Helpful Tips Before You Go- I Wish I Would Have Done Things Differently

I decided to travel abroad about 6 months in advance. However, I spent more time in my excitement about the day to come than preparing.

Below are about 5 things that I probably will do differently the next time I travel abroad.

• Pack at least a week in advance.

I literally packed the day before my departure and it was pure stress. Gratefully, I think I brought everything that I could possibly need but at the same time I probably brought way to much stuff. However, I did not have time to repack and inventory my bag so that was quite a bummer. My personal bag and suitcase were both rollers which helped me get from place to place in the airport very fast. Also, my personal bag was also a backpack so that helped when travelling up and down stairs. 

• Download travel apps before I leave the Country.

This is key if you need information about the area that you are in. Wi-fi is not always present, so it is important that you download city maps, city guides, language apps, and airport apps before you arrive or you will feel lost. Some of the apps that I downloaded were: Converter, SpanishDict, GateGuru, PeruTravel, Polyglot Med Spanish, and Candy Crush (can be played in the absence of wi-fi). 

• Understand how connection flights operate abroad.

I ended up paying extra fees because of this. Understand before hand how your connection will be handled. Ask the following questions, will they transport your bags to you next flight?

(Even though I had a connecting flight, it was expected of me to recheck my bags.)

Is your entire flight with the same carrier? (Although I booked with LAN because they are partnered with American Airlines, part of my flight took place with American.)

• Have a more developed knowledge of the language for the place that I am travelling to.

In some places, your native language may not be spoken by in anyone at all. When I was in Bogota, Colombia, no one seemed to speak English. I did not have my travel apps downloaded at this time, so I struggled just to order food from restaurants. If I traveled to Latin America again, I would definitely take a few basic Spanish classes before the trip.

• Understand Currency Exchange in the new Country.

This can be confusing at first but once you understand how it works, you will be okay.