Ralph Morgan

Instructor: John Blois

English 101

10 March, 2017

Ready for Take-Off! A Guide to Modern International Travel

If wanderlust is in your blood, the call of exploring new places and gaining new

experiences can trump even your own safety. In this post-9/11 world that can be dangerous. Commented [RK1]: Sentence fragment. Two options,
either begin the sentence with/ this, which is strong, or
connect the two sentence with a conjunction.
Accidents, disease (Zika Virus Caribbean and S. American locations), political upheaval
In this post 9/11 world, travel can be dangerous, but if
wanderlust
(Democratic Republic of Congo), kidnapping (S. American and Middle Eastern countries), terror

attacks (Not just Middle eastern countries but places that used to be much safer like the

Philippines and France) are all potential dangers travelers face. This is especially true for Commented [RK2]: See my end notes about this
highlighted stuff.
Americans that travel abroad. Yet, nearly 67 million Americas made trips abroad in 2016, up Commented [RK3]: Who. When discussing people use
who.
almost 8% over the previous year (Wood). Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure Commented [RK4]: Does this need to be possessive?

researching your destinations can make the difference between a successful journey or disaster.

After all knowledge is power. If you are traveling abroad for work most companies provide a Commented [RK5]: Sentence fragment. Combine with
the previous using a semi-colon. disaster; after all,
travel training specialist which helps prepare you to go abroad (Vilorio). But that is not always Commented [RK6]: Would the word who work better
here?
the case and what if you are traveling for pleasure? Many students travel abroad after graduating

for example. The sheer number of things that need to be addressed can be overwhelming for a

first-time international traveler. What you need to enter another country, how and what to pack,

how to avoid looking like a tourist, and what to do when something bad happens. These things Commented [RK7]: Combine.

can lead to at best a bad journey or possibly even deadlier results. This guide will help the first-

time international traveler prepare to travel abroad.

 The first thing youll need to even get your trip off the ground is a passport. Without it

you will be unable to enter your destination country, and most importantly re-enter the United

States. This document is your proof of citizenship while you travel abroad. Usually obtaining one

is a lengthy process, although easy. The first step is to go to the US State Department website.

They handle policy regarding passports and travel to and from the United States. The instructions

are simple to follow. If youre a first-time international traveler you want the form DS-11. Once

that is filled out you need to get together your supporting documents prooving of citizenship

such as a birth certificate as well as something that proves your identity such as a valid drivers

license. Make photocopies of these and put them in an envelope for safe keeping. Ill explain

why a little further on. You'll need a passport photo as well. This can be obtained at a local Rite

Aid, Walgreens, or CVS and usually are around $10. Now you are finally ready to go to a

passport service provider and turning your application. Where you go and the fee will vary by Commented [RK8]: So I cant just apply on the website? I
have to actually go somewhere?
how soon you need your passport. Usually it takes 6-8 weeks once the application is received to

get your a passport. There is an option to get one expedited but it is much more expensive.

Planning ahead can save you some money which can be better spent on your trip. If you don't

need it quickly you can go to any acceptance facility. Most local US Postal Offices can accept

them, but check the website for your nearest location. Currently, the fee is $165 which will allow Commented [RK9]: What is them referring to?

for travel to foreign countries by land, sea, and air. However, if you need it expedited you will

need to go to a passport agency. Usually there are only a few per state so this could be less

convenient and the fee will usually be $60 more, so just bare that in mind. In either case your

passport should arrive in the mail shortly allowing you to travel abroad. With a passport in hand

you are over the biggest hurdle of international travel which will allow you to focus on

researching your destination.

 It is vital to do your homework on your destination and their culture before you leave.

Travel books, the library, and the internet can be invaluable in this regard. Check the calendar of

your destination. Holidays can restrict access to necessities due to stores being closed, or worse

yet access to banks and your money. You'll also want to check and make sure your medical

insurance can be used abroad. Medicare does not for instance and if that is the case you might

consider travel insurance (Axtell 138-139). Learn as much as you can about current affairs in the Commented [RK10]: Explain this a little. The wording is a
bit confusing. Medicare, for instance, does not cover
region you are traveling. You dont want to be caught in the middle of a civil war, famine or

epidemic. The US State Department website has alerts and warning regarding travel sites deemed

dangerous. You can also sign-up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to have alerts and

warning sent right to your mobile device and make you easier to locate in an emergency (State Commented [RK11]: Hmm. This last piece does not seem
to fit with the fist. Revise for clarity.
Dept). You should check the state department website and see when your destination country

requires you to have a visa. You must have a tourist visa just to get into China, but unless your

trip to Spain will be longer than 90 days you dont need a visa. Check the US State Dept website Commented [RK12]: Perhaps explain the difference
between a visa and passport.
or the Center for Disease Control website and find out a list of immunizations required to travel

to your chosen country (Bohannon). Traveling to Italy or Australia does not require any

vaccinations, but if you were traveling to Bolivia it would require a vaccination for Yellow Fever.

