Health & Safety on Your Gap Year

Amidst all your day dreamings for the amazing adventures you are going to have on your gap year (picture it: breakfast picnicking in front of Angkor Wat at sunrise, making a tangible difference in a small Tanzanian community, tracking wombats and other wild animals in the Outback…) it is easy to skim over preparing your mind and heart for potential disaster, or serious safety issue. But let’s be real. Being proactive in ensuring your safety is a great path toward success. Here are a few tips to ensure your gap year is as safe as can be:

Medical Preparations & Response

Few people like to deal with health issues in their own country, let alone when in a foreign country, completely isolated from your support network, or without a Chipotle burrito to ease the pain. Nonetheless, gap year students should be mentally prepared to handle medical emergencies as smoothly as possible while abroad.

Health

The Delhi belly, dehydration, hard-to-pronounce viruses, the common cold, strep, the flu. You’ll be exposed to a lot of new germs while traveling on your gap year, and if you can make it the whole year without getting a little bit sick, you’re basically superman. Here are some general health-related safety tips to ensure gap year success.

Before you go:

• Find out if your travel destinations require any specific medication or immunizations prior to entering the country.
• Get travel insurance! It does add to your overall program cost, but it can save you when you’re in a bind. Have digital and physical access to your policy.
• Create digital copies of your medical records and share them with your immediate family. Print a copy for your pack.
• If you have specific allergies or diet restrictions, memorize how to communicate those in the language(s) of your destination(s).
• Save the emergency response number into your phone or commit it to memory.
• Ask your mom and dad to help you create a credit line specifically for medical emergencies that happen as you travel.

If something happens:

Depending on the level of your illness, you may opt to visit a doctor or clinic in-country. The good news is that medical care is typically (much) more affordable in foreign countries. The bad news is you usually have to pay for your medical expenses up front (and get reimbursed later from your insurance). If you have the credit card handy, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue! Let your program director, or coordinator, know of your illness, and ask them what the best means for letting your family know is. (Parents understandably tend to freak out when they know their precious baby is sick and they can’t do much to help them. It’s important you tell parents tactfully, otherwise they might presume you got bitten by a shark). Medicines might look different than you’re used to – new brands, new methods of administering, weird colors, etc. Be open to using local methods of healing (it can be a really neat cultural learning experience!) but don’t rely on it if you’re not comfortable. Most places have a foreign hospital ($$$) where you can get more familiar health care. Stay positive! This too, shall pass.

Dealing With Injury or Accidents

No matter how prepared you are, sometimes things just… happen. Much like back home, it’s important to stay alert (and try not to make dumb choices that increase your likelihood of danger) as much as possible.

Before you go:

Again, insurance is key here. Unnecessary medical expenses = the worst. Ensure you have a chain of emergency communication in place and that it is understood. For instance, you might have to deal with the incident directly with your program provider before alerting your parents. Understand the steps. Save the emergency response number into your phone or commit it to memory.

If something happens:

Get yourself to a doctor! Your #1 priority is your health and safety. Seek medical attention immediately. Call the emergency dial number or hop in a taxi to the Emergency Room. Alert your program leaders or on-the-ground site staff of your situation as soon as possible.

General Safety Tips

Not all dangers are confined to what’s going on in your body.

Be Cautious When Solo Exploring.

It is perfectly fine for you to strike out on your own while doing your gap year (duh!). But keep your wits about you. Whenever possible, be sure to let someone else know when you are off to do some independent exploring. You don’t need to give them your entire itinerary or a projected play-by-play, but giving the individual a general time frame to expect your return is helpful (and can keep you safe). For our intrepid female travelers, additional precautions are unfortunately necessary. You will want to be extra vigilant whenever you are going solo, including actively avoiding sketchy areas, dark walkways, or individuals who give you a bad vibe. Trust your intuition. Don’t tell strangers the specifics of where you are staying. You might even consider enrolling in a self-defense course prior to your gap year. Even if you don’t travel, it’s empowering! Regardless of your gender, it is generally advisable to avoid wandering alone in unfamiliar areas at night (especially in the wee hours of morn’). Be aware of your surroundings at all times and always remain alert. Now’s not the time to be flashy with smart phones, fancy jewelry, or fat wallets. A quick recipe for not losing your valuables: Take one backpack full of valuables Add one part padlock Mix in two parts physical copies of your important documents (insurance, passport, address) Sprinkle in one part digital copies of your important documents Add 4 parts organization Separate cash, credit cards, and ATM cards into multiple places And voila! Your belongings are much more likely to start AND end the trip with you.

Booze Responsibly

You might end up imbibing in a little international drinky-drink while on your gap year abroad. As with any time you indulge in booze, you should be smart about it. If you do decide to drink alcohol while on your gap year, do it only legally and with people you and trust. If possible, have one member of your group stay sober (or to drink significantly less than the others). Just don’t get too drunk. Once you’re wasted-face, your guard is lowered and you become an easier target for crimes of all kinds. It’s not a joke, and gap year students should opt to not drink heavily while abroad. Besides, it’s usually counter-productive to accomplishing your goals, expensive, and can leave you with a headache (and sometimes regret).

Write Your Address Down!

It’s always handy to keep the address of your hostel, project placement, or accommodations in your wallet – written in both English and the native tongue. While relying on a photo from your phone or a Maps app sounds like a good idea in theory, it can quickly become moot if your phone can’t keep its charge. Oftentimes, it is easier to hand over a written-version of your address versus stumbling and mispronouncing it to your transit folks, anyway. So there you have it… Safe as safe can be. Photo Credit: Jayakumar Ananthan Article contributed by Megan Lee