I have to agree that despite the wonder of our "Modern World" boundaries are actually growing instead of coming down. I first flew from the UK to America 20 years ago in my late Teens with a friend for a Snowboarding holiday - it was a complete breeze as I recall. 5 years ago I flew over for my friends Wedding (after finishing University my friend started working for a pharmaceutical company in America and now lives there) - it was an arduous task with so much suspicion - passport checks, forms to fill out, and then the questions - why are you here, who are you visiting, how do you know them, where are you staying, when will you leave? Plus I had all my bags totally emptied out and searched.
European travel has become much the same, I have been many times to France, Switzerland and Italy - but flying is such a hassle now it puts me off completely.
I'm constantly being pushed to visit suppliers in Turkey, and coffee growing plantations to see the green coffee I buy being grown at source - but I keep avoiding both because the whole idea of dealing with the flights fills me with dread - and that makes me more then a little sad.
Very well expressed: I had (and have) very similar feelings ...