Guide on how to travel safely during the holidays - 2021 November 19, 2021
Ahh, nothing like holidays and time off, am I right? Well, not everything in the garden is rosy! Whether you're planning on traveling or just waiting for Walmart Black Friday sales for this Thanksgiving, your safety is always a priority, and I'm talking both mentally and physically.
You may even be one of those "What day is Thanksgiving?" people or those who only celebrate "Friendsgiving" with your besties. Whatever floats your boat is completely fine because the holidays are meant to remind you about the good times, how to remain grateful, even in uncertain circumstances, and to count your many blessings, though they may not always look like a blessing. Especially during these times of COVID.
As much as travel can be an escape, it can also be a huge headache. So I wrote these six tips to help you get through your holiday travel with peace of mind. Well, as much as possible anyway.
1. Have digital copies of your most important documents #
Hopefully you're not walking around with your passport everywhere you go because pick pockets are everywhere (looking at you Barcelona!) but even if you aren't, it's always good to have digital backups of all important documents. They should be accessible even if you lose all your belongings. This generally means storing them in the cloud but of course, you want to do this securely. Luckily, you can do just that with your HelpYouFind.Me account. You can store all your digital files, end-to-end encrypted, in the "My Files" section of your "Private Data".
2. Save and share travel itineraries on a trustworthy platform #
Your mom wants to know what time your flight is. Your aunt picking you up wants to know your flight number. Your best friends wants you to text them when you arrive safely. Your brother wants to know where you're staying and if in a hotel, what room, etc. Sometimes the stress of simply keeping people updated is as much as the stress of the travel itself!
We made it easy for you. Simply add your entire itinerary on your HelpYouFind.Me "Trips" section and we will take care of all the rest. Oh, and you can send one message once you arrived safely and again, we will let everyone else know for you. Of course, by "everyone else" we mean the people you've specifically asked us to notify.
Click here to read more about our secure files feature.
3. Keep your loved ones informed #
Following up on the tip above, if you have to send more than one message to update your loved ones, friends, and other trusted people, for a simple status or safety update. Well, you're doing it wrong. Who needs the added pain of managing multiple messages or group chats, especially when you're on the go.
However, with HelpYouFind.Me you simply send one message via our Telegram integration and we'll update everyone you've told us should be updated. It really is that simple. You can even submit photos and we'll pass them along. Come on, you know a smiling selfie is just what the doctor ordered. So, put your loved ones at ease and send them all one, from a single message.
4. Always keep your emergency information updated #
Things rarely work out perfectly as planned, especially when traveling. Whether the hiccups are big or small, preparing for the unexpected is extremely important. Not just for travel but for life in general.
It's important to keep your important information updated in case of an emergency. This is information your loved ones can use to help you, especially when you're unable to help yourself.
At HelpYouFind.Me we've created the worlds first secure "If I go missing file" service. A end-to-end encrypted "private data" management platform that is shared with the most trusted people in your life.
What can you put in your private data? Virtually anything you'd like. Think of things like recent photos, birth certificates, health information such as blood type, physical descriptions of yourself, account details for things like social media or your cell phone providers, etc.
For example, say you have an accident and are in the hospital for a period of time. Your loved ones can use this information to help locate you or help the remote hospital with vital information.
This is the core of our service and it's something that we hope you will never have to actually depend on. But, as we all know, life is never a straight line and anything can happen. We always believe in planning ahead, even for the very unlikely case.
5. Stay aware of your surroundings #
When traveling for a holiday you're most likely going to a place you already know, but maybe it is a destination holiday! Hey, those are pretty fun. So in the fuss of enjoying your time in a new place, different culture, different people, and places you may get caught up in the romanticism and miss some important signals. But really these signals are "red flags".
It can be easy to miss-read these red flags because they can be presented differently than what you may be used to. I mean hey, you're on vacation, everything is merry, nothing can go wrong... right? Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
Please, be aware that anything could happen in the blink of an eye so you must be aware of your surroundings, your belongings, and those around you.
A tip is to leave a trail of "breadcrumbs" for your loved ones to follow in the event of an emergency. You can do this by posting status updates (like mentioned above) but by also updating your location every so often. With HelpYouFind.Me you can update your location with the click of a button within the Telegram bot.
This way you can not just provide a status update but also provide your exact location at that moment. Should your loved ones or the authorities need to track your movements, this is the head start that could be life saving.
So remember, breadcrumbs are not just used for cooking the holiday stuffing. They can also be used to save a life. Get in the habit of leaving breadcrumbs for your self and your loved ones.
6. Avoid oversharing on social media #
I know, I know. It's hard not to share an exciting event or a fun time in the moment. With the world of social media ever expanding, the Instagrams and TikToks of the world are used for people to share many aspects of peoples lives. But it's not just people sharing that this can be used for.
Perhaps you're visiting your hometown and post an update at the family house. Your abusive ex sees this post and decides to make an unannounced visit. Or say someone where you now live sees you're out of town and decides to help themselves to your hard earned belongings while you're away.
Of course, share your moments. It feels good. But do so responsibly. One way to get that instant gratification that sharing can give is to share these moments first on HelpYouFind.Me. Remember, with HYF.M, your shares only go to a limited number of highly trusted people. The IG post or the tweet can wait a day or two.
In other words, think before you post to social media. Remember, on these open networks, once it's posted, it's out there forever.
Wrapping up #
We hope this guide helps you travel safely during the holiday season, whether you're celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, or maybe you're just casually traveling to your next destination. Remember it's important to keep your safety at the fore front of your mind and actions. Also, think of your loved ones and give them just a little more peace of mind by acting responsible and staying safe.
We hope that HelpYouFind.Me helps with both your safety and peace of mind. We've tried to make it as easy as possible to give both a little boost.
Enjoy the holiday season. Whether it's with a huge group of family & friends or just going about it alone (trust me, I get it!), be sure to relax, decompress, and think of all you have to be grateful for.
Happy holidays from all of us at HelpYouFind.Me
Adriana Lopez
