You just applied for your new passport and you’re ready to travel out of the country. Remembering to bring your new passport with you on your trip is not the only thing you need to think of. You also have to remember what not to bring.
While traveling internationally can be both fun and exciting – whether you’re traveling for work, pleasure, or to visit family – it’s essential to make sure that the belongings that you take with you are both practical and legal. The fact is, many things that are perfectly logical to own in your residence in the United States is not only unnecessary abroad, but could also lead to you getting arrested.
Before you travel out of the country, take a quick look through your luggage. If you see any of these four things in your bags, you should remove them immediately.
Your Toiletries
Many of us take our personal hygiene very seriously. We live in a culture that values cleanliness, which is why it’s so tempting to throw your entire medicine cabinet into your suitcase. While you may think that you can’t live without your expensive face cream or feel like you absolutely must bring your economy-sized tube of toothpaste with you, they can get left behind. Furthermore, TSA is extremely picky about what can make it through security, which means that your hygiene products will probably get tossed even before you make it to your gate. Most countries have fully stocked drugstores and pharmacies, allowing you to stock up on your essentials after you land.
Your Valuables
When you travel, you want to look your very best. It’s understandable to want to bring your Rolex with you, or your great grandmother’s heirloom earrings. That said, unlike your toiletries, some things simply cannot be replaced if something happened to them. Not only do expensive, flashy belongings make you a target for dishonest people, it’d break your heart if you lost or misplaced them. If the object in question – whether it’s a piece of sentimental jewelry or an expensive gadget – is priceless to you, then you should just leave it behind.
Your CBD
CBD (cannabidiol) has been a miracle for millions of people. It’s been shown to help treat a huge array of health concerns, such as anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and even epilepsy. If you take CBD for your wellbeing, it’s tempting to want to bring it with you on your international travels. Despite being completely legal in the United States, though, many countries (including China, Belgium, Russia, as well as others) outright forbid the possession of CBD. Not only will it likely get confiscated by customs, you may also get arrested if you try to take it along with you. Before you leave, you need to first check to make sure your CBD is legal in the country that you’re visiting. Doing so can help save you a lot of stress, time, and money in the long run.
Your Entire Wardrobe
Very rarely do people under pack for a trip. Nevertheless, this is a huge fear that drives many people to overstuffing their luggage with all of their belongings from their closet. What if it rains? What if it gets cold? What if you do wind up needing that hideous color blocked, poorly fitting sweater that’s tucked far back in your closet even if you wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole in a normal day? Look, you don’t need half of the things you’re trying to take with you. A couple pairs of pants, a few shirts, some practical shoes, your new passport, and some fashionable accessories. No, you don’t need to pack fifty pairs of underwear. Prune back your suitcase and try to travel light. When you wind up wearing the same three shirts on rotation the entire time you’re there, you’ll be glad you left all that unnecessary stuff behind.
Traveling internationally can be full of its ups and downs. To help ensure more ups (time with family, new sights and new foods to try, and loads of fun adventures) than downs (international prisons, long lines in customs, and a disappointing trip overall); however, stick to our packing recommendations. By packing light, leaving your expensive valuables at home, making sure you bring your new passport with you, and skipping the CBD, you can help make sure you have a safe, happy, and pleasant trip – no matter where your travels with your new passport take you!
