Je reçois constamment des questions, avertissements, & des conseils de toutes sortes de gens sur ma sécurité tout en voyageant. Au début, je pensais que cela était juste une chose temporaire. Je pensais qu'après que j'uploadé une certaine quantité de photos Facebook montrant que je suis parfaitement bien, ou après le retour en toute sécurité & le son après tant de voyages, que les questions sur mon sort imminente arrêteraient. Mais j'avais tort. Après avoir été sur la route pendant quelques années, questions & avertissements ont pas arrêté, mais peut-être même augmenté. J'ai entendu ce qui suit, ou quelque chose de similaire, plus de fois que je peux compter:

“Est-il pas vraiment dangereux où vous êtes?”

“Avez-vous l'assurance d'enlèvement?”

“S'il te plait fais attention, il est pas en sécurité là-bas.”

“Nous prions pour vous. Revenez nous en toute sécurité!”

Je sais que ce ne sont pas seulement ma famille & amis qui se soucient comme ça, parce que presque chaque fois que je vois un autre ami plans post voyage sur Facebook, la majorité des commentaires lire comme ci-dessus.

I appreciate the prayers and general concern, I really do (Lord knows they have helped me out!), and it’s always nice to let someone know you care. Also I want to be clear when I say that the purpose of this article is not to criticize anyone, nor how they express their feelings towards loved ones. But I do want to use this article to examine some reasons why Americans fear traveling abroad, help show that traveling is not dangerous, & maybe inspire you to go to that one place you have been wondering about.

“They” Say It’s Dangerous

They said not to go there. They told me that I would get kidnapped. They have been there, et they don’t recommend that I go. One thing that I’ve learned from traveling is that NOWHERE is as dangerous as they say it is.

Who is they? The news, the reports, the studies, your parents, just….they. Pourquoi disent-ils qu'il est là dangereux? Car malheureusement choquant, effrayant, terribles nouvelles est le genre qui génère notes, vend, & spreads. The good stories are made into documentaries or 60-minute specials, les mauvais font les gros titres et effrayer les gens.

Rappelez-vous que l'histoire de la petite fille péruvienne qui a failli mourir, mais ensuite reçu une greffe cardiaque à la dernière seconde d'un donateur américain? L'histoire avec la fin heureuse où la jeune fille a continué à mener une vie pleine, montrant le bien de l'humanité telle qu'elle transcende les frontières internationales? ENNUYEUSE. Un crash d'avion! Un tremblement de terre qui tue 2,000 people! Nouvelle décapitation vidéo ISIS! Maintenant que des choses passionnantes.

Il ne semble pas juste que l'écrasante majorité des nouvelles de dernière heure sont négatifs dans la nature, mais aussi que beaucoup d'entre eux sont également considérablement exagérée. Rappelez-vous Natalee Holloway? Il est terrible se qui lui est arrivé, & Je suis désolé pour sa famille, mais combien de temps étaient des chaînes d'information en cours d'exécution l'histoire de Le malheur d'une personne dans un pays différent?

Bien sûr, avait ce pas un moment à oublier…

Les ordures Ebola était le plus grand cirque médiatique sensationnaliste que je l'ai vu depuis Y2K. Which reminds me, ne jetez pas les Comment: apocalypse livres loin pour l'instant, parce que je l'ai fait savoir que ils ont juste trouvé une partie manquante du calendrier maya qui dit Y2K vient vraiment 2016, en raison d'une interprétation erronée provoquée par la position de la comète porte ciel qui était visible à ce moment-là, qui confondu Nostradamus’ prédiction.

Le point est que si vous autorisez vraiment ce “they” dire sur les nouvelles pour définir votre zone de confort, influencer vos opinions, & vous informer sur le reste du monde, vous ne serez jamais voyager partout, sauf peut-être sur une croisière.

Mais Qu'en est-Avis aux voyageurs?

Les avis aux voyageurs émis par le Département d'Etat américain. Ils existent pour US avertir les citoyens des dangers potentiels impliqués lorsque vous voyagez à l'extérieur du pays. En théorie, ils sont appréciés, les mises à jour de précaution qui nous tiennent informés, mais ils vont effrayer le bejesus de vous si vous prenez trop au sérieux, et ne sont certainement pas à l'abri de l'généralisme sensationnaliste qui souille la plupart des médias.

Prenons où je suis en ce moment, Mexico, par example. Actuellement le Mexique est sur le Département d'Etat américain de Liste d'alerte de Voyage, une liste de pays dont le gouvernement américain veut que vous “examiner très attentivement si vous devez aller à ce pays du tout” (il est là, sur le site, lis le). Il suffit de penser un instant ridicule cette déclaration est.

Je vais reformuler ma question alors peut-être vous pouvez comprendre un peu mieux: Le gouvernement des États-Unis laisse entendre que ce n'est pas intelligent pour mettre les pieds, PARTOUT au Mexique, le plus grand pays au 13e rang mondial, de peur d'être mis en danger immédiat. Je peux comprendre les avertissements de voyage pour les citoyens américains dans des pays comme l'Irak & La Syrie, pour des raisons évidentes, but allez mec, vous me dites que je devrais reconsidérer aller à Cancun cette semaine de relâche pour le risque du cartel de la drogue mexicain me arrachant Senor Frogs?

Il est indéniable que le Mexique a des problèmes avec le crime organisé en ce moment, mais je pense qu'il est un peu injuste de classer tout un pays comme “dangereux” due to activities that happen in a certain area of that country. But, let’s play along for a minute. Take a look at this map, then meet me below for some thoughts:

La source: CDC, 2012

Looks like Phoenix, Arizona has about the same gun murder rate as Mexico – where’s the travel warning there?

