Traveling is an adventure, no matter where you have the luxury to go. However, adventures don't just include the pleasurable and enjoyable parts. As much as we want to focus on the aspects of travel that are agreeable, we can't just ignore everything else, but we can attempt to avoid them. Here are a few tips and tricks that I've learned over the years to make your adventure the one you don't want to have something you ignore.
1. Fights
Yes, sometimes a little bickering is necessary, but the full-blown fights of pent up anger are something that you don't want to have during your vacation. Especially if you're going to be stuck with the other person(s) for a few more days or weeks. Coming from someone who tends to bicker a lot with her family over trivial matters, it's not worth it. If you can avoid the discussion that may lead to (bad) tears, do it. If a fight has started up, attempt to walk away. If you can't, try to mellow the situation.
2. Thefts
If you're headed to a populated area where tourism is one of the main incomes of that city or country, the risk of theft comes with it. Whether you're walking, taking public transport, or driving, make sure that you take precautions against possible theft because you really don't want to have everything stolen from you if you're in an unfamiliar place. Hide your valuables in closed compartments when you're driving, and if possible, lock them and your car. Never leave your phone or money in open spaces when you're walking (i.e. put them in a zipped compartment in your purse/satchel/backpack) and always keep an eye on your bag. In hotels, never leave your technology, jewelry, or money lying around—not that the staff is likely to steal, but to remove the temptation. If you're in a foreign country, always know where your passport is and take good care not to have that stolen from you, as it will take a much longer time getting back into the U.S. than you planned.
3. Sunburns and Injuries
Take good care of where you step and what you wear when you go outdoors, as your trip won't be nearly as enjoyable as it could've been if you didn't have that really painful sunburn or those blisters on your feet. If you know you're going to be walking a lot, bring proper walking shoes, even if you think they might not look great. In reality, nobody really cares. If it's really sunny and hot, be sure to put on sunblock and wear a hat to protect your face, because every movement is going to be painful if you're covered in burns.
4. Potentially Illegal Activities
That fountain looks really appealing. We should totally jump in because it's really hot out. Oh, look, there's a sign that restricts that. Oh well, lets do it anyway.
I'm guilty of wanting to participate in restricted activities, and I know that if you get caught doing something that had a notice of being prohibited, you might just get off with a slap on the wrist, but in the worst case scenario, you could ruin your trip with fines or possibly a trip down to the police station. Even if there isn't a sign or notice, if the possible activity you are about to participate in doesn't seem to be allowed, you shouldn't do it. It's not worth it, not matter how fun it looks.
5. Ignorance
If you're traveling to another country, there's a good possibility that they function under a different culture than you're used to. Not only is there the culture, but there's a chance that they cannot speak the same language as you. Many English speakers take advantage of the fact that most other countries that deal with tourism can speak some English. But that luxury is something that you shouldn't always count on. If you head to the more rural areas of the country, you'll run into less and less English speakers and be at a loss if you didn't attempt to learn some of the basics of their language. "Please" and "Thank you" is a great way to start. The same can be said for the culture of the country. You don't want to travel to a country where the culture is completely different without any prior notice, especially if an action that you're used to is one that they find offensive.
6. Problems with health
The act of traveling is something that not a lot of people look forward to. (Seriously, who enjoys flying with cramped leg space and someone sleeping on your shoulder?) But traveling sick is to avoid entirely. When traveling to another country, always make sure you know what is safe to eat or drink. If the tap water isn't safe, don't use the ice cubes or order a salad, because it's probable that tap water is used to wash the salad and fill the ice trays. Take precautions. Bring some water filtration pills if you know that it won't be safe. I've been in the position many times where I've become sick on family trips with the flu or some other bug, and those were things that were hard to avoid, but easily treatable. Always take some sort of medication to ward off the flu or cold, because those can be treated right away if you come down with a case. If you can avoid becoming sick the day before you travel (not from a bug or food poisoning, but by eating something you know affects you in an unpleasant way or not going out drinking the night before) do it. Simply put, getting on a plane when you feel like shit is not a pleasurable experience. Take it from someone who has experienced it ... twice.
