Pretty By The Bay

For millions of students each year, traveling abroad can be an exciting milestone that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Getting to visit remote, distant landscapes, learning new languages, and tasting foreign delicacies can widely broaden a young man or woman’s perspective of the world. However, traveling abroad can offer a number challenges brought on by vastly differing cultures; especially if you aren’t prepared. Staying safe when visiting other countries should be a first priority. The chances are slim that anything will go terribly wrong, but preparedness should start the moment you begin planning the details of your trip. Here are a few ways students can stay safe when traveling abroad.

One of the first things you should learn is to never carry cash. You should always have at least two credit cards and some traveler’s checks.  If you get your cash stolen from you, there is no way to get it back. If someone steals your credit card and travelers check you can always have them replaced.  When you are traveling, whatever money you have is your lifeline and you don’t want someone to take that away – lest you wind up stranded and unable to pay for shelter, food and other necessities.

Another important tip is to not look too flashy. You don’t want to stand out as a target to people that might want to take advantage of your vulnerabilities. If you have a large backpack and other traveling gear, unfortunately you’ll still look like a tourist, but you never want to have anything extraneous. This includes jewelry and any other fancy electronics. If you have to keep any of those things on your person, your best bet is to hide them in an inside pocket or away from plain sight. If it looks like all you’ve got is a sleeping bag and a few clothes, you won’t look so much like a target. Also, it is important to travel extremely light and don’t bring anything you won’t actually need on the road.

Also, a lot of other countries have completely different laws and customs than your own. It might be wise, before you leave town, to study a few of the major do’s and don’ts of that specific region. You don’t want to wear something or do something that might get you in a lot of trouble. These foreign laws and customs might seem ridiculous to you, but offering a certain semblance of respect for them could possibly save you from a night in a third world prison. You could go online to search for many of these laws and customs, along with the name of the country you are visiting. For instance, if you are visiting Japan, it is customary to remove your shoes before you go into any building or home.

It doesn’t matter if you attend Ohio University or any other academic institution, staying safe while you travel abroad is of the utmost importance.  If you want to have an exciting journey that you’ll remember forever, the top priority is safety before all else; the rest can be all fun and adventure.