International Travel Tips: Home Safety and Knowing Your Destination by Janie Diaz

International Travel Tips: Home Safety, Knowing Your Destination, and Walking in Comfort
By Janie Diaz
Before you head to the beach, the mountains, or any international destination, consider some additional planning
before booking flights and tours or buying that hardshell luggage you’ve been eyeing online.
Safety at Home and Away: Protect Yourself and Your House While on Vacation
Many people snap countless pictures of themselves with the whole family on vacation and upload these photos to
various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Instead, send pictures to a photo album on your
cloud (Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive, for example), and upload the whole album to social media sites when
you get home.
If you upload vacation photos to social media platforms while you’re still away, you’re sending the message that
no one is home, making your residential and/or small business space unarmed against intruders. Even with the
best alarm systems in the world, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Only let trusted friends and family know you’re
leaving home—you can upload your new Facebook Album or Instagram Story, “2017 in Paris!” from your cloud
when you return to your domestic digs.
Tips for traveling with cash, passports, or valuables
While you’re out and about, whether in another state, another country, or even just another zip code, protect
yourself and your children with a few simple steps. Men: keep your wallet in your front pocket. Women: Use a
purse with an over-the-shoulder strap you can wear diagonally across your body, making it nearly impossible to
have your bag stolen. When traveling abroad, unless you have a need for it, leave your passport(s) in your hotel
safe. If you do need to carry passports with you, secure them in a compartment of your purse or bag that zips up
and stays shut.
Comfort on Vacation: Research Climate and Day-to-Day Weather of Your Destination
A fun getaway doesn’t feel like much of a vacation if you’re not comfortable. Let’s say you’ve decided to go to
Disneyland for a week with the kids. Everything you’ve heard about Southern California suggests it’s a shorts and
T-shirt weather sort of place all year-round. This is usually true, but it can rain, and SoCal nights can be quite cool

even in summer, and certainly in spring. So instead of having suitcases filled with nothing but tees and yoga
shorts, be sure to pack hoodies, long-sleeved shirts, and pants for nighttime activities. Research the climate and
forecasted weather around the time you’ll be on holiday. This way, you’ll know what clothing items to pack to
ensure the whole family is comfortable indoors and out, night or day.
Vacation Footwear: Men’s and Women’s Boots for Travel and Walking Shoes for Guided Tours
No matter where you’re going, there are two things you need: men’s casual boots and walking shoes and
women’s hiking boots and cross trainers made for women’s feet. This way, you have comfortable shoes for
walking through sightseeing tours, and comfortable boots for hiking through nature trails, or long treks to
international landmark sites. If you’re bringing the kiddos along, make sure they have comfortable, resilient boots
for kids and walking shoes that fit properly.
Helpful hint: You can determine whether a shoe or boot fits kids of any age by having them stand up with the shoe
or boot on. There should be a thumb-width of space between the end of the shoe and the child’s big toe.
Women’s boots for travel should be 100% waterproof, have a strong midsole with arch support, moisturewicking
interior, and rugged outsole to reduce the risk of slipping on icy terrain or rainy streets. Men’s hiking
boots should offer all the same comforts and features, but should be designed with a man’s foot in mind. The
right boots for traveling abroad will be perfect for sightseeing, hiking foreign landscapes, or trekking to sacred
sites in comfort while maintaining optimal style for various ensembles.