Make sure you bring copies of your proof of immunization and put them in the envelope with
your other photocopied documents. It would behoove you to learn all you can about the host
countries culture, customs, and laws. Even if you speak the language if you havent been to that
country before it can be easy to insult someone unintentionally, or worse yet break a law (Hilles
Commented [RK13]: All of this is check the state
departments website therefore, organizing this info so it
can all be explained as, The State Dept. website has
information regarding: safe destinations, visa requirements,
immunizations,.. and then discuss what each those means.
Then add the info about the Smart Traveler App. You can
end the paragraph with, Additionally, theres an App for
that: the Smart Traveler App

34). There is probably no worse way to spend your vacation than languishing in the jail of a

foreign country. insert gestures passages here (Axtell ch.1).

Insert paragraph on itinerary and communication here Educate yourself on how you are

going to communicate with friends and family while you are abroad. It is not enough that you

know how use Skype if your parents don't.

What you bring with you on a trip is important. So is what you leave behind. In the

aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack more and more restrictions have been put in place regarding

what you can bring or where it can be packed. Travel restrictions are listed in several places. The

Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) website and the various airport websites. Sometimes

the information on the websites is contradictory. The TSA website says its acceptable for

medically prescribed pills to not be in their original containers. But, if you check the Portland

airport website it says they must be in their original prescription bottles. It might be better to just

follow the most restrictive to ensure you dont have any issues. While traveling through customs

in some countries (example country) they may require you to have a copy of the prescription

from your doctor. Some prescription medications might even be illegal in certain countries

(example country). One excellent suggestion from travel author Roger Axtell that is highly

recommended you Make copies of your passport, drivers license, and all credit cards. Stow

them away in a suitcase or another safe place, in the event you lose a wallet or purse. If you lose

your passport, the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate will reissue it if you can produce a

photocopy of the original (Axtell 139-140). Most suitcases have hidden pockets where you can

squirrel away these documents.

Ralph,

Great start and topic! Im going to begin by addressing your two concerns: Making sure each
paragraph is constrained to the thesis and 2. Making sure each (completed) paragraph is clear in its topic
and means a need of the thesis. 1) You are clearly staying on topic. This reads like a guide, which
supports your thesis. 2) Is a little less black and white.
1. The second paragraph is good. It has a clear focus and the entire paragraph stays on topic, but
not so much after that. The remaining paragraphs are full of information, which is fine, but a lot
 of the information is all over the place. I made comments about this in the margins.
2. I noticed an array of sentence fragments. I pointed out a few with ideas on fixing them, but not
all of them. I suggest going through and identifying sentence fragments on your own.
3. Commas: I found either several comma splices or run-on sentences. A sentence fragment is
created when two incomplete sentences are joined with a comma. Reading your paper out loud
will help you identify these grammar issues.
4. In the opening paragraph you may have noticed some highlights. The information I highlighted is
because as a reader, I found the information to be distracting. Here are few ways to fix this: A)
omit it and discuss the information in the body of the paragraph that the information
corresponds with. So when talking about vaccinations you then could discuss why some
countries require extra vaccinations. Talk about Zeka and so on. B) If you present the idea in the
opening paragraph there is an expectation the reader will read more about the information in
the paper, but that isnt the case. So, if youre going to act like youre throwing the dog a bone,
the dog will run after it expecting the reward. You mention political upheaval, kidnapping, but
never talk about it again. Why? If its important enough to be in the opening paragraph it must
be important enough to talk about in the paper.
5. And finally, organization. Keep like topics together in one paragraph. Instead of one long
paragraph full of info, small informative paragraphs work better to keep the reader engaged and
comprehended the information.
Overall, you have really good stuff here. Good luck and happy revising.
Rachel

Still to add or address.

Section four: travel safety. destination unknown. Not a good proposition.

HILLES, AMANDA. "Travel Safety Reminders." Mobility Forum: The Journal of the Air

Mobility Command's Magazine, vol. 25, no. 2, Summer2016, pp. 34-35. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=116107267&site=ehost-live.

travel safety

Section four: travel safety pt II. blending into the crowd.

Keep at travel journal. Take notes on everything. Especially when traveling through more than

one country. Once those memories start to fade these little jottings will be invaluable and even

more so on future visits (Axtell 139).

Section five: last ditch effort. What to do when things go south.

If you are already abroad and in need of non-emergency medical services you can go to your local

embassy or consulate for information on English-speaking health-care sources (Axtell 140).

Beaverstock, Jonathan V., et al. "International Business Travel: Some Explorations." Geografiska Annaler

Series B: Human Geography, vol. 91, no. 3, Sept. 2009, pp. 193-202. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1468-

0467.2009.00309.x. travel health

Section six: conclusion

2016 travel safety

HILLES, AMANDA. "Travel Safety Reminders." Mobility Forum: The Journal of the Air

Mobility Command's Magazine, vol. 25, no. 2, Summer2016, pp. 34-35. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=116107267&site=ehost-live.

travel safety

Americans Abroad

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Passports

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Rip-offs

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Pre-travel medical

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5 things you need

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top risk roads

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Medicare abroad

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