Cautionary tales….

Well it is one month until we leave for Ireland!!  That’s only 31 days! I need to be about preparing the final necessary details for our trip.  It’s coming up very fast and I am filled with an anxious excitement!

Summer television has a lot to be desired, especially if your like us and have canceled all cable TV service and now only get channels with an over air antenna.  So I have been watching a lot of Netflix lately.  One program that I have been binge watching is called “Bad Trips Abroad”.  As one can glean from the title it is a documentary type show that profiles real people discussing their unfortunate experiences while traveling in another country.  More than once I thought to myself that this probably isn’t the best thing to be watching with my trip so quickly approaching; but I was hooked.

Granted that many of the stories involved travel to what many would consider “less than safe” countries, poor judgement and decision making, too much alcohol, and not heeding the advice of locals as to the parts of cities to stay away from.  There are some things that can happen that are beyond one’s control not matter how much planning & care you take; getting lost in a remote area, getting seriously injured in an accident or violently ill.  Watching this documentary gave me some really good tips.

1. Get travel insurance: especially important for injury & illness scenarios.  Medical bills can really sky-rocket quickly abroad and many hospitals will require proof of ability to pay before they begin treatment.  In very serious cases a special medic evacuation flight may be needed, those who had such insurance found them to be a life saver….literally!

2 .Digital photo copies of passports & ID’s: Probably the most common scenario that might happen while traveling is theft.  It is so important to be aware of your surroundings, stay in public places where there are lots of people and try to keep vigilant a watch of your possessions.  Most thieves commit crimes of opportunity to score an easy payday.  If a bag or purse gets stolen that contains your passport and other ID it can be a nightmare to get another one issued, especially if you have difficulty proving who you are.  By taking a digital photo of your passport & ID and then emailing it to yourself you will always be able to access it to show the consult proof of who you are.

We don’t want to travel with fear and timidity, but taking a few smart precautions and preparing the best you can for situations will only help make the trip less worrisome and more enjoyable.  If there are unfortunate bumps along the way, try to take it in stride and do what needs to be done to rectify the situation and hopefully save the rest of the trip.