Confessing My Travel Mistakes So You Can Avoid Them!
Before I was a scuba diver and instructor, I was just a girl, standing in front of a boy…wait wait, wrong movie!
I was a just-barely-paying-the-bills girl, sitting in front of a computer, thinking, there has to be more to life than this, right?! So, as the spontaneous (read: are you fucking insane?!) woman that I am, I bought a one-way ticket to Lima, Peru. On Spirit Air. For $273 USD. What could go wrong?
As it turns out, shockingly few things went wrong.
I mean, there was Spirit being Spirit, canceling my flight with no alternative flight for a full two weeks, when my house was already shut down, my dogs already at my cousin’s where they were going to stay while I traveled, and all my food given away and my life packed up in preparation for a three month trip. No big deal.
But in the end, it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I was given a refund and a friend of my grandma’s was able to get me a buddy pass to leave two days later. All’s well that ends well.
Over the next few months and countries, everything turned out okay, but mistakes were made. Some of them were small faux pas and others were MONSTROUS fuckups. Here are the travel mistakes you should avoid, from the life threatening mistakes down to the cultural errors and missed opportunities!
Visa Mistakes (Or: What do you mean I can't just go anywhere?)
My first major mistake was made long before I ever didn't get on my first flight -- I'd never researched entrance requirements! I really don't know how this one didn't end my trip before it even started because this is a HUGE mistake. If this is your first time leaving the country, make sure you take these basic steps:
Research visa requirements because you might be surprised at who requires a visa and who doesn't.
It's best to go straight to the source and only trust information on the Embassy website.
Research vaccination requirements because even though covid shots are no longer mandatory, you might need things like a yellow fever shot depending on which country you've been in during the last 6 months. Want to go to Roatan or Aruba but you've been in Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, or Panama? You'll need your Yellow Book handy.
Find out what "paperwork" you need, such as online immigration forms, customs forms, proof of where you're going to stay while in country, and proof of an exit flight.
I use onwardticket.com when I need proof of an exit flight but haven't firmed up my exit plans yet. I've used them a dozen times with zero issues
While you're researching, look into getting an eSim for the country you're going to. You'll have service as soon as you hit the ground, which makes pulling up all these forms waaaaay easier. I like Airalo.com and if you use this code, we both get a $3 credit, woohoo! Code: KELSEY6256
Money Mistakes - (Or: What do you mean "cash only?")
If you’re traveling from a card-dependent country like the US or Canada, it can be difficult to understand that your card may not be accepted in a single place literally anywhere. At all. Zilch. I did not understand this and was embarrassingly underprepared.
Here are a few lessons I learned that are obvious to seasoned travelers, but had simply never occurred to me (don’t judge me too hard, this was 6 years ago):
Google the local currency and its exchange rate before you leave.
Try “Peru local currency” to get the currency’s prefix, like USD for dollars, SOL for Peruvian Soles, COP for Colombian Pesos, etc
Then google the exchange rate like this: “USD to SOL” to find out how many soles make a dollar. For example,today, it is 3.73 soles to the dollar.
Withdraw enough money to survive for at least a few days so you have time to get settled and find another ATM. Keep in mind that amounts can seem HUGE, that’s why you need to know the exchange rate. For example, 100,000 COP at 4,000 COP to the dollar, leaves you with about $25 (pull out your calculator and divide 100,000 by 4,000) and will barely get you a taxi and lunch before you’re searching for an ATM again.
Bring more than one card and preferably a Visa because shit happens. In Peru, I left my card in an ATM in a TINY town called Huacachina (very on brand for me), and didn’t realize until I’d arrived at the next town, with very little cash in hand. But have no fear! I had a Mastercard credit card with me, so it would be fine, right?
I hadn’t set up cash advance withdrawals on my card before leaving the country, so it was worthless at the ATM, and the few places that did accept cards, only accepted Visas. In short, I was screwed. Don’t be like me, for the love of God.
Walking Mistakes (Or: AAAAAaaaahhhhhh)
There are holes in the road and the sidewalk everywhere I have traveled in Latin America. It’s also reasonably possible that the floor in your Airbnb or hotel will just randomly be different heights. I ate shit, SO MANY TIMES.
Don’t fall down. It’s embarrassing.
Food Mistakes (Or: ¿Cómo se dice “diarrhea” en español?)
I went into this first trip with a strong desire to eat all the foods. ALL OF THEM. This is 100% the right mentality when traveling and food is honestly such a huge part of why I choose destinations. But, I did learn the hard way that there are a few common sense no-no’s:
Lettuce is almost impossible to properly wash (because of all the crinkles) and therefore is a huge carrier of bacteria that will make you SICK sick, abroad and in the US as well. I know this because I was lectured by the doctor about having eaten lettuce when I arrived at the hospital with a fever and crippling diarrhea, so now you know it, and hopefully with less caca involved in the learning process!
