Some things should go without saying, but not everyone gets the message. If you live in America or were born and raised in any of the 50 states-- this blog might just save your life if you plan on traveling to other countries!

First things first, respect goes a long way. Again, this should go without saying, but apparently it needs to be said. None of that "if you don't respect me, I don't respect you" talk flies in other countries. You're a guest in their home, act like it! If someone is disrespecting you, it's best to walk away and control your emotions, unless you wanna end up in a foreign prison fighting for your life!

Take my advice, when you leave America, leave the American entitlement and attitude at home.

Per my personal experience, I've never been intentionally or blatantly disrespected while traveling abroad. I've been to 37 countries by myself and have yet to run into any issues with the locals. I'm not saying it doesn't happen with or without provocation, however, there are ways to avoid it happening to you.

1

Leave the ego at home, don't pack it in your suitcase. Small infractions like misunderstanding the currency, the laws, the language, or the unfamiliar gestures can all lead to confusion and chaos. Thinking you're being short changed or treated unfairly is enough to make anyone become short tempered. I get it, but try to figure out a way to come to mutual understanding as to avoid any potential backlash from the locals. Remember, there's more of them than are of you and you're on their turf. You play by their rules.

2

Speaking of laws, make sure before you travel anywhere you learn the laws of that country. Something as simple as taking pictures in public places can be frowned upon and even lead to imprisonment. Sounds petty [to us, as Americans because it's our everyday culture] but in other countries, privacy and the respect of the rights of others is not something to take lightly. Things like flying drones, being intoxicated in public, vaping, or even dressing provocative can be seen as disrespectful. I urge you to look up the laws of places you're planning to visit BEFORE you get there.

3

Hire the professionals. That tour you want to go on, that sight you want to visit, that activity you want to participate in-- hire the right people, not just the cheap people. Work with reputable companies that offer insurance in the even that something happens. Even for weather related incidents, it's always best to have some type of insurance for your own safety. If you can't afford to book with insurance, perhaps you should reconsider doing something within your budget. Insurance isn't a scam when it comes to saving your life.

4

Thinking of renting a car to go explore the city? Learn the rules of the road first. Find out whether or not you're allowed to pump your own gas or if it's full service only. Maps aren't always accurate and can lead to some devastating consequences if you get lost or turned around. Get with a local tour guide to take you where you want to go. In some countries, the locals purposely target the tourist with scams about tolls, tickets and roads you can/cannot drive on. If you don't know any better, you'll be scammed out of your money and who will you call to save you? Their police? Their Government? Think again!

5

More on the topic of insurance- it's always best to have some type of travel insurance to cover you in the event of any accidents. Whether you get hurt, sick or worse, insurance will insure you get home safely. Travel insurance covers everything from your flights being cancelled, your luggage being lost, your valuables being stolen, your hotel being fraudulent, you getting injured, or even losing your life while traveling. There are plenty of travel insurance companies out there, find the one that fits your budget and covers you in a way that you feel most protected. Honestly, it's a non negotiable!

6

Your hot headed friends, cousins, sisters, aunties, brothers and uncles-- yea, you know the ones I'm talking about. The loud ones always ready to argue, fight and cause a scene-- leave them at home, please! For your own sake and safety, they can't come. There's nothing worse than traveling with someone who can't control their actions or emotions. One heated moment can turn into a lifetime of regret, especially when you're in a country that doesn't play those games. Learn how to control your mouth and your feelings and make sure those around you know how to do the same.

7

This may sound crazy, but depending on the country you're visiting, you might want to get a VPN for your phone. A VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and you'll need one in certain countries to secure a private connection to the internet. Why? Because in some countries, some sites and apps are blocked. Certain social medias, streaming services that contain adult content, adult sites, etc-- all blocked! The only way to access them is through a VPN. Some VPN's start as low as $1.99 and can be purchased online. Free VPN's aren't recommended since they're easy to hack and allow hackers to steal your information. Always look up the internet restrictions for the country you plan to visit.

8

Since I mentioned VPN's, you may also want to get a sim card for your phone when you travel. These sim cards will protect you from incurring unnecessary charges on your cell phone. Charges like roaming, international calls and text to your loved ones back home and even data charges. It adds up pretty fast and no one wants to return home to an astronomical phone bill. A sim card also gives you a local phone number which makes calling and texting free during your stay in that country. Sim cards are generally pretty cheap and work with all different phones, including iPhones and Androids. You can buy them at convenient stores, malls and sometimes even in the airports. Keep it while you travel, get rid of it once you're back home.

Traveling should be fun and memorable and not a lot of work. Take the guess work out of it by applying some of these tips to your next vacation. Regardless of your level of travel, using these tips will definitely help you stay safe and travel smart.

Whelp, that's all for this blog, friends... I'll see you on the next one!

Safe travels!

xoxo- A. Lane