A moment of selfishness

[Imported from somewhere less pseudonymous]

Yes, with the end of the Oil Age I'm desperately concerned about rising gas prices and the attendant rising food prices and rising everything else prices and especially about the fact that no oil means no plastic and fucking everything is made of plastic now (I have major mixed feelings about corn plastic. Yes, it's driving up the cost of food by using corn for non-nutritive purposes, but at least it's a renewable and biodegradable plastic-like thing). These problems are hitting some other countries worse than us, but it's a definite belt-tightener even here, and my heart weeps Virgin Mary tears for everyone affected by these problems.

But I need to have a moment of unalloyed selfish concern here, for which I hope you'll forgive me. During high school and in the couple summers thereafter, the International Travel Bug jabbed me with its spirochete-laden sting. I loved seeing other countries and desperately long for a time when I have the financial means to travel abroad again. Meanwhile, I've recently been thinking the airline industry isn't long for this world; airlines have been going bankrupt and merging for quite some time now, fuel prices are getting ready to go crazy, and I've heard ugly things about the aluminum industry. I saw a story on MSNBC or CNN or something about how buses and trains are doing record business and starting to see a need to scale up their services; I've even been dicking around on Amtrak.com and finding a few trips cheaper by train than plane. I'm starting to worry about whether airlines will continue to exist, at least for intercontinental travel. Or will we have to get used to a month-long boat ride across the Atlantic to see Europe? Maybe we can use zeppelins.