If you’re new to the area, you might want to avoid lettuce that you didn’t wash yourself
When you spring for the street meet, skip the mayo. Mayo in Latin America is often real, meaning it is made with eggs. Most restaurant mayo in the US uses oil instead of eggs (who knew? Not me!) and can sit out on the counter without spoiling. Warm mayo in LATAM can make you sick.
If you’re at a nicer restaurant and it’s clear that the condiments are properly stored, absolutely go ham 😉
Tourism Mistakes (Or: I could’ve done what?!)
This is a mistake I made throughout my early travels - I was so eager to go that I didn’t bother learning about what was going to be there when I arrived. I would pick my destinations based on ease or affordability of travel, and was just kind of excited to be there, you know? But then it would be my last day in a place where I’d basically visited one or two streets (too afraid to walk around much on my own), seen the main plaza, and eaten at the same restaurant repeatedly when I would overhear someone talking about some amazing, super famous attraction.
I’d never heard of it because I’d never bothered to learn about my destination, which is completely insane and idiotic, I know. It’s like going to Roatan and not knowing that there is diving there.
Google “things to do in xyz.” TripAdvisor is always a great place to start!
Price out your options instead of just going with the first tour operator. Don’t necessarily pick the cheapest, pick the one that looks the safest because there will likely be a wide range of offerings from super sketchy to over-the-top luxurious.
There’s nothing worse than being halfway through an experience when you realize it doesn’t align with your beliefs and practices (makes pollution, encourages touching wildlife, etc).
WhAt iF I gEt MuRdErEd? was an all-too-common thought for me in my first adventures, which is a huge tourism mistake! I’m not saying that there aren’t dangers while traveling, because there definitely are. What I am saying is that the dangers are nothing like what the media and my grandma told me they would be.
I missed so many opportunities because I was afraid to go, or afraid to go alone. This is hands down one of my biggest regrets, and the reason I often think about returning to Peru for a “redo.” Here are some common sense tips to keep you safe while letting you breathe freely enough to go out and enjoy your destination:
Avoid flashy, whether it’s new shoes, a fancy iPhone, or jewelry, just leave it at home or in your hotel safe
Don’t talk loudly about your money or about your accommodations if you’re staying somewhere bougie by local standards
Don’t keep all your money together. Keep your quick spending stash in your pocket or wallet, and the bulk of your cash somewhere else entirely. It also helps to keep your cards separated, in case your bag or wallet gets stolen
Don’t stress about busy streets after dark. Avoid empty streets and dead ends like the plague.
In 6 years, I have never been robbed, but a friend of mine had her cell phone stolen right out of her hand, twice, because she was playing Pokemon Go on the sidewalk on a busy street. A motorcycle passes by and whoop! Bye bye cell phone!
The “American Tourist Mistake” (Or: But that’s not how WE do it!”)
This should probably be the first mistake I talked about, but I’ve saved it for the end because it is the least deadly but most pervasive. Anyone with any international sense about them at all knows that the world at large kinda views Americans as a joke. We are notoriously loud, obnoxious, and culturally def (and perhaps most offensive of all, monolingual).
I suffered from this mentally for quite a long time, even while living abroad full time (that 3 month trip is now rolling up on 6 years - oops!). And I will be the first to tell you that I lost out on SO MUCH opportunity, adventure, and wonder because I couldn’t stop comparing everything I saw to how it is or would be in the US.
It was like I’d missed the ENTIRE POINT of my travels - to NOT be in the US! Why had I even left the country if all I wanted was to feel like I was still in the country? As embarrassed as I am at how long I was a victim of my own torture, I know it is a fundamental part of the travel experience for hoards and hoards of people.
If you didn’t grow up in a family of passport holders, you will likely pass through this phase. It is normal, it is necessary, and most of all, it is surpassable. Be there for as long as you need to be in order to process new ideas and cultures, and then come out the other side.
Here are a few of the things that helped me get over my “American Tourist” phase:
Being truly open to having a new experience. New things are uncomfy. Uncomfy hasn’t killed me yet, so why am I gonna stress about it?
When I hear myself thinking “but we don’t do it that way…” or “in America…” I try to redirect. I replace that thought with “wow, it’s so cool that I get to see and experience this completely different way of life!”
Observing the culture and atmosphere around me. It’s impossible to respect and partake in what you haven’t yet noticed, so I look for things like the volume of conversation, how formal or casual everyone’s clothes are, and how they eat their food. I find that these simple indicators help me adapt and make locals more comfortable approaching me.
Remembering that prices might be low for me, but they likely aren’t for the locals. Declaring “that’s so cheap!” serves neither myself, the local community, or the tourists who come after me.
After six years of traveling throughout Latin America and living in Ecuador, Colombia, Roatan, and Mainland Honduras, I’ve made A LOT of mistakes. I know there are more to come, and hope I can make them with dignity and learn quickly.
The world is enormous, and the opportunity to experience it shouldn’t be passed up just because you might make mistakes along the way. Upwards and onwards, always.
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