility is not guaranteed but conditional. 

Recognizing my privilege does not diminish the experience of traveling but rather makes it more meaningful. Looking back, my first flight alone without my family was both a personal milestone and an important opportunity granted to me by my family, one that I did not fully understand at the time. Being able to study, travel and live in a new country has significantly broadened my perspectives and allowed me to form long-lasting relationships that would not have been possible had I stayed in Vietnam. I’m reminded often to be grateful that I can explore the world at a young age and know that I can visit my family in Vietnam again despite being 8,000 miles away.