112119 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

4 x November 21 — December 4, 2019 x www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com
HOW TO ...
Travel
Ten Tips for Seeing the World!
by Lauren Salinero
Wellington Esquea, PA-C, Dr. Bindu Kakkanatt, Dr. Shaista Usmani, Dr. Shahid Usmani, MD.
1551 Boren Drive, Suite A • Ocoee, FL 34761
Conveniently located near Walmart. Just minutes from MetroWest, Winter Garden and Windermere.
Call 407-395-2037
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Having lived in Europe for two
years, I’ve done my fair share of traveling.
During that time, I visited 10 different
countries, from Ireland to Japan
to Austria. Since then, I travel to a new
place every chance I get. Last year, I
visited Havana for a week. I stayed in
an Airbnb; had breakfast made by a
local every morning; walked the streets
and visited museums, a cigar factory
and famous landmarks during the
day; and watched neighborhood kids
kick around a soccer ball during the
evenings. Not all great travel is international,
though. Having family out-ofstate,
I travel north to Virginia at least
twice a year. And, I jump at any opportunity
to visit new states that I have
yet to explore. In my time, I’ve picked
up a few travel tips that can benefit
you on your next adventure — whether
it’s a spur-of-the-moment flight to Long
Island, New York, for the weekend
(one of my favorite November trips) or
a 13-hour flight to the other side of the
world.
• Be patient — Travel never goes
the way you plan it. You might get
halfway across the Atlantic Ocean
only to have the pilot inform you that
he or she has to turn the plane around
and land in Canada because personnel
forgot to fuel the plane (true story).
You might miss your cruise ship because
your plane got delayed while
waiting for another plane to fly in a
spare tire that was needed (also a true
story, and one of the best vacations of
my life). That old saying — patience is
a virtue — live it, love it. With all the
lines, the people, the delays and the
hours of sitting around, it’s easy to lose
patience. Plan ahead. Bring a book
(or two). Load your phone with your
favorite podcasts. Download a game
to keep you busy. Find a restaurant or
bar in the terminal to spend your time.
Just don’t stew in your impatience.
Give people the benefit of the doubt.
Everyone in an airport has somewhere
to be and wants to get there as quickly
as possible. It can lead to others being
brusque and even outright rude, but let
it roll off you. Don’t let someone else’s
stress ruin your good mood.
• Get travel insurance — Speaking
of things going wrong, always get
the travel insurance. I’m not going to
lie, I don’t buy travel insurance for my
regular trips up North to visit family.
But, when it comes to international
travel or a long vacation, it’s the smart
move. Life happens, and unexpected
emergencies, sickness or anything that
could derail your plans could cost you
big time in the long run if you aren’t
covered. Do your future self a favor,
and get the insurance.
• Notify your bank and credit card
companies of your travel plans —
There’s nothing worse than officials
at your bank or credit card company
seeing a bunch of transactions from
Spain, thinking you’re safely at home
in Windermere. Unless you enjoy
having your card frozen while you’re
in a foreign country or even just far
from home, give your bank and credit
card companies a heads-up. On that
note, don’t rely solely on credit cards
during your travel — have some cash
handy. There’s usually a currency exchange
at the airport if where you’re
visiting uses a different currency. Don’t
keep it all stashed in one place — the
dangers of being robbed are real —
but take enough to get you through a
couple of days without a card, in case
any issues come up.
• Don’t overpack — If your bags are
stuffed to the brim when you’re leaving
home, you aren’t giving yourself room
for souvenirs you might want to bring
back with you. Mailing from one country
to another — even cross country
— is a hassle, an expensive one. Pack
light and leave room for keepsakes.
• Bring a sarong — This may seem
like a strange travel tip. But, almost every
experienced traveler will tell you,
a sarong is a multiuse lifesaver. It can
be a sunblock, a shawl, a towel, and