As someone about to embark on a compulsory cross-country flight for work, I empathize with your decision process. Thanks for taking the time to write it out.
In your shoes, I would do as you’ve done. People who choose to travel implicitly accept risk, including the risk of exposure to people who choose not to protect themselves and those around them.
I had not considered commenting as a form of vulnerability practice, but as a person who struggles with vulnerability, it was a very salient point in your post. Well done.
I also appreciated the discussion of your heuristics, as it helped me frame the pedagogical facets of commenting and discussion in ways I had not previously considered. When I’m engaging with these sort of concepts, I struggle to frame them usefully in discussion with others. Your explanation made it easier for me to consider how I might engage in these discussions in the future.