What did you say? You’re heading to Miami for some clubbing & fun in the sun on South Beach? Well, I’ve just seen the stats and I have to say, “I want you to consider very carefully whether you should go there at all.”

And don’t even think about those Mardi Gras plans in New Orleans this year. Getting those beads on Bourbon Street will be the last thing you do before dying a bloody death. Après tout, New Orleans has about the same gun murder rate as Honduras (another country on the travel warning list). I want you to consider very carefully whether you should go there at all.

Random, mind-blowing side stat: Washington DC has a higher HIV rate than many countries in West Africa. Do you hear travel advisories about the capital of the United States of America? Are you scared to go see the Lincoln Memorial for fear of dying of AIDS? je veux dire, you could slip on a banana peel & land on a used heroin needle – anything is possible right?

You see where I’m going here? Why doesn’t the entire United States of America put itself on a travel advisory warning to protect ourselves from each other? Well, because first off, that’s just silly nonsense, but also because what happens in certain regions of a country isn’t necessarily reflective of others, much less the country as a whole.

Pro Tip: Don’t Join the Mexican Drug Cartel

Despite the possibility of having a solid gold AR-15. Crédit: everydaynodaysoff.com

Let’s continue with Latin America, considered by the The Wall Street Journal & various other publications as the most dangerous region in the world.

Many parts of Latin America have become violent over the years in large part due to the production & transport of cocaine. People have been taking on the risks of drug dealing to escape poverty at all costs, and the biggest & baddest have risen to the top. Most of the murders & violent crimes in Latin America are in some way related to this narcotrafficante (narcotics trafficking) world, as there is a lot of money at stake. The truth of the matter is if you don’t use drugs, go looking for drugs, consume drugs, or sell drugs, your chances of being in a dangerous situation just dropped massively.

Also, many people are scared of being kidnapped in Mexico or other latino countries. The overwhelming majority of these kidnappings, once again, do not target foreigners or tourists. Most of the kidnappings involve rich businessmen, politicians, or people known within the community for having lots of money. Foreigners & tourists usually are not targeted for kidnappings because:

• The bad guys do not know if you have a lot of money or not
• The bad guys know that the money you do have is in foreign accounts, therefore it is harder & more risky to extract
• Kidnappings usually take time to plan. Foreigners & tourists normally pass through destinations, and do not give the bad guys enough time to do research on you & study your schedule

I personally have been traveling through Latin America for almost 1 1/2 years now, including more than 5 months in Mexico. I have been to numerous zones that are considered dangerous, and instead of being kidnapped, robbed, or killed, I have found nothing but smiling faces & open arms. You know where I have been robbed though? Charlotte, North Carolina. The real killer of Americans abroad? Traffic accidents.

I know all of this sounds kind of scary, but it’s fine out here, I promise! Sure innocent foreigners have been in the wrong place at the wrong time (like Natalee Holloway) & have had something bad happen to them, but these incidents are few & far between. The important thing is that you…

Use Common Sense, Be Smart (Duh)

Bad things can happen nulle part, but if you simply use a little common sense & discretion, and don’t make yourself a target, you should be safe:

• DON’T wear flashy, gold jewelry. You’re not Mister T
• DON’T walk alone at night. You’re not Batman.
• DON’T get too drunk. You aren’t familiar with your surroundings.
• DON’T buy cocaine. Avoid dealing with criminals at all costs.
• DON’T buy prostitutes. Besides being just wrong & pathetic, sex tourism takes you bad places.
• DO use your phone & camera discretely, if possible.
• DO avoid poorer parts of town. Ask where they are located if you don’t know
• DON’T carry too much cash, nor flash it. You don’t need to pull wads out when paying for a $.50 ice cream
• DO use official taxis, and get hotels/restaurants to call them for you
• DO read my blog post about being robbed by 8 women in Vietnam for a PRIME example of what not using common sense when traveling looks like

Don’t Be Scared to Travel to New Places!

Safety is always a topic worth discussing and taking seriously, regardless of where one might be. But don’t automatically associate the unknown with danger & a lack of safety. What is dangerous is to let slanted, overdramatic news specials, skewed statistics, and even US State Department-issued trip advisories formulate your final verdict & deter you from traveling to see a new place for yourself.

And just to end on a final, mind-blowing, “woah, nothing is what it seems” note, next time someone warns you about the dangers of traveling outside of the United States, tell them about the Global Peace Index (GPI).

The Global Peace Index is measured using a wide range of indicators to determine & gauge the peacefulness of the countries of the world. It takes into account statistics like crime levels, political instability, number of deaths from internal & external conflicts, & terroristic activities, amongst other things. Out of 162 countries ranked on the 2014 GPI scale, the United States ranked #101. That’s correct, the USA is the 101st most peaceful country in the world.

According to this study endorsed by experts around the world, including the Dalai Lama & former president Jimmy Carter, most of the countries in the world are more peaceful & safe than the USA. They didn’t tell you that in the news, did they? Take that, scared Americans!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and go traveling! The world is a lot safer, and people a lot nicer than you think. When you finally see that for yourself, then you’ll REALLY catch the travel bug. Then who knows, maybe you won’t be able to stop!

Why do you think many Americans are scared to travel? If you’re American, what are some fears that you may have? What have you heard about other countries that makes you reluctant to go? Don’t be ashamed, I was the same way before I started traveling. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below.