I think, as Little Hawk has said, you have to go by your own gut feelings about this (and not on anyone else's gut feelings). I was faced with a very similar dilemma. I was due to go to New York in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 with a group of people to learn first-hand from an organisation who do street theatre/social work for the kids in the rough areas of New York, with a view to setting up something similar in the UK. The gut feeling of most of our party was to go, and they did, and came back telling of all their good experiences. My gut feeling was not to go - I was concerned about going into an (at that time) unknown quantity, and especially about the possibility of return flights being cancelled, being stranded in New York, leaving my young daughter back in the UK being cared for longer than planned, and all the anxiety that would have entailed for her. I lost my ticket money, but what the heck.

The point I am making is that the gut feelings of the people who went were right for them, and they had no regrets. My gut feeling not to go was right for me, and likewise I have never had any regrets about it. I know I would not have been able to take in all the experiences of the trip. We *did* set up the project over here in the UK, and I was just as much a part of it as those who went over to New York.

In making my decision, these three sayings were prominent in my mind:
"Know thyself."   "To thine own self be true." "If in doubt, don't."
The decision, then, was the "right" one.

With every good wish,
- jeanie