Previously I posted about precautions to take concerning travel with medicines. In this post I want to talk about travel advisories.

I saw an article recently talking about disease outbreaks in countries and it made me think about the ‘rona outbreak that hit as we were preparing to go to Europe in February 2020. It ended up reaching critical mass just as we were in Schiphol preparing to come back to the States. Things got damn real at that moment as I had posted that day.

We had monitored the progress as we approached our departure date and kept watching what was going on. We decided to go ahead and go but we would take precautions. We took LOTS of precautions but being informed is what is needed in these situations. We came home safe and healthy.

My first trip over I got several vaccines to go along with the ones I already had, so why not get a vaccine to protect myself from food- or water-borne illnesses? Many people don’t bother but I am not interested in taking any chances on things like hepatitis of any type and a vaccine is cheap insurance. If I went to a tropical country I’d get any shots to protect myself there.

Too many Americans have the mentality of “But I’m an American” or “someone will save my ass because not ONLY am I an American, but I have a cellphone and insurance!”. You are arrogant, wrong and a dumbass to assume these things. Go to many foreign countries and you’ll find out you really AREN’T all that; whine all you want, but you’re actually no more important or better than anyone else and, quite frankly, that doesn’t matter where you are in the world – not even at home. None of us are. Those are the facts. It’s also a lesson you need to learn and understand. Like it or not, YOU are responsible for YOU.

You need to be informed while traveling in general – no matter where you go. Do you always check the weather before you head out on a road trip? Do you look out for hurricanes before you go to hurricane-prone areas? If you do these things in your own country/state/region/city/neighborhood then why not dive deeper into international destinations you are going to go to? It’s a hefty investment to take a trip internationally so why not be smart?

So, when we have all of these travel tools available to us to be prepared with, why not use them? Did you know that Costa Rica has advisories about high crime? Did you know about the diphtheria or dengue fever outbreaks in several parts of the world? As a traveler you need to be aware of these things and take necessary precautions, be it vaccines or changing travel plans. And you need to check frequently for any updates so you are aware.

The internet is an invaluable resource for travel tips, hacks and virtually any other thing you can think of, but it is also a plethora of BS info. And no…I don’t looking at mean IG, FB or TT for guidance; I am talking about real, hard information that is based in actual fact. You can check websites for the CDC, State Department and even the airlines for information. Check the websites of where you are wanting to go.

Some countries require visas and you need to know this before you go or you won’t get in the country. Did you know many countries will not allow you in if your passport has less than six months before expiration? Do you know how long you can stay? This is not like going to Colorado for the weekend so don’t take for granted you’re going to do what you want. I know certain areas of various places are not safe day or night and there may be a good reason rooms are so cheap in certain areas or countries.

Perhaps you want to hit some museums, learn some history and see Mona. Did you research before you found out the museums you wanted to visit are closed on Mondays? Or, if traveling in the “off-season”, did you find out when you got there that the place you wanted to visit is only open in Summer? If you prepare ahead of time for your trip – no matter where you are going – it helps make your trip better and smoother and helps eliminate or minimize many potential issues you may encounter. It also helps reduce any disappointments.

For example, our time in Ireland in 2020 was scheduled when it was for a reason, but my family castle was closed for the season. Yeah, it being closed was a little disappointing, but I got to walk up to the door & touch the walls and it is so incredible to feel that history inside yourself. The timing was unfortunate but we stuck with our original schedule because of the reason we were going, plus I knew I would be going back and the next trip will be scheduled around the castle being open.

Basically, I prepare for any trip the same. Traveling internationally does have obvious differences, but I do the basics with any trip I take and modify a little because each trip is still a bit different. If you prepare the same way it becomes automatic and you will find out what works for you and what doesn’t.

That’s it for this post.

Shawn