Two posts ago, I talked about the trip to Africa that I am about to go on in less than a week, and my last post offered lessons I have learned about traveling with medical and mental health struggles, specifically during the planning of this trip. Now, here are some more lessons that I’ve learned and lived through during the years I was in eastern Europe and east Asia and my other travels to 31 countries. They should be applicable to anyone and everyone when traveling internationally!

Note: Keep in mind, I am an American and have had the privilege of traveling all over the world on an American passport. These lessons are obviously coming from my perspective as an American. Non-Americans are going to have their own set of hurdles. These lessons are also not meant to be exhaustive…I could write a whole book on this probably!

Lesson 1: Make sure you know in general of ALL THE COSTS before you finalize trip plans and make any large purchases.

This was already going to be an expensive trip for me, but adding $2k in vaccines really made it more expensive than I would have been willing to pay. But I was stuck because I had already paid so much money. Budget Your Trip is an excellent place to get an estimate on travel costs in country, and you can just make a simple chart to keep track of your estimates. Make sure to consider

• flights
• transportation to and/or parking at airports
• rental car/transportation in country, including gas
• lodging
• meals and snacks
• tickets for tours, museums, shows, events, etc.
• tipping
• vaccinations and medications
• packing supplies that you have to purchase specifically for trip
• gifts and souvenirs

Lesson 2: Know of all the vaccines that you need and where you can actually get them very early on in your trip planning.

Please see previous post for reasons why. You may have to visit multiple doctors’ offices, health departments, travel clinics, and pharmacies to get all of your vaccines!

Lesson 3: Get your vaccines. All of them.

It’s not worth getting sick … and seriously sick/dead over things that you could have easily prevented. ESPECIALLY if you already have a compromised body. Going to Africa has made me especially aware of all the things that want to make you dead (bugs, parasites in the water, bacteria in the food, rabid animals, snakes and other venomous creatures, animals with big teeth….) Don’t give them the satisfaction!

Lesson 4: Let your bank and credit card companies know where you will be traveling and when, so they won’t freeze your cards when you start making purchases in another country.

If there are any other safety precautions you can place on your cards, do it.

Lesson 5: Make sure all of your electronics (phone, laptop, tablet, etc.) have as many security measures and safeguards as possible.

Lesson 6: Don’t leave things to the last minute – ever!

Prepping for a trip takes a lot longer than you think it will.

Lesson 7: Make sure you have travel insurance…enough to cover medical evacuations.

This is non-negotiable.

Lesson 8: If you are traveling with a tour group, make sure you do your research and are going with a reputable company.

Are they locals? Are they treating local people and wildlife with respect? Are they able to handle a medical emergency? Are they able to handle a political emergency, like a coup? If they work with animals, are they using best practices for the well-being of the animal? (Hint: companies that allow you to pet wild animals like cheetahs and tigers are a big no-no. It may look great on a picture, but you deserve to get a limb or two bitten off).

Lesson 9: Follow the rules/signs in country. They are there for a reason.

If they seem stupid, it’s only because stupid people have done something stupid and now a sign needs to be put up. If a sign says, “Do not step beyond,” on the Cliffs of Mohr, it’s because you could literally be knocked off the cliffs by a puff of wind past that point. If a nature reserve says, “Do not bring your children or small pets,” please, for the love of god, don’t bring your kids or chihuahuas…they can and will be eaten. If a sign says, “No Trespassing!” Better believe it that cameras will be up and you can get arrested on sight (beware, photographers!! Yes, I’m waggling my finger at you, mom!) You get the idea.

Lesson 10: I personally recommend not traveling alone…even if you’re going alone.

