Leave The Country, Traveling Abroad or Not

By Rene Santana on October 31, 2019

Batches after batches of semi-okay cookies came out of their oven. Surprisingly, it hadn’t broken down yet. I’m sure they lost track of the various bags of cookies they sold. People gave them money anyway. And my friend’s goal with the money? It went to a long-desired dream to travel to London. And the reason behind it? To bring the good word and swing dance their little hearts out. Having been part of this group of friends, my face glowed as I felt my heart grow three times its size.

Image by Masashi Wakui from Pixabay

My friends traveled across the Atlantic, bracing for new adventures and experiences. And while it was for a good cause, they still took the plunge and left the country. It was worth every penny, saving, or fundraising, to travel. So why should anything stop you from leaving this country? Even if it took writing a grant to give you the funds to travel abroad for your studies, whatever method you take to travel, no one can ever stress enough why you should go out and travel outside of this country.

But it’s not easy to hop on a plane and leave. It’s expensive, frightful, and wild. Which is every reason why you should do it.

I’ll be and tell you your worst travel fear: things will not go as planned. And you know what? That’s okay. We normally learn our best lessons in the face of the unknown.

Sage advice aside, the best plan of action you can take is to research, research, and research. In his travel tips article, Geoffrey Morrison lists the main things to research before leaving: do a bit of research; take a working phone; protect yourself online, and buy travel insurance. If you there’s anything I’d stress the most, it’d be the travel insurance. Life happens, and sometimes, it’s nice to know you’ll be reimbursed for any cancellations or accident while traveling. Next would be researching. As Morrison urges, “Some understanding of local cultural norms will go a long way in bridging any etiquette differences and assessing risks.”

To add to the list, I highly recommend traveling with a buddy. Better to be lost somewhere with a friend than by yourself as you try to navigate back to your hotel. Even if you are more of the solo type, it won’t help you to not ask anyone for help while adventuring. Sure you may get into tiffs with your travel buddy, but eventually, you’ll forgive one another and grow from it. If anything, I can see traveling with your buddy strengths the relationship.

Again, if want this trip to go smoothly, you’ll need to research, but make to include your travel buddy, too. Never make plans without the other’s input. Shivani Vora points out in her article that while communication may be the first and foremost priority, it’s often not.

I know planning is stressful. It can sometimes overwhelm and convince you not to go. Regardless, the experience of traveling, leaving your home and exploring new places, is not to be tossed aside because of fears. Squash those doubts, find a buddy willing to live with you for a bit, and go explore somewhere new and exciting!

You don’t have to travel far across the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean. If you much prefer, Canada and Mexico are still amazing places to visit. Go with a friend. Don’t travel alone. You can go by yourself if you’d like, but if you’re a first-time traveler, you’ll either have the adventure of a lifetime or not. It certainly won’t be uneventful.

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