Personal experience: what can you learn, stuck at the airport without money and a phone - ForumDaily
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Personal experience: what can you learn, stuck at the airport without money and phone

Shanna Compton Heim, a professional financial planner, shared the lessons she had to learn from her independent trip from Africa to the USA. In Johannesburg, a woman missed the flight, was left without luggage, local currency, a mobile phone charger, and her credit cards were not accepted anywhere. What a financial expert has taught this frightening journey, she tells herself.

Photo: instagram.com/shannahgame

I traveled from Los Angeles to Kenya for two weeks and then spent another one in Cape Town, South Africa, visiting friends, says Shenna Go Banking Rates. I am in love with Africa, its food, people, and it was a long independent journey that helped me learn a lot, even as a certified financial expert. Will I return to Africa after all this? At once. Even if it was the worst travel experience I've ever experienced in my life.

So, I sat on the cold floor in the middle of Johannesburg Airport and decided to regroup my efforts ...

Prepare for the unexpected

When traveling, there is always a chance that the unexpected will happen. I've been on the road many times and encountered stories that backfired on me, but none of them hit me as hard as this trip. It was like a perfect storm, and at some point I just started laughing out loud - no matter how crazy I looked.

When you travel, you should do as the old adage says: expect the unexpected. Be as prepared as possible for this. Of course, most trips go according to plan, but often if one thing goes wrong, everything goes downhill.

Photo: instagram.com/shannahgame

One of the smartest things I began to do after the trip: always and everywhere carry with me a backup charger and adapter for a cell phone, especially if I travel around the world. Now, if my luggage is lost, I will still be left with one available device in my carry-on baggage. I also have a spare pair of contact lenses, glasses, all prescription drugs that I take, and at least 20 dollars in local money. Even if you are just planning a short transplant, it’s worth having these easily accessible things with you.

Always alert the companies that issued your credit cards.

I always inform the companies whose credit cards I use about my upcoming trip, where exactly I will be staying and for how long. This is a big help if you encounter credit card fraud, which happens to me on almost every international trip (sigh). What I didn't do this time was tell the companies that I would be stopping in Johannesburg on my way home to the US. This mistake cost me hours of panic.

Photo: instagram.com/shannahgame

Running back and forth between the airline counters, I spent more than four hours trying to figure out how to get to the USA on a new flight. In the end, I had to pay the extra 3 thousands of dollars to make it happen.

I expected to contact them from Kenya, but when the flight was canceled, it meant that I would also miss the flight to Zurich, and then from Zurich to Chicago, and ultimately, from Chicago to Los Angeles. I got a very expensive domino effect.

Get a spare credit card

I made a big mistake by not having such a card with me. I always travel with two credit cards, but the best strategy is to carry three cards. Now I understand this and fly exclusively with three. How to use them:

  • The first card for everyday purchases
  • The second for bouts of shopping and unplanned expenses
  • Third for an emergency (like mine)

My advice is to look for credit cards that have no interest on international transactions and give you the flexibility to stay within your spending limits in worst-case scenarios. I only had two cards, I spent everything they allowed to buy a ticket home, and was left with absolutely no money for food or anything else. After sitting at the airport for eight hours out of the total unpredictable length of time in Africa, I was unable to buy anything. And it's hard.

Photo: instagram.com/shannahgame

To put an end, I will say that in the end I returned to the United States. I landed in Washington, DC, just a couple of hours after a massive storm had passed and the Internet systems went down. I had to go through a manual customs inspection and I almost missed the flight back to Los Angeles.

My African adventure at the airport is remembered as the craziest 38 hours of my life. But if it happens again, next time I will be more prepared.

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Miscellanea In the U.S. airport financial difficulties personal experience истории из жизни
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