When Travel Gets Dangerous

I've given a lot of thought to what to do if things go wrong when I'm traveling. I'm a worrier by nature and I have no trouble with scenarios that involve things erupting, terrorists attacking, and various weather catastrophes. But a few stories have given me further pause. I'm not interested in visiting Arruba. Iran was pretty low on my list before they imprisoned three American hikers. And while I'm not willing to swear off Italy, after the Amanda Knox trial, I am not too certain about their criminal investigations.

So what is a traveler to do?

• If you are going anywhere outside the United States, be sure you check out the State Department's travel alerts and warnings. And be sure to carry the name and address of the nearest U.S. Embassy should you get into trouble.
• Take a few minutes to enroll in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a service of the State Department that helps them notify you in case of an alert and makes it easier for you to have embassy access. (Embassy are high security operations. You don't just walk in.)
• Also leave copies of your passport number, credit card information, and full itinerary with someone at home just in case you leave in a hurry. Or worse. 

Stay safe.