You have your plane tickets, hotel reservation, and list of "must see" attractions all ready to go for your next vacation. Here's some other things to consider doing before you go on vacation:
- Research the location you are going to and find out what types of disasters (natural and man made) could happen there. Especially if you are going to a location that you are completely unfamiliar with, know how to identify and how to survive the most common types of disasters that could happen (ie: tsunami, typhoon, earthquake, civil unrest).
- Scan all of your important documents (passport, driver's license, birth certificate, Will, vaccination card, etc) into your computer and carry the file with you on vacation on a micro thumb drive.
- Make a hard copy of your passport and driver's license and keep it in your suitcase.
- Leave anything at home that may get you into trouble (weapons, drugs, porn, etc). The penalties for what we consider minor crimes in the US can be quite stringent in other countries.
- Update things that may come in handy when you are on vacation (your Will, your tetanus shot, etc). You don't want to step on a rusty nail in a third world country then wonder when your last tetanus shot was.
- Make sure nothing important will expire while you are away--passport, driver's license, credit cards, concealed carry permit, etc.
- Do a bit of online research and write down the phone numbers to a variety of useful places (cab company, hospital, pharmacy, etc) that you can carry with you. At least if you are stranded in an unfamiliar location you will be able to call a cab or figure out where the nearest pharmacy is.
- Bring along: spare prescription medications, a spare pair of glasses, spare hearing aid batteries; basically anything that you may run out of and have a hard time replacing.
- Put an ICE (in case of emergency) listing on your cell phone--this should be the phone number of a trusted friend or relative. Also, carry a laminated card with important phone numbers on it in case you can't access the numbers through your cell phone.
Also get as much info. about what about if I need to come back to this place just to use it as a retreat if anything goes wrong at home??? Scan for locations for retreating if not for you for someone else that you can trust. If you dont have someone ttrusty enough, well just keep it for yourself in the back of your mind.
ReplyDeletefind out their gun laws and above all, make friends and remember to keep in touch.
Pay cash and leave nothing to trace you back where you have been.
Raggedy Man.