walk a lot so comfortable shoes, not necessarily photogenic and fitting in with Instagram standards. It’s not worth suffering through the whole trip for one photo in which we pretend it’s great when our legs are on fire. It’s good to have a piece of paper with, for example, phone numbers of people close to you. I know people whose phones were stolen somewhere in another country and it was much more problematic to solve this. We have the internet, but it is still easiest to just call someone from a useful phone. Chewing gum on the plane for clogged ears. I don’t know what the medical explanation for this is, but it helps me. If we hitchhike or blablacar, or sleep at someone’s place through couchsurfing for example, it is essential that someone close to us has that person’s details, car registration number or address. You never know! Powerbanks – especially during road trips such as in Iceland where there is no easy access to stations to charge phones. Eat where the locals eat, beautiful tourist eateries don’t always reflect the local food style and prices are certainly inflated. If I was travelling alone and felt unsafe in an area, I carried pepper spray, never used it but felt much safer with that knowledge. And last, something I stick to. If you have a planned trip with a list of attractions and you can spend more than just a few days in a place, there is no point in chasing after just another museum, sculpture or pub. If you feel that warm and homely feeling in a place if you meet wonderful people rich in stories and experiences, stay with them a few days longer. This will certainly give you more than completing the checklist. You will build a bond that can last for years and you will undoubtedly understand more about a culture, country and people by staying for a while among the locals and living with them, rather than running around the attractions designed for tourists. Soak up the place you are in, listen to the people and their stories, explore, taste and try to focus as much as possible on the moment, try to really experience the trip with all your senses.

I share the information (with my friends or family) about people I live with or travel in that place with. They always know where I will sleep, who I’m going to have a road trip with, which car, number or address. I don’t like parties in general, but even if I wanna go somewhere, I never go alone to a nightclub in a country where the culture is so different. I don’t recommend also night walks in the city, but if I really have a need to go out alone in such a place, I usually don’t dress provocative or sexy. I’m a feminist but in those moments this belief won’t help you (maybe if you’re a karate king you can try). So I used to wear in those situations a comfy sweatsuit, not a mini dress and high heels. Last but not least is respecting local rules. We come to this place as a guest, so I believe that we shouldn’t teach them how to live with an attitude that our way is the best. We can share and exchange experiences, but without understanding deeply the tradition of this place, we can’t criticize others. If you come to the hiper orthodox place where religion regulates everything, women are humble and zero provocative and you decide to have a walk in the city looking like a supermodel, sexy and half-naked, don’t expect respect. Maybe a better option would be doing it in a place with a culture closer to your one. Respect is a clue!