The last time I got on a plane, it was taking me from Alaska to Washington in 2014. I was watching the northern lights dance faintly through the window, and, unceremoniously, something was ending. I don’t know if I finally lost the energy to be heartbroken every time I left another place, or if the road trip up to Fairbanks – chatting and listening to music with one of my best friends, eating gas station snacks and campfire meals, and pulling the car over to get out and marvel at every breathtaking sight – made me realize how soulless and lonely flying is. For whatever reason, I was done.

For me, choosing not to fly means being free to live a calmer, more abundant life. It means time to grow roots and get to work for the planet. Being part of the international flight free community means sharing the joy of meaningful action with folks around the world and celebrating how lucky we are to be able to live our values in this way.

For a livable planet, I can miss the places that were still on my travel bucket list. I’d rather know those places exist – and that they and their people are safe, healthy, and protected – than ever see a single one of them. Of course, the reality is more nuanced, but quitting flying is still a simple, tangible, impactful way to participate in that hopeful future. Flight Free 2021, here we come.