There have been at least three major stories of vacationers being attacked and killed under known and unknown circumstances in the news. It is also summer time and most of us will be traveling to places outside of our normal environment and I thought it will be great to point out some safety tips for us all to consider. 1. Remember that you have to ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings. Vacations are meant to be carefree times but we aren't supposed to be careless to the fact that there are bad people everywhere. Be aware of where you are, who is around you. 2. Know how/where to get help especially if you don't speak the language. Do you have your embassy's phone number? The address? The resort/AirBnB/hotel you are staying at? 3. Don't overshare your information. We always get asked, "how long are you here for?" Most of the time, it's just conversation, other times, it's not. Don't give your information to the wrong person that might mean harm to you. 4. Stay with a group if possible. This is a hard one because sometimes you might be traveling solo or just want some alone time while with a group. Let someone you trust know where you are going and for how long. If you are not back in contact with them in the designated time, they should be aware to ring the alarms immediately. 5. As with being at home, don't stay glued to your smartphone. Yes, you can use it while traveling but if you are deep in it, you will not know where you are. 6. Check The State Department travel advisory before making your plans. I know that sometimes this is listed for an entire country even though it's sections of the said country that might be problematic, but it's still a good resource to check. 7. For health reasons, you should check if you need vaccines for a country. There may be a strain of a virus that may not be covered by your regular vaccine. 8. Don't pack your most expensive electronics/jewelry. I know the electronics part is hard because we like to stay connected and the average digital camera is now an investment. If you have to take expensive things with you, make sure you have a way to secure them when they are not in your persons. 9. We are always looking for a "good" deal, don't travel too cheap and put yourself in dangerous situations. 10. I always stress my clients purchase travel insurance. I wrote another post about this. Most insurance protects your items and can get you home when needed. I hope these help as we all travel this summer. If you haven't booked your vacation, drop me an email and let's chat.