The World, Suddenly, Is Not Flat

The 20th Century made the world seem smaller, and flatter, than it is. I live more than a thousand miles away from my parents' home but it never felt that far. I could jump into a plane and be on – well, near – their doorstep in two-and-a-half hours.

Once, in a fit of environmentalism, I decided to take the bus to Poland after visiting my parents in the…