24 Hours!

This morning I received an e-mail from my airline telling me that my flight leaves in 24 hours. I mean, I already knew that, but AH! In light of a recent Facebook post about self-serving statuses (ahem http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/annoying-facebook-behavior_b_4081038.html) I am going to try to make this both funny AND helpful/interesting to you.

Here's some advice for planning a trip entirely on your own:
1. Guide books are not over-rated. I got Rick Steves' guidebooks for Ireland and Scotland, and they've been SUPER helpful. He talks about places that I'd never even heard of and recommends places to stay and eat for all different budgets. He also takes a very "local" approach, emphasizing that you should try to really experience the local flavor of wherever you travel, rather than being a total tourist. (Thanks, Kelly Brown, for the tip, and thanks Dave and Curli for the B&N gift card that I bought the books with!)

2. When planning transportation, be sure to check EVERY stage. For example, I want to fly with RyanAir from London to Germany because it literally costs about $23, but the only available times are either very early in the morning or in the evening. Before I can book a plane ticket I have to check how I'm going to get to the airport and whether there is transportation that early in the morning. I also have to check the train times in Germany and make sure I won't get in at 3 in the morning. Currently still stuck trying to figure this out.

3. I HIGHLY recommend getting a Bank of America account, even if you only use it for travel. You can get e-banking only and then there are no fees, plus BofA is part of the Global ATM Alliance, meaning you can withdraw money from partner banks around the world for no fee. (Except Ireland doesn't have a bank that's part of the alliance. What's up with that?!?) Plus, despite being a very large bank, their customer service is surprisingly good.

Also, I know a lot of people are shocked when I say I'm traveling alone, especially as a young woman. Here's the thing: I'm not a novice traveler, and I'm not stupid. Just don't be stupid. Always double check that you have everything or have locked everything when you leave a hostel/hotel, be alert at all times (NO WALKING AROUND A FOREIGN CITY WITH BOTH YOUR HEADPHONES IN!!), don't accept drinks from strangers, and if a situation doesn't feel right, remove yourself from it.

But here's another thing: why are we so afraid of traveling alone? Because it's a foreign city? I think, to be honest, that people fear traveling alone JUST because it's a different country. Yes, there are many places in the world that are more dangerous than the U.S. The Democratic Republic of Congo, for example. Or Afghanistan. There are also places where an American sticks out like a sore thumb (I've been to those places, and I know how it feels to be yelled at from across the street because you're so obvious). But I have friends and roommates that jetted to cities all over the country for grad and med school interviews. They were going to big cities. They were alone. But no one gave them raised eyebrows and a higher-pitched voice and the question, "You're going ALONE?" It's time we get over this wariness of going to other countries simply because they're different. Behave as you would in any new city, don't go shouting, "Hey! I'm a tourist! I'm carrying boatloads of cash on me!", and you'll be fine.

And that leads me to my final point, as a piece of advice for all travelers: do NOT expect things to be like they are in the U.S. Because they won't be. But different does not mean worse. Travelers are usually happy to come home after a long trip because they are returning to what's familiar, not necessarily what's better. If you can learn to roll with the punches, accept different cultures and customs, and maybe even pick up some of the habits of people in local countries, you will enjoy your travels more and leave a better impression of yourself as an American tourist (trust me, that reputation needs constant work sometimes).

This time tomorrow I will be in the air (probably somewhere over Nevada). I'll be back just in time for my favorite holiday and the UCLA - USC rivalry game! Priorities!