For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for exploring the diverse and beautiful world that we call home. My real spark of interest, however, occurred the first time I traveled internationally. Over the summer of 2015, I was fortunate enough to make my first trip out of the country and truly grasp the wonders of traveling outside of the United States. Through this experience, I learned a lot about the process of traveling with the use of passports,getting through customs, and flight itself. For those who may be new to international travel, this blog should help to answer any questions you may have.

First, traveling with passports is usually quite straightforward as long as you remember to sign your passport and actually bring it with you. The real challenge is obtaining a passport. To ensure that you have your passport in time, fill out the application and take it to your local post office at least six months before your departure date. This ensures that if it somehow is lost in the mail or if any information is incorrect on it, you will have time to obtain another. When you print your application make sure that it is one sided or they will not accept it. You will have to have a photo taken of your profile at the post office. Depending on how quickly you need your passport, the price will be greater, which is another reason to apply ahead of time.

Customs is an area of airports where luggage is checked before and after international travel. When you are going through customs coming back into the United States, look for signs that read “U.S. Citizens.” When you are leaving the U.S. you should search for “Customs” and avoid “Immigration.” You will usually be given forms to complete before entering customs either at the airport or on your plane. Common things you should remember not to pack are organic foods, such as apples or vegetables, as they are not allowed to be taken from one country to another. Soil and other types of earth are also forbidden from transport. Manufactured items forbidden in certain countries, like dangerous toys, will also be removed from your luggage. Seeds of any kind, firearms, and alcohol will also be confiscated during customs. As long as you make sure that you are careful with the items you pack, getting through customs should be easy.

Many times when international travel occurs, flight is necessary. It can be frightening to those who have never flown before to prepare for the trip. It is important to remember that the odds of death caused by flight accidents are one in 29.4 million. Most often, the most frightening times during a flight for those with a fear of flying are landing and takeoff. During these, I recommend listening to music, chewing gum or any other chewy candy, and directing your focus elsewhere. If you are with a friend, keep conversation going. As for luggage, carry on usually (not always) is free of charge, whereas checked baggage is charged. If you are able to fit your essential items into carry on luggage, it is typically more cost effective, but has more regulations. For example, fluid containers must be under 3.4oz in carry on luggage. Another thing that people may not be aware of is turbulence. This is simply the plane moving through irregular wind patterns which causes movement and is typically totally safe.

Sources:

Travel.State.Gov. “How to Apply.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, 2019, travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html.

United States CBP. “For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents.” For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents | U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2020, http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens.

WordPress. “FEAR OF FLYING.” FEAR OF FLYING RSS, 2020, http://www.fearofflyinganxiety.com/plane-crash-statistics/.