While I’m not going with a friend or loved one on this trip, I am making sure that I am either with a tour group or with vetted local tour guides the entire time. This raises the cost, but it ensures safety. It also depends on where I’m going though, right? If I was going to Europe, where I am already very familiar with, I would have much less of an issue of going out alone. Same thing in Thailand. My familiarity with the place and the lack of criminal activity provides a buffer. But because I have never been to Africa before and because South Africa currently has the the 5th highest crime rate per capita in the world, I don’t think it’s wise for me to be wandering on my own like I did in Macedonia and Thailand. (In comparison to South Africa’s crime rate, the U.S. comes in at 57, Macedonia at 90, and Thailand at 97.) Crime is based on a variety of factors and this information can all be found on World Population Review.

Lesson 11: Be familiar with the local scams and criminal activity…know what to look out for and prepare for staying safe.

For me, I’m getting extra security measures placed on my phone, credit and debit cards, etc. I have a bag that has RFID technology and fabric that is not easy to slash or gut. I am carrying an extra lock to put on my hotel doors. Kidnapping Americans and raping women are apparently common crimes in South Africa, so I am taking extra precautions to not being alone or being in positions where someone could grab me. I am going to be making sure I know where the exits are in each of my hotels. I am not carrying or wearing anything that has value or looks valuable. I am registered in each country’s consular STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) database so that I 1) receive any and all alarms regarding Americans in-country and 2) am in the system in case anything happens to me and I need to be found or rescued. Travel.State.Gov has been a huge help in being informed!

Lesson 12: Be familiar with basic cultural customs and basic phrases in the local language.

This goes such a long way when you are trying to talk with someone and you are asking for information or for help! It shows respect in one of the best and easiest ways possible.

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Lesson 13: Familiarize yourself with the basic history of the place(s) you’re going to!

For example, I discovered that the forgotten genocide of the 20th century was actually German colonists wiping out 80% of the Herero and Namaqua tribes in Namibia. Namibian feelings towards Germans are obviously complicated. This is…a need-to-know piece of information in my opinion. (Just because America’s lackluster version of world history doesn’t mention atrocities like the Namibian genocide or the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia does not mean they didn’t happen and do not still affect the people today). Be culturally sensitive.

Lesson 14: Don’t be an American ass when you get over there.

Try to blend in. Don’t be overly loud or obnoxious. Research what people wear and try to make all of your outfits reflect that. Don’t wear flip flops, ball caps, cameras around your neck, ill-fitting clothes, etc. Definitely don’t wear anything with political statements on it (a picture of Trump’s face and “Make America Great Again” will not go over well). And if you are traveling to a religious state with strict modesty expectations (like women wearing scarves), definitely conform! It just makes life easier. You can express yourself and be non-conforming once you get safely back home.

Lesson 15: Make sure the bag you carry around when sightseeing is at least water-resistant.

Getting stuck in the rain and soaking your phone and/or passport and/or cash is disastrous.

Lesson 16: If you are not traveling with a tour group, I recommend keeping all your travel plans on Google Maps or on an app like Wanderlog to stay organized.

Lesson 17: Transportation from one place to another is going to be your toughest gig in country.

If you’re taking buses or metros, have routes mapped out beforehand. Download said maps before you get there. It’s a huge pain, but it will save you so much stress once you get over there.

Lesson 18: Pack as lightly as possible.

This is especially true for me, because I have a hard time carrying things that are bulky or weigh more than 15 pounds. Most of the time, you will be able to do laundry or pick up items in-country that you might need. You do not have to carry your whole life with you!!! (Very unfortunately for me, I just learned that there are no laundry facilities until day 18. Guess I’ll be handwashing every other day!) Packing lightly gives you so much more flexibility and ability to run after trains that are leaving you behind too!

Lesson 19: Keep loved ones apprised of where you’re going and what you’re doing as often as you can.

If you know you’ll be unable to communicate, let them know so they won’t be worried. I should have access to wifi most nights at the hotels, and I can email folks then. I will also have an eSIM for those times I don’t have wifi access, so I can send messages. Nights when I’m camping in the bush probably just mean there will be no cell service period, and for those days, I’m out of luck.

