We all know it's a scary world out there. There are those who want to travel the world and there are others who we've heard say "Travel's great, but I'm not leaving this country!" And to them, there is absolutely comfort in the theory that if we stay put, we're safe. But the truth is, life happens... things are out of our control regardless of where we are. So just like here at home, we can arm ourselves from potential threats and try to stay as secure as possible while traveling. Safety while traveling anywhere, domestic or international is important and shouldn't be taken lightly. Obviously, we're human and at times, disaster situations can be our own fault (like when we put all our extra cash in my carry on bag and then had to check it for our flight! Luckily nothing was stolen). The smallest things that we normally wouldn't consider to be an issue can trigger an unsafe situation so to avoid unwanted attention, we've listed our tips for traveling safely.
Do Some Safety Research. We live in a digital world with information at our fingertips. Before you travel, check to see the crime rate of that city. Clearly, this could promote more fear but it's important to know what you're getting yourself into. Educate yourself on the nightlife and how the city functions when the sun goes down. Read blogs, check the U.S. Travel alerts, ask people that have also traveled there about their experience. The more you research, the more prepared you'll be when you arrive. Use Your Hotel Safe. It might seem fine to keep your valuables stored in your luggage out of sight but if you can have that extra security with a safe, use it. Put your passports, documents, extra cash, camera accessories, and anything you don't want to leave the country without in there. Separate Your Money/Money Belt. Regardless of where you go, separating your money can prevent losing all your funds at once. A money belt, around your waist, neck or even on your wrist, can allow you to carry cash separately from the money in your wallet. This allows comfortability when pulling out your wallet by not carrying all your cards and cash in the most obvious spot. Have Duplicates of Your Documents. Before traveling, make scans of your passports, visas, itineraries, IDs, conformation codes, etc. and keep it with you -in a separate location - just in case something would get stolen or lost. If you want to go one step further, have a digital copy available in your iCloud or Dropbox just in case all hard copies go missing. Don't Wear Jewelry. Plain and simple. Expensive looking jewelry regardless of real or fake, draws attention and can lead to dangerous situations. When we were in South America, we were told by our tour guides to avoid wearing any silver or gold at all. Unfortunately a woman in our tour group missed that memo and while on the street, a local ran to her, ripped the necklace from her neck and continued running. She was fine, the clasp broke so it flew off without harming her and no other issues developed from it, but it could have been avoided entirely. Avoid flashy clothes. Anything with a brand name or logo usually screams money. They might just be a pair of sneaks to you but to someone else, they are $150 Nikes that you wear on your feet to walk on the dirty ground. Blending in a little better can help detour attention. Also, dressing like a local will keep you low-key. If you're headed to France, know that Parisians wear dark, muted tones so packing a bright pink outfit might alert others that you definitely don't belong. Lastly, consider a cross body bag to keep belongings from being easily ripped off your shoulder. In general, blend in, don't carry important things with you, and be observant to your surroundings. We've been fortunate to not encounter any dangerous situations while traveling. Maybe it's these tips, maybe it's a lot of prayer but either way, you can travel the world and stay safe! If you have any helpful travel tips, comment below! Until Next Time, C + D
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