This American Woman’s Guide to Global Travel- Part 1

I travel a fair bit, more than most, less than many. I love it, I know I am blessed and I try not to take any of it for granted (for the record I totally love going home to Colorado too). I am often asked about my travel adventures and for travel advice. So here it is my advice on global travel. Some caveats… I am an American woman (and a mom), this is my perspective. Many of the things here will apply regardless of gender or nationality, but I am who I am, this is what you get. I am blunt, I’m not fond of too many flowery words, and if you get offended easily then this might not be where you should get your advice. Take what works for you, tell me your fun stories, I love hearing about adventures.

I think there are a just a few primary categories and will try to stick to them. I will cover planning and being there and then a miscellaneous group as well. I’ve never been much of a blog series kind of girl, but when I started writing, it was just too long for a single post.

Planning

I think this is as important as being there, but it is possible to over plan.

  1. Language- you don’t have to be fluent in every language of every country you visit. I think being fluent (or close to it) in any additional language than your birth language will serve you well. For me I am fluent in American English and fairly well versed in Flemish and that gives me great understanding of Dutch and German and a good feel for reading any other Latin-based/influenced language. I can read and order from a menu and not unknowingly eat monkey-brains, can find my way around a subway map and not understand entirely when the locals around me at a coffee shop are talking about that crazy or arrogant or wonderful American at the next table. You need a few key phrases (mine are in order, thank you, help and please). If you have some major life-altering allergy know how to say and write it in the language of your journey (maybe carry a laminated copy in your wallet?). Have written, in the native language, your hotel, and your flight info. Many taxi drivers speak broken English around the world, but you need to know how to find your way to your home base. I had a tougher time in Japan, but I kept out of jail and best I can tell I ate no monkey brains.
  2. The over planning thing- Let’s say you’re going to Rome and you’ve wanted to go your WHOLE LIFE. You know you cannot live a complete life until you see the Sistine Chapel and feel what Michelangelo felt when he painted its ceiling. If all you focus on is the details of that single experience you could miss such wonders as The Pantheon (this church was built before Christ walked the earth and still holds mass weekly, it’s one of my favorite places in Rome). If you try to see 7 countries in 7 days, you will get the stressed out trip you deserve and not remember or enjoy much of anything. Slow the heck down, Rome ain’t going nowhere, k?
  3. Packing- Only pack what you can carry, not everywhere you go will have nice pretty princess-y escalators, elevators or people to carry your stuff. Bags are heavy on stairs, wheels break off when you are far from home and that last train of the night will not wait for you.
  4. Packing, part two- Pack smart. Pack more underthings than you need, wear your jeans more than once, and layer your clothes. Comfortable shoes are better than cute shoes (yes, I really did just say that, get over it). Never underestimate the power of clean socks and a toothbrush to make you feel new again. You don’t have those? Wouldn’t want to be you after the 19 hour flight from JFK-JNB.
  5. Tell someone- Leave your itinerary and a copy of your passport with someone at home. Take a printed copy along for yourself too. Stranded in Timbuktu with no passport is bad enough, but with no one in the world knowing a thing about your passport, worse.
  6. Visit the State Department website- It’s full of info! www.travel.state.gov , they have info on every country you could travel to, from visa details to safety info. Also visit the World Health Organization, www.who.org , for info on health concerns like vaccines, and then FOLLOW THE ADVICE. You may be smart at what YOU do, these people are smart at what THEY do.
  7. Medicine- Look at the state department website for links to consulates and embassies for the places you will visit. Find out if the meds you take (prescription or not) are ok in that country. Plan at minimum to take just what you need (with a couple days buffer) and a copy of your script from your doctor. Ignoring this could send you to jail, no passing go or $200, so take this one seriously. Pack the meds in your carryon, all of them.
  8. Electronics- most of your common newish ones that you would travel with will be dual/multi voltage, read the label. My cell phone, Kindle, laptop and flat iron are all 100-240volts and just need an adapter for the plug to fit in the wall. Get a good universal one, but read up before you go to make sure your universal adapter will fit, there’s some wonky electricity out there (the same plug for Australia is needed for Argentina and in Brazil they have both 110 and 220 on the same wall right next to each other). Get a travel power strip too, you’ll need fewer adapters and I’ve only had an issue a couple times with putting too many things on the power strip for charging.
  9. House- So this is piece of mind stuff, but make sure your house/pets/kids are taken care of in your absence. You don’t want the call from a neighbor telling you some punk broke into your house ‘cause it was empty. Hire a college kid or someone else to house sit. It will cost about as much as your insurance deductible.
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Comments

ashu

This is a good article.

mercedes c180 price

Very nice style of writing and expressing your point of view, i appreciate your effort of writing a good post and to be honest, in my opinion, you are 99 percent succeeded

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