Traveling to any destination can bring about a great deal of benefits. From allowing you to explore new cuisine, to enjoying a bit of a change of pace from the daily grind of work.

You’ll find that there is nothing quite as grand as leaving the comfort of home and finding a new place to walk through. – Ellie Parvin

Even if it is for a short time, traveling makes you feel brand new, but sometimes the actual process of travel can be hectic. When you’re amidst delays, bumpy plane rides, or trapped in a car for hours on the open road, things can boil over and cause your balance to shift into a whole new frenetic chaos. Not to worry. Much of the stress that may arise from travel can easily be avoided with a little planning.

The following are a few of my personal travel tips to help you not only enjoy going to new places, but can also keep the balance of peace through whatever may come at you.

5 simple travel tips:

1.) Pack Smart (Think About It)
Do not wait for the day before to pack, instead, make it a gradual event. Make a List! Think about where you are going, check the weather, local news, and consider what you may or may not need. There are some obvious choices like clean underwear, socks, and things of that nature, but also consider your personal items. Are you prone to indigestion, gas, colds? You never know what is waiting for you, so make sure that you take your time and truly think about where you are going far in advance so that packing becomes a smart thing and not one of haste.

2.) Gather Your Identification and Make Copies

Don’t forget your passport!

(*If you are unable to view the Friends clip above click here: http://youtu.be/u2gXacBIO4g )

Whether you’re visiting a war torn country on assignment, or you’re visiting your grandmother in another state, consider gathering all your identification and making copies of it. Make copies of everything and put it into a folder that is in your luggage. This may seem like you’re opening up yourself for an identity theft, but it’s not. It’s to cover you in case you lose your wallet, purse, or identification. You absolutely never know what could go awry, or where you may place your items. This can help you get by a little while you get duplicates, or travel back home.

3.) Smile and Be Kind
Yes this is an important one for me, your friendly communication expert. Wherever your trip may take you, don’t be disgruntled or show signs that you’re jaded about the travel process. Smile, be kind, be gregarious, and you’ll find that the service industry within the travel world will become far easier to navigate through. Even if the workers themselves are jaded, don’t worry, put on a smile and be nice. You’ll find that it will be welcome and infectious. I believe this to be one of the best kept secrets of travel. It very well may even come to your advantage, when you least expect it.

4.) Take on Adventure
Life is short, get a sense of adventure and try something new. Try new food, try a local favorite, do something that you normally wouldn’t do at home and you will find that you will enjoy your travels far more than most. Don’t play it too safe, instead, go out and enjoy something grand, visit a new museum, something different than what you’re used to. This will pay off dividends in terms of experience, and will give you something unique to write home about.

5.) Emergency Contact Information & Travel Insurance
One last thing to remember about traveling, and perhaps one that most people forget about is in regards to the unknown. Get your emergency information, contact information off of your phone and put it in paper, get a small card for your wallet, and make sure that you have it with you at all times. If you get into trouble, or you’re in an accident it could very well save your life, and get friends, family and others informed about your status.

Trust me I am speaking from experience. In fact, my “travel insurance” tip is a new on my list. We learn from experience, yes? In December 2013, I had a snowboarding accident in a small alpine village in the Bernese Oberland: Frutigen, Switzerland. There was only one hospital in the region and no time to take me two hours with traffic down a winding alpine pass to the main hospital in capital city of Bern.

In short, I had emergency surgery, overnight stay, along with parting gifts of crutches, titanium plate and screws, a fancy hi-tech boot, prescriptions and a bill due in full in CASH upon my departure. Yes that is a bill due in cash for a foreigner with no insurance. And they don’t accept credit cards or checks. {Heavy Sigh} lesson learned. Contact your insurance company prior to your travel to see if you will be covered or purchase some travel insurance. Otherwise your trip could have some big unintended expenses.

Planning ahead makes all the difference, and this is one mistake you don’t want to make while traveling.