Staying Safe During Spring Break

Cami Munce, Community Editor
March 24, 2016

With spring break fast approaching, it is important that students understand the dangers of travel. Many seniors, to be specific, plan to leave the country for the week. That being said, there are many things student need to remember when in a foreign country:

  1. Remember your passport and check visas: The last thing you want is to be sitting at the airport terminal, in your tropical shirt, and realizing that you forgot your passport or to check your visas.
  2. Get vaccinated: Many countries, especially ones in Latin and South America, tend to carry diseases that can be extremely dangerous, if not fatal, to travelers.
  3. Remember all power cords/chargers: Make sure you bring your chargers and other accessories so that you can use your electronics to do anything from document your experience with pictures, to have the ability to pull up google maps if you get lost.
  4. Lookup monetary conversions before you go- many countries will not accept U.S. dollars. Therefore, make sure you switch our money before you go in case of emergencies.
  5. Pack an extra set of clothes on your carry-on bag- It’s not unheard of for your luggage to get lost while in air-travel, nor is it for your luggage to take a few hours to make it to your room after you arrive. Plan ahead so you have something to wear in the tropical climate.
  6. Bring snacks- Our bodies tend to not react well with water and certain foods in foreign countries, I recommend you bring a few snacks you know won’t make you sick just in case.
  7. DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE- this may be the most important thing to remember on this list. Unless you want to be abducted, make sure you are with a friend at all times that can help defend you in case things take a turn for the worse.
  8. Bring sunscreen- The Caribbean sun can be very powerful and damaging to skin. Avoid getting sunburned or even heat stroke by making sure to wear sunscreen and apply more coats throughout the day.

There are many things to remember when traveling, that if I listed them all, this list would be longer than the entire Harry Potter series. That said, stay safe and if you still want to know more about foreign travel, go to http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/05/20/80.tips.before.traveling.matador/