By Emma Buchman
Foreign Correspondent
As my friends will tell you, I sometimes have a certain disregard for my own safety (much to their annoyance). Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m the idiot who goes to feed a mother bear and her cub in Yosemite Park. It simply means that I’m the idiot that likes to take walks around campus at midnight, sometimes without any shoes. They’re good friends to have because they always express their concern, and yet somehow they trusted that I would manage to keep myself safe while abroad (great judgement call, you guys). Nevertheless, I have somehow managed to stay safe, even though I often go traveling alone. It’s actually relatively easy.
The best ways to stay safe abroad is to be organized and aware of where you are and what you’re doing. You can be as spontaneous as you want when you get to your destination, but you have to actually get there first. Make sure you know where all of your stops are, and be certain about departure times. Wherever you go, make sure you have enough money to at least get back home. The bottom line is to know exactly what resources you have and be prepared for the worst to happen (even though it probably won’t).
While studying abroad, there is one thing that should be protected above everything else: your passport. You can lose or forget pretty much anything when you are abroad, except your passport. Not only is it your ID, it is also what gives you permission to be in that country. If you think replacing a passport in the U.S. is hard, imagine doing it abroad with the added bonus of being trapped wherever you are until you get a new one. Seriously, you would rather lose your debit card than your passport. After your passport, the most important items to have are your debit card and your (charged) cell phone. As long as you have these three things, you will be able to get help in most situations that you may find yourself in.
If you’re going to travel alone, be extra cautious. As I said, I like to travel alone a lot. While this is not always ideal, I find it to be a lot of fun, and it’s a lot easier to do all of the traveling that you want without having to worry about another person’s schedule. Obviously, it’s more dangerous to travel alone because there is no one there that knows where you are and that can easily help you. To mitigate this, I always tell my parents when I’m going to be traveling away from where I live. They never like that I’m travelling by myself, but at least they know where I am and that I will call them if there’s a problem.
Lastly, there is one kind of specific piece of advice that I would like to give. This is more applicable to young women, but it’s a rule that everyone can follow. In today’s world, there are a lot of threats, one of which is the threat of human trafficking. I am not saying this to be overdramatic or fear-mongering. This is a serious issue that our world faces today, and college students need to be aware of it. If you’re traveling anywhere, especially if you’re by yourself, please keep on the lookout for signs of trafficking situations (you can find them on sites like the Polaris Project). Don’t bring anyone back to your hotel or hostel or dorm unless you trust them.Keep an eye out for your friends. One piece of advice that I made for myself is that if I’m at an airport alone and need to take a taxi somewhere, I always make sure to take a taxi provided by the airport, not just an unmarked car.
You are never going to be able to protect yourself from everything, but that is part of life. The best thing to do is just to avoid obvious danger and learn the warning signs of a dangerous situation. A lot of these things may seem self-explanatory, and you may feel confident that you would perform these actions in reality, but doing something in person is a lot different than doing it in your end. Please be careful, be confident, and just don’t be inept.
Buchman is currently studying abroad in France She is sharing her experiences abroad with The Elm weekly.