Traveling is one of the only things that you can spend money on that makes you richer. Getting out of your comfort zone and jumping on that plane is exciting. It leads to new experiences, growth, friendships, cultures, and it’s well worth the money spent. However, always prepare for the unexpected and be vigilant in your travels.
Italy - Listening to that inner voice
It was May of 2012, and our first major trip to mainland Europe with a group of friends had just begun. It was a grand two week trip, visiting 10 different countries in hopes to see everything we possibly could. Departing from Geneva, Switzerland, we headed down to Milan, followed by a quick stop in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and then a visit to see the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, The Statue of David.
Several different times during the drive, the comment came up mentioning that “we should go see Rome”; although, the original plan would not allow time for us to make it that far South. And after Florence, the plan was to stay in a hotel in between Florence and Venice within the Emilia-Romagna region. However, after realizing we had a few extra hours of daylight, and Rome only being 3 hours away, we decided to forgo our hotel and find one outside of Rome. The following morning, May 21st, we all read the news that there was a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Emilia-Romagna region, followed by a 5.2 aftershock, where we were supposed to be, killing several and causing widespread damage.
Listen to that inner voice, as well as to those you may travel with, you may never know when a sudden unexpected change of plans may be for the best. (Mobile users: next story continued below picture)
Venice, Italy
France - Scope out those who can help
In research for your upcoming destinations, make sure you know areas that should be avoided, even if it’s only nighttime. You never know when you will enter a sketchy subway station, or a specific street that you don’t want to be on at certain times of the day. If it’s a touristy area, research the scams targeting unsuspecting tourists.
Having used Paris as a main base for a lot of travels over the past few years, I’ve learned a bit about the different scams targeting innocent people there. However, during one of my trips to Paris in 2017, I encountered something a bit unsettling, and for the remainder of my time in that specific arrondissement, I made sure to keep an eye on where different French police officers were, because you never know if people work in groups (some scams do).
I was not on a solo trip this time; however, whenever I take someone with me I am responsible and want to ensure safety. As we were walking down a street towards the line for the Catacombs of Paris, this man spoke English to us and said, “hello”. I responded quietly with a different greeting and nodded my head, don’t think it was loud enough for him to understand what I said, but I had the impression to keep walking and act normally.
It immediately occurred to me how odd it was to have someone to speak my native language first, as opposed to French. After walking a bit further along the crowded street, I turned around and noticed he was also looking back at us and then he turned away and we kept walking. I immediately scoped out a policeman nearby, followed by locating another one. That was the last I saw of him, and although I’m not afraid to fight back, it’s also important to locate those who can help you.
I do think he may have had ulterior motives, and was fishing further to see if we were tourists who spoke English. I can’t say for certain, but I really do think that was the case. Public areas are a lot harder for people to attempt things; however, that doesn’t mean they’ll follow you or work with a group. Stay alert, stay vigilant, and look for people or places that can provide help or safety in case you need extra help.
Paris, France