How I Reduced My Travel Anxiety After Watching Taken
Remember the movie Taken with Liam Neeson kicking some ass to save his daughter from a human trafficking ring? That movie freaked me out, gave me travel anxiety and is forever burned into my brain.
I know, getting kidnapped for human trafficking is not always at the forefront of our brain when we start thinking about travel. We are more likely to think of other safety concerns like, “am I going to get pickpocketed”, “am I going to get scammed”, “am I going to get lost and not know how to get around”. The more serious things usually get pushed aside by the excitement of our trip, but they are also more unlikely to happen.
The unfortunate thing for about 99% of the population is we do not have a family member who has a particular set of skills, skills they have learned over a very long career, skills that make them a nightmare for people like them and who will also be able to find us. So for regular people like us, we need to be aware of what we’re doing and who we’re talking to while we’re away to keep that travel anxiety at bay. Initially, I like to think that these types of people are not going to be going after an older unfit type of woman. So I like to keep a little layer of fluff on my body at all times just for this precaution.
In all seriousness, though, these are the top five things I took away from this movie to make travelling safer, reduce travel anxiety and avoid the fear of traveling alone. Don’t share rides with strangers Have enough money with you so you are able to cover your expenses while away. Know how much it is to get around in your destination. When you take a taxi or any type of ridesharing, you don’t need to get dropped off at the exact location of where you’re staying. Use a restaurant address near your place, or the address just a couple doors down from where you are staying. This will lessen the chance of others knowing exactly where you are staying and coming back. Be aware of your drink and your drinking You don’t have to be drinking alcoholic beverages for something to be slipped into your drink. This can happen in a split second without you even realizing it. Carry your drink in your hand so you always have a visual on it. Be aware even putting it down on a table that you’re sitting at. If you turn away, someone could easily slip something into your drink without you even realizing. If you are drinking alcoholic beverages, be aware of how much you’re drinking. Keep it to a minimum and if you plan on drinking a little bit more, have someone you know with you that can take care of everyone. If you’re traveling solo, be very cautious of your drinking habits. Don’t tell people where you are staying No one needs to know where you’re staying or who’s staying with you. If someone asks where you are staying, feel free to give them a different place than where you’re staying, they won’t know any different and it will avoid the “I don’t want to tell you” speech. Don’t give out personal information to strangers or new friends The people you meet on your travels are not always going to be trustworthy. Yes, the majority of them will be, but you want to be aware of how much information you’re giving out to people. If you’re staying with friends while they’re away, like you saw in the movie, or if you booked a private Airbnb, keep this to yourself. Don’t let them know you are traveling alone the whole time. You can say you’re meeting up with friends or family members. There are many different things that you can say that will not reveal personal information or you can just avoid the conversation altogether and change the subject, or act dumb. Be aware of who you meet at the airport If a good looking person, who you know is out of your league, is trying to hit on you and find out more information about you, be aware they’re probably looking and scouting. Keep to yourself at the airport, get your own ride, get to your accommodations and then get settled.
I hope these tips have given you a little more awareness of what you should be looking out for while you’re traveling. Don’t let this consume all of your thoughts though. Just want to be aware of your surroundings, the information that you’re giving out to people and you will have an amazing trip. When you are ready to plan your trip, you want to have my FREE TRAVEL CHECKLIST in hand to ensure nothing goes wrong on your trip. Inside I go over the TOP 10 things you should do before you go on your trip. Grab your FREE TRAVEL CHECKLIST HERE.Lowering Travel Anxiety #1
Lowering Travel Anxiety #2
Lowering Travel Anxiety #3
Lowering Travel Anxiety #4
Lowering Travel Anxiety #5