Before embarking on a journey to a new country, review my safety tips and also do your own research.  Learn more about the culture, custom, and rules so that you do not break the local laws.  What is OK in one country can be offensive in another.  Have fun, be safe, and Live Like Friday.

I have a small first aid kit with Band-Aids, Benadryl (which doubles as an anti-nausea med because it’s antihistamine), Tums, Sudafed/cold meds, Imodium, powdered electrolyte mix (the Emergen-C brand has little packets of this that you can buy at most drugstores), antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, senna laxative pills, Band-Aids of various sizes, and Band-Aid Blister Relief pads as well as Moleskin pads in case your shoes cause blisters or raw spots from walking a lot.

We also take photos of our passports and driver licenses and keep them in our Google Docs and in files on our phones. You just never know when you need a backup.

And I mean up until the last possible minute. Look up your destination’s weather forecast – and check it again the day you leave – to make sure you aren’t going to have major regrets once you get there. 

Even if you’re going somewhere tropical, you could end up freezing in a cold restaurant. I take a lightweight jacket and I usually take a big scarf, like a black or gray American Apparel Circle Scarf (I love these because they’re huge and versatile, but they’re becoming harder and harder to find since the company went bankrupt; you can still find them online here and there)