Who doesn't love going on big trips? And when I say trips I mean out of the country, not a road trip to the state next door, but a trip where you can really get lost. As a person that has traveled a lot to various countries, I’ve gotten lost so many times that when I don’t get lost on a trip I feel like I missed the adventure train. There are at least three things to keep in mind if you're heading out on a big adventure:

1. If you know you don’t wake up early, don’t set your flight for 6 am.

Unless you are an early bird, then go for it get that early plane. I don’t know about you, but I love to sleep in when I know I don’t have to wake up for class or work. The good thing about taking an early morning plane is that you might get to see the sun rise, if you get the window seat. And if you are going to Hawaii, anyone would love to get a taste of the beach as soon as possible. But if you know you just won’t wake up, because you never do, then having a 6 am plane might not be the right move. Why? Well, let’s just say tripping on your bags with fifteen minutes left to get to the twenty minutes away airport is really not a good feeling, and don’t forget about the traffic.

2. Make sure you ask where your gate is and don’t miss it!

You would probably say to this, "hey come on that’s common sense, they tell you your gate." Well it’s not that easy if you are traveling from one continent to another. Taking myself as an example, when I traveled with my mother from Gambia ( West Africa) to Cuba I had this problem. We somehow ended up in Spain. Not only did they mistake my mom for kidnapping me because of our different last names, but also we ended up at the gate that was on the opposite end of our actual gate. So although we were told where our gate was, it’s quite easy to get lost when your mind is in a state of confusion. If you are wondering if we made it, well my mom was definitely not a runner so I had to sprint to the gate. But I made just in time, out of breath, with the whole airport thinking I was crazy. But knowing that the ticket was not refundable makes it a worthwhile run (but definitely not fun). Make sure you ask twice and check multiple times before heading towards your gate!

3. Know how much your luggage weighs and what's in it!

Your luggage the most important thing besides your passport. Make sure you read the section that says what gets loaded under and what goes on the plane, and if possible research what can leave the airport of your destination. Now why am I saying that? Well, here is the continuation of my trip: so we finally reached our destination, Cuba. We got searched as usual to make sure we weren't importing anything inside the country.The fact that my mom hadn’t been to Cuba for at least twenty years made them even more suspicious. Our luggage was not only searched, but basically every intriguing thing we brought for our family got confiscated at the airport because it wasn’t allowed in the country! An example would be things like perfumes and shampoos. In conclusion, just make sure you pack wisely and leave enough space to pack things on your trip back.