Lesson 20: Confirm that you have an eSIM or Global Access on your phone.

Airalo is a good eSIM company to use, and it theoretically gives unlimited calls and texts to up to 200+ countries. Some phones have Global Access already, and you just need to activate this in order to call and text in country (it charges $10 each day that you use it, so keep it on airplane mode until necessary). You do not need both. Unfortunately for me, neither Airalo’s Global eSIM nor my Global Access actually gives access to/in Namibia or Zimbabwe. So, I will have to purchase local eSIMs for those countries.

Lesson 21: Make a copy of your passport, your flight, any tours that you will be on, any transportation already paid for, your itinerary, other important documents, etc.

Keep physical copies with you and/or digital copies with someone trusted back home. You never know if something terrible will happen, and you lose your passport or someone steals it. Or when you can’t access wifi on your phone to get that ticket you bought. Keep original documents and copies in different places, as well as your cash. If one stash goes missing, you’ll still have the other to fall back on.

Lesson 22: Consider carefully when buying plane tickets!

1. Avoid any flights that have more than one stop/layover. The additional stops might make the cost cheaper, marginally, but the risk of losing luggage and missing connecting flights just rises exponentially. It’s not worth the cost savings.
2. Avoid having any of your connections go through JFK or Newark. Ever. Otherwise, be prepared to miss all connecting flights because the pilot couldn’t land, or because your crew couldn’t show up, or because your flights were cancelled for one reason or another. When this happens, you will spend hours in line, hours getting on a bus and lugging luggage to an off-site hotel, and then hours trying to check back in at the airport in the morning. And then you will sit around, stressed to the max, hoping to god that someone decided to not show up that day for their flight so that you will be (seemingly) arbitrarily called to take that seat on the next flight…or the next…or be stuck waiting until the next day. Don’t forget by this point you’ve already probably been up 50 hours traveling and are jet lagging like crazy. And if you need an interpreter for ANYTHING, give up that pipedream.
3. Avoid having layovers that are less than an hour and a half. If you are familiar with the airport or you have done significant research and know that the airport frequently works with short layovers, you could maybe pull it off. In general, just have longer layovers to be safe.
4. If at all possible, don’t check any luggage. Really, if you’re going to Paris for 2 weeks, only pack what can fit in a carry-on (I promise it can be done). This not only limits but also prevents your luggage from being lost.
5. Make sure that you check and you double/triple check the times and DAYS of your departure and arrival. It costs hundreds of dollars to change tickets, even if it was an honest mistake at booking.
6. If you can choose your seats, don’t sit close to a bathroom. You never know when someone or a lot of someones is going to have a stomach virus.
7. If at all possible, avoid airlines like Spirit, Frontier, WOW…they are budget airlines FOR A REASON. You will have a shitty experience, no question about it. If you’re 20 and are on a low budget and are just out for an adventure though, go for it!

Lesson 23: If you can’t pack everything in your carry-on and do end up checking a bag, make sure that you absolutely have at least 1 full change of clothes, any important documentation and all of your medications in that carry-on.

Trust me, when your luggage gets lost, you will wish you had.

Lesson 24: Even if you have planned and prepared everything perfectly, things will still not always fall into place.

When things fuck up (and they will), remember, this is part of the journey. Most things are not end-of-the-world. The crazy things that shouldn’t happen are the things you will remember 20 years after your trip!

Lesson 25: Embrace the chaos.

Make memories. Be flexible and adaptable. Be patient…other countries and people have vastly different ideas of time than we do in America. Be open-minded and willing to learn. Have a sense of humor! Don’t let things out of your control ruin an otherwise wonderful trip.

What about you? What are some tips and tricks you’ve learned while traveling?

I could go on, but I’m exhausted, and you probably are too. Believe it or not, traveling is still worth all the headaches. If you don’t want to mess with all this, though, sometimes a simple, boring cruise is the best solution, haha!!

Keep on Keeping on, Friends.