International Travel Tips

I have travel abroad by myself to Switzerland in 2017 and I learned some great tips that can be helpful for those who haven’t travel internationally before or for those who want to learn new tips.. It can be such an exciting and nervous time. My perspective is an American traveling internationally but many of these tips can be used for those from a different country.

• passport. This is a very important document. If you don’t have one, make sure you get it in plenty of time before your trip. If your passport is expired or close to expiring , renew it in enough time.
• Visa. Some countries require a visa to get into the country. Make sure to get one in enough time.
• Do some research about the place/places you are visiting. Try to learn customs( for example is it acceptable to handshake or give hugs), the currency, a little bit of the history. It is good to show respect to the places that you visit.
• Make sure to keep a little bit of currency from your home country with you while you are traveling so when you return to your home country, you can buy some food if there is a delay at the airport. Some people like to exchange currency or carry a card ( with the card you have to discuss with your bank at least in the USA. I am not sure if other countries offer these type of cards) or do both. It really depends where you are going since not all places take card. On my trip, I exchanged money into the currency of the country I visited.
• I looked up a map of the airports that I flew into. This was helpful so I had an idea of where I was going. Many airports are really big and some require to take a train to get to other terminals.
• Make sure you have a plug adapter for the country/ countries you are visiting. Plug adapter allows you to plug something into the plugs in other country since the shape of the plug outlet can vary.  Here is an article that lists what plug type and voltage that countries use plug type, voltage   You may need a voltage converter Voltage is the amount of electricity that goes into what you just plugged in. Some countries have a higher voltage power. Some devices are dual voltage that don't require a voltage converter. Here is a great article that explains this all in detailed voltage converter info.  I'm not an expert in this area and I would make sure to research or discuss with someone who understands this. I only brought an iPhone charger and it only required an plug adapter. I didn't bring any other devices such as a computer or hair blow dryer since I was staying with a friend and she let me use her things. If I was studying abroad, I would have brought my own computer.

I hope these tips help with your future travels. Do any of you guys have travel plans for 2019? Let me know in the comments below. 

Have a great weekend

~Liu Miao~

5 Tips for international travel as a Spoonie

Hello readers!!! I am back from my trip and I had a wonderful trip. There was so much good things in Switzerland. In a later post, I will share about what to do in Switzerland. As a spoonie, I was nervous about being abroad. You know like break my hip. I did get sick one day but I got better. Here are some tips that can help make your trip easier as a spoonie.

- Assistance at the airport. When I booked my flight, I requested assistance to get to my gate. I can walk but I have trouble walking long distance. My flight was international and I had to get to different terminals by a small train in the airport. Not everyone needs it but assistance is very helpful. If you need to bring medical equipment on the airplane, it is good to let the airlines to know ahead of time.

- Check your health plan or buy travel health plan. I did this because I was in Switzerland for almost a month. I would recommend this because you never know if something happens. Since I am a military dependent, I can go to a military base and get help.

-Drink lots of water!! This is very important for anyone but especially for spoonies. Water will help keep your body healthy. New environment can make your body act weird and you don't want to be dehydrated while on your trip.

-Take breaks. This is so important. There were some days I did many activities and there were days I didn't do as many activities. Also I took small breaks when I did activities. I did a lot of walking but I took small breaks during the different activities.

- Bring your medicine and medical equipment. This one sounds obvious but is very important to remember. If your medicine is liquid, it is good to put it in a ziplock just in case it spills. Make sure that your medicine has the prescription label on it( the label with your name, what the medicine is, why you take it, who prescribe the medicine) just in case the TSA questions you.I always kept my medicine in my hand luggage.