Breanne Burnell

From boat rides to mountain hikes, full course fine dining to local street food, luxury hotels to hostels, and busy cities to quaint villages, traveling will bring you out of your comfort zone and allow you to experience an entirely new world. That means you have to remind yourself that there will be unexpected circumstances (like ice cold showers) or weird weather changes (hello Eastern Europe hot rain). The best solution before embarking on your trip is to try to best prepare yourself for any logical unforeseen situations. Here’s a small list that will hopefully help you:

 

1) Weather Options: For sunny days, sunglasses and a foldable hat that you can throw in a backpack will be your lifesaver from the sun beating down on you. On the other hand, bringing a tiny rain jacket (the throwaway kind that’s the size of a few pieces of paper) won’t take up any room but can be a lifesaver. Also, if you’re lucky enough to have a compact but warm jacket that’s water resistant, it comes in so handy and you can always just tie it around your waist.

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2) Carrier Service: Phone carriers tend to provide different international plans with varying prices on their services. Don’t forget to look into this before leaving the country or you might be surprised by some hefty charges. Sometimes, the service on these plans won’t have the strongest signal, but that wasn’t a problem for me thanks to my miracle travel abroad hotspot. It provides pocket wifi, international voice, and local concierge that has worked for me in every country so far from Denmark to Hungary. You can get the portable 4G Teppy itself to use day by day or just rent it for a shorter trip, check it out here: https://www.tepwireless.com/travel-extras/

3) Phone Necessities: First off, make SURE you have the right converter (and maybe bring an extra). One of mine has the correct plug but doesn’t work on many European outlets because there is not enough space to fit into the raised part of the outlets, I’m so relieved I have another one that does, otherwise I would be facing some issues with taking pictures or navigating myself around.

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4) Shoes: You know the saying that a girl can never have too many shoes? I’ve always lived by that rule but it will be your demise for traveling. Generally (subject to change depending on your destination), all you need is: some good breathable walking shoes, booties OR heels for going out, and a pair of water resistant sandals. I’m currently staring at the heels that have just been sitting in my suitcase the whole trip, taking up room that could’ve been used elsewhere.

5) Currency & Card: Before visiting any country, you need to look up their currency, conversion rate, and the best place to not be ripped off by touristy exchange rate withdrawals. Not all local spots will take card, but for those that do, I prefer that to carrying around paper and coins. My mom introduced me to Chase Sapphire which has 0% foreign transaction fees and 3x points on travel & dining worldwide, not to mention a full list of benefits. There are a vast amount of card options, each with different perks, so research what is best for you but here’s the link to Sapphire card info: https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

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6) Finally, here’s a few little things that could potentially help you out a lot – but don’t take up that much space: rubber bands, safety pins, mini compass, ibuprofen, allergy medication, and liquid bandaid (look it up, it’s amazing)