The Basics (wherever you are in the world)
The 3P's (PPP)
Passport, Pennies, and Plane Tickets. Before leaving home and going far away from the safety of mommy and daddy, check these three things: passport/visa, financial resources, and transportation tickets. Remember, you can survive without your stylish clothes, your fancy sunglasses, or your state of the art mp3 player, but without the three P's, you will have to either stay at home or be trapped in a country far longer than you originally planned. So check your three P's!!!
Keep your 3P's safe
Get a waist bag and carry your most important things as near to your body as possible. Even in the safest countries, you can never be 100% sure. In budget communal hostels, sleep with your important items on you. I have been witness to cases where the passport or wallet or other things are lost (or stolen?) and believe me, it is something that you don't want to experience. You can never be too cautious!
Your money
In Asia (at least some years ago) traveling with travelers' checks was convenient because currency exchange businesses gave you more for your currency. That is not necessarily the case in Europe or in the rest of the world. Open a bank account in your home country and store your money in a savings account that can be accessed with a debit card. The debit card will be valid in almost every ATM in the world, and you can also use it in most establishments. You will always get the official and most current exchange rate in this way. Carry the least amount of cash possible, and stow the cash in several different safe places. If possible, have a credit card as a backup. When withdrawing money with a debit card, take into consideration that a service fee is typically charged; plan your withdrawals wisely, and do not withdraw little amounts at time.
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The two backpacks technique
Backpacks are the best choice for travel. They will let you move about freely and are generally weather and wear-resistant. I have always found it useful to have two backpacks: a large one for clothing and souvenirs; and a small one for personal items and for use as a day-trip backpack. Be sure that both are comfortable and well-fitted!
Travel light!
While packing our luggage before the start of a trip, we tend to feel that we need EVERYTHING in our wardrobe. That's not true! Enough clothes to survive one week is usually more than enough. Every city in the world has a place where you can wash laundry quickly an cheaply. Check in advance your destinations' climates, and take only the necessary extra clothing (warm clothes, raincoats, etc). Believe me, travel as light as possible, or else by the second day of carrying your backpack you'll want to throw away half of your belongings!
Stranger in a strange land
Wherever your destination, there will be moments when you don't feel like you fit (and there will always be people who think that you don't fit). Don't worry - this happens to everybody. Always remember that being in a foreign country is to a certain extent like being born again; you'll have to learn to talk, to behave, to eat, to move, even to overcome new sicknesses. Just relax, have fun with the strange new situations, and enjoy the people that you meet.
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