I want to die empty.

Umm…ok Colby, where are you going with this?

I want to die empty, meaning when my expiration date is up on this here Earth, I want to have lived my life to the absolute fullest. I don’t want to die full of regrets, full of wishes, full of hopes and shoulda coulda wouldas. I want to die having done all the things that reside in the crevices of my curiosities. I want to die empty. That is my driving force to push myself beyond my comfort zone, and not be inhibited by fear. I want the same for you.

In my mission to motivate and inspire people to explore this world of ours, I recently asked my Instagram followers what type of content would they like to see on the blog. One follower asked for tips on how to overcome their fear of travel. I posed a follow up question on what is it exactly that they fear and so many people chimed in with their own fears and looking for tips and suggestions.

The dangers of traveling abroad was people’s number one response. I get it. The world can be a scary place. We hear the horror stories, we read the click-bait headlines, tragedy seemingly surrounds us; however, our thoughts, or what we’ve been conditioned to think, are often times scarier than the reality. Often times we allow other people to impose their fears onto us, whether it’s the media or Aunt Brenda who’s never been beyond her backyard. I can’t tell you how many times people told me not to get caught up or kidnapped by the cartel, when I told them I was moving to Mexico. First of all, stop watching Narcos, and secondly, there’s more to Mexico than the cartel and the “wall”. I live in one of the safest cities in the world. The WORLD, ya’ll! As a solo woman traveler, safety is always a top priority. Out of the 23 countries I’ve been to, a good chunk of them have been solo trips.

The place I felt the most unsafe?

 

 

The United States.

Let’s break it down in numbers for my number folks. In 2018, the total number of Americans (I’m using this demographic because it’s my the largest audience of my readership) who died while traveling abroad, from unnatural causes (transportation accidents, drowning, homicide, etc)….784, and that’s out of over 51 million people.

The number of Americans that died from gun violence while in America in 2018…14,776. That’s just gun violence.

You do the math.

 

You are more likely to be gunned down at your favorite Target than you are traveling abroad. I’m not saying bad things don’t happen while traveling, because they do. What I’m saying is, in my experience, I’ve always felt inherently safer in other countries. I don’t fear walking out of my apartment at night and walking clear ‘cross town. I don’t get anxiety going to the movie theater, or shopping mall, or grocery store, or any other public place where some nutcase can decide today is the day they want to say f*ck life and come in guns, literally, blazing. I’m able to leave my laptop on the table while I make a bathroom run at the coffee shop. I have forgotten my iPhone in the basket of my bicycle in high traffic areas in South Korea, 20 minutes later, I return and my phone is still there! America could never. I’ve had co-workers in America have their phones stolen off their desks at work. Like, what?!

 

All countries are not as equally safe as South Korea. This I know. I had a tour guide in Morocco tell us that, “People can steal your underwear without taking off your trousers”. I even had friends get pick pocketed while visiting me in Madrid. The petty theft and pickpockets are real! But, even still, considering the horrors people face every single day in the States, this pales in comparison.

So, how do you stay safe while traveling abroad? Here are 3 simple tips:

Do Your Research

People ask me how did I decide to move to Mérida, because they’ve never even heard of the place. Well, hell, I hadn’t either. I literally Googled “safest places to live in Mexico” and Mérida kept coming up, so I said, “I guess I’m moving to Mérida”. It was really just that simple, for me. But, this also wasn’t my first time at the rodeo. For my wanderers tiptoeing into the international travel waters  you should do a little more extensive research, but don’t research yourselves to death people, because good Lord, you’ll research yourself right out of the trip.

 

My suggestions:

• Read travel blogs to also get first-hand accounts (Google name of city + travel blog)
• Join Facebook travel groups and use the search feature to search a destination to get people’s first-hand accounts
• Search Trip Advisor forums for tips and information on what to expect
• Check travel advisories, warnings and alerts through the U.S. Department of State’s website (take this list with a grain of salt, it is not the end all be all. It gives you a general idea of precautionary measures that should be taken)

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Here are 28 Best Facebook Groups for Travelers You Should Join! 

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Be Smart & Aware

Some things may seem really obvious, but I’ll reiterate them anyways. Don’t put a target on your own back while traveling. Leave your fancy jewels at home, don’t pull out fat stacks of cash in public places. In fact, don’t even carry all your cash on you. Take what you think you may need, and one bank card and/or credit card, and split the rest of your cash up in different hiding places. So, if in the off chance you do get pick pocketed or lose your bag/wallet, you won’t be completely SOL.

You always need to be aware of your surroundings and the people around you. Really, this is anywhere, but especially if you are traveling in foreign places that are known for thieves. These people are professionals. Be aware of any trying to distract you, or beggars asking for money. It could very well be innocent, but they could also very well have an accomplice that’s robbing you blind without you even knowing it. If you’re talking to strangers or amidst a large group of people, always keep a hand on your bag, don’t get distracted.

 

 

Other tips:

• Always make sure your bag is zipped/securely closed
• If you’re wearing a backpack, never put valuables in a front or easily accessible pocket. Keep your wallet in a back compartment that can only be accessed if you take the backpack off
• Don’t accept “gifts” from women on the street (i.e. flowers, rosemary or small trinkets) they will expect payment in return

Use Discernment

This kinda falls under the “Be Smart & Aware” heading, but I’m going to give it it’s own blurb. It is really easy to meet people while traveling, especially solo. I’ve met complete strangers who became my trip bestie. I’ve partied with strangers. I’ve had lunch on a long layover with my random seat mate on a flight to Kuala Lumpur and even kept my bags in his room while I explored the city. I’ve been invited to strangers houses for tea and/or coffee and I survived to write about it. The people I’ve encountered while traveling abroad have been some of the most kind and genuine people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. But, I have come across a few creeps, or people who appear genuine, but something about them is slightly off. Don’t ignore your gut! It’s not that weird chicken you ate earlier, that’s giving you a rumble in your tummy (ok, it might be, but whatever), it’s your instincts. Follow them!! Don’t get caught up trying to YOLO in these international streets and fall into stranger danger.

 

All in all, there are dangers everywhere, probably more so in your own “backyard” versus what you may encounter abroad. But, don’t let the fear of what “they” say deter you from exploring all the greatness this world has to offer. One day, all of your tomorrows are going to run out. Don’t die having never lived.

I’ll be creating more blog posts, answering more of your questions, so stay tuned!

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Here are 13 Things You should do before taking an international trip

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Have you ever traveled abroad? If not, what’s stopping you? What are some of your fears?