Whether it’s sports, fashion, or music, most of us have our own favorite topic that we could talk for hours about. And, as you probably know by now, travel is my hot button because it can cover so many interesting subjects including cuisine, history and culture.

No matter how many places I’ve visited or how far I’ve traveled, I’ve always enjoyed both hearing about and learning from a fellow traveler’s experiences. The other day I had a great time speaking with Meghan Collins, a twenty year-old senior at Binghamton University, about her own past travels as well as her upcoming trip with a friend to Spain and other parts of Europe.

With a major in Accounting and a minor in Spanish, this Guilderland High alum is looking forward to combining this knowledge with her travel background for a career in international forensic accounting.  She hopes to meet with clients overseas who may require different rules and methods for solving various financial problems.

Meghan’s been to quite a few places including Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and Peru, but her love for travel grew from her multiple trips to Guatemala with family members including her dad and brother. From the highlands to the coast to the rainforest, this beautiful country is still her favorite destination.

During our conversation, Meghan had some great insight into travel:

What do you like most about traveling?  Meghan enjoys the sense of accomplishment that she feels when she’s completed a goal such as performing a task while communicating in Spanish.

Bucket list? Fully exploring the many countries of Central America.

How do you pack for your trips? Meghan has previously taken at least one piece of luggage because she’s stayed with host families. However, because on this coming trip she’ll be traveling all around Europe, she’ll probably take a backpack instead. Her need to pack light will rule out the luxury of being able to take a lot of hair styling tools, so she cut her hair to a more travel manageable length, and she’ll usually keep it braided.

Any safety tips for a female traveler? Meghan feels that a big safety precaution is being  aware and respectful of the culture that she’s visiting including knowing what to wear. For instance, in Latin American countries, there is more of an expectation that women will wear clothes that cover their skin. To that end, she intends to wear loose tee shirts and pants while in Spain. She’s also previously learned from her host families what places to avoid, especially after dark, along with the do’s and don’ts of that particular city that she’s staying in.

I also thought it was interesting that, while she hides her valuables in a pouch under her loose shirt, she also carries a bag for  less essential items on the outside as a form of decoy in case she is robbed. She has decoy credit cards for that protective purpose as well.

Meghan also makes sure that she has the necessary emergency phone numbers for embassies and for her family in Ireland.

How do you save money while traveling? For this trip to Spain, she’ll be staying at a well regarded hostel vetted by Workaway (http://www.workaway.info). While there, she’ll be working by performing secretarial duties and planning events. She’ll also have the opportunity to get advice there from travelers from around the world as to the other locations she’ll be visiting in Europe.

How do you stay healthy while traveling? Meghan is careful what she eats, and she avoids street food.   She likes to take a box of Cheerios with her because she finds that this bland, comforting snack also provides an alternative for food that may or may not be served on the plane.    

Meghan also subscribes to HTH for health care while abroad.  For more information on this service go to https://www.hthstudents.com.

 

Thanks Meghan! Have a safe and wonderful trip while in Europe.

I want to hear all about your adventures when you get back.