How to travel around the world safely and efficiently
Every time I talk about traveling out of the country, I get comments from my friends and family saying how scared they are to leave America. I can never explain to them enough that if you do things the right way, you have nothing to worry about!
Now don't take this as being safe anywhere you go, but there are a handful of things that you can do to make things safer for yourself. Below I've listed the top 5 things you need to keep in mind when planning an international trip.
#1 Get Your Passport
Now this may seem obvious, but you never know how long its going to take for your passport to be delivered after applying. You can never count on the time frame the passport office gives you. Always plan months in advance! I have several friends that have put off filling out their passport application because they think it is going to be a complicated process. To everyone's surprise, its actually really easy. All you have to do is get your picture taken at Walgreens and fill out a simple two page application. I always recommend starting this process at the first thought of going to another country. If your plans don't work out, it never hurts to have a passport on hand.
#2 Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
If you've ever been on a plane, you know that you cant bring any liquid through security. This doesn't mean you shouldn't bring an empty water bottle in your carry on. After you get through security, there are many places around the airport that you can fill up your water bottle. I always do this for multiple reasons, the first being that anything you buy in an airport is going to be SUPER expensive. I don't know about you, but I am not going to spend $6 on a water. Second, there's always that chance that you will get stuck on the tarmac for hours without being able to get food or drinks.
#3 Plan Ahead
Knowing what you are going to be doing on your vacation makes it easier to pack. If you are going on multiple outings or day trips, you probably want to bring a separate purse or small backpack to bring with you. Also, knowing if any of your excursions have a specific dress code, close toed shoes or formal attire, is important to know ahead of time. On the other hand if you are planning on sitting on the beach the entire time you might want to bring some extra swimsuits.
#4 Always Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Being a girl that travels around the world, one of the most important things I've learned is to always be aware of your surroundings, but these tips are not only for women. When you are out in the town, you can't let yourself get lost in your phone. You could get lost, robbed or worse. Keep your eyes on the people around you, be conscious of what they are doing. I also recommend that if you are carrying a bag, to make sure it zips and that you can keep it in front of you. When you have a bag on your back it is very easy for someone to come behind you and take things from it without you knowing. I always keep one hand on my bag when I am walking around town.
#5 Bring a Jacket or Small Blanket
Even if you are traveling somewhere warm, it is always a good idea to bring a jacket or blanket. From my experience its almost always cold either in the airport or on the plane. If you don't need it to stay warm you can use it as a pillow!
Hopefully the next time you are thinking about an international trip you can come back to these five things to better prepare yourself. As always we wish you all safe travels in your adventure and hope you can join us back next time on ' Venture With Us'.
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