Before I launch into advice on general safety tips for travelers, here’s a major disclaimer. For all the hesitant parents and anxious first-timers, allow me to reassure you: Travel is not some inherently dangerous act. It is, actually, one of the most life-affirming, worldview-expanding, creativity-enhancing and purposeful steps you can take in life. When a single individual chooses to travel with an open mind, the world at large benefits, even if in small, seemingly imperceptible ways. Travel will open your mind in ways you previously could not even anticipate, making way for new paths in your life that you couldn’t see before. This is why travel is one of the major sources of passion in my life and a pillar upon which I hang my overall sense of purpose as a writer, traveler and creative person.

Note: In 2014, I wrote a weekly blog series on budget travel for eHow. This post is from that series, so you'll have to head over to their site to read it in full. Thanks for reading!

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