catharsis ➳ self care; mental, physical and spiritual health

travel tips!! (6)

Summer is the time for vacations, though people travel all year round. To make sure that your travels are safe and simple, read these tips below!!

✈ always, always, alWAYS keep cash in your carry on bag and some hidden in your suitcase (hide it in a sock or in your makeup bag). Do not keep all of your cash on you, because if something happens you want to still have money!

✈ if you have a credit card/debit card, make sure you have one of those protective sleeves or wallets that prevents scammers from scanning your card and stealing your credit card number. it happens a lot more than you think and it's a pain to deal with.

✈ if your suitcase is too heavy, pack your shoes and any jackets, hairbrushes, etc. in a carry on backpack, and then keep your wallet and phone and anything else in a small purse! on most airlines you are allowed a carry on (suitcase, back pack, etc.) and a personal item (purse, wallet, etc.)

✈ speaking of carry ons, always have an extra pair of clothes in your carry on. you never know if your flight will be delayed or cancelled or any other situation involving luggage, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

✈ if you're going on a long car ride, SLEEP!!! the time will go by faster and you're less likely to get carsick, since you'll be sleeping.

✈ if you are prone to motion sickness, make sure you take medicine to prevent nausea. don't make yourself miserable just because you want to be a tough gal.

✈ when on vacation, always have sunscreen (both the spray and the lotion) and lip balm with you!! I suggest coppertone sport sunscreen spray and a face sunscreen stick, then Burt's Bees lip balm. even if you're not going to a beach, have sunscreen with you. the sun can burn you anywhere, even in a metropolitan area.

⛵️ beach safety! don't swim in choppy waves, even if you're a strong swimmer. if there's lightning, get out of the water and go under an awning (NOT AN UMBRELLA) or go indoors. make sure you shuffle your feet while walking in the ocean if you're visiting a sting ray prone area - that way if you run into a sting ray, they'll scurry away instead of barbing you. research sharks in your area before you go as well as shark attack survival, even though the chances of getting attacked by a shark are slim. finally, if you get stung by a jelly fish, don't you dare pee on it. purchase some aloe vera lotion and take a break from the sun and salt for a day. don't scratch it!!

🚞 mountain safety! if you're going camping, make sure you take the proper precautions to avoid animals in your campsite. tie up food so bears, raccoons, cougars and everything in between can't get to it - don't just throw it out! research bears and wildlife in your area and make sure you know how to deal with them if you come across them. always camp with other people and make sure you know the quickest way to the nearest Park Ranger lodge. bring a bunch of bug spray. if you're camping deep in the woods/nature, bring a satellite phone with you as well as a flares/flare gun in case of emergency. pack MORE opposed to LESS - you can't go to the store because you're hanging out with Yogi the Bear, so it's better to be prepared!!

🚖 city safety! don't walk on the street on your phone or with your earbuds in, that makes your chances of being mugged/assaulted rise because you're not aware of your surroundings. avoid alleyways and backstreets if you're unfamiliar with the area. take street cars/subways as much as possible - they're difficult to figure out at first, but they're very cheap and you can google map it to find out how stops & train transfers if you're really confused. taxis are expensive, they're not worth it. don't use a large purse/backpack unless you really need to, and if you do make sure the zipper is tucked into the bag/both zippers are at the top/the zipper is secured so someone can't unzip your bag and steal from you. keep your purse in front of you instead of at your hip. don't give homeless people money - instead, buy them food.