ARE YOU COVERED?
By Jason Jourdan
I consider myself extremely lucky when it comes to my history of good health and safety in the years I’ve traveled abroad and even then, it has not been a bump-free journey.
It doesn’t matter how prepared you think you are, or how alert you plan to be on the road, you can never predict where you may slip and break your leg, like a girl friend of mine did in the first days of a six-week trip in South Africa when she misjudged her step from the curb. Who would have expected that?
“It can’t happen to me.” you’d say, but it very well could.
That’s what I thought when a group of professional thieves in Fez, Morocco robbed us of our camera right from under our noses. Despite being warned in advance, our group of five felt overconfident with all of us watching and it being broad daylight, “it could never happen to us,” and it did happen. Not only did we lose the camera, but we also lost a full memory card of photos from our time spent in Spain, Malta and Morocco. Clearly, I was not being a “think ahead” type of traveller, and I paid the price.
We all know the importance of plan B and making back ups in this world of technology. We don’t even hesitate when it comes to buying the biggest, safest external hard drives and extra storage on our iClouds to make sure our schoolwork, business files and travel photos are safe. Why should our health be any different? It should be at the top of our priority list as it is the single most important thing in our lives. Ironically, health tends to be the one thing we take most for granted. So, while you’re pressing that enter button to purchase extra iCloud space for your upcoming trip, stop and at least consider what your back up plan is for your health.
Our stolen camera was minor in comparison to the time my sister had a severe allergic reaction that nearly killed her in Macedonia. Despite never having had any allergies or reactions in the past, it happened to her. If it hadn’t been for us being near a hospital and taking immediate action when we noticed her life-threatening symptoms, she would have died. She was under the care of doctors and nurses who put her on IV for an entire day.
Breanna arriving at the hospital in a Macedonian ambulance after having a severe allergic reaction.
Breanna hooked up to an IV in Macedonian hospital.
These were all completely unexpected delays in our travels. You never plan to spend a day in the hospital when booking your flights, hotels and activities for an upcoming trip.
These hiccups in your travels are never fun, and the last thing you want to worry about is, “How long will I need to work after recovery to pay off this bill?”or, “What if this is something severe, and I’ll need to be flown overseas?” With travel insurance, you don’t have to stress or wonder.
So, if you’re having doubts about whether or not to purchase travel insurance before you take off, perhaps you need to ask yourself how much peace of mind is worth to you. Even if you are lucky and have another flawless journey, there’s always the nagging worry in the back of your mind. Consider insurance as the cost of buying your ease of mind, and if something does go wrong, you will be protected.
Remember, you’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
The process at Triptime is quick and easy. For the mere cost of 15 minutes of your time, you will have someone watching your back the whole time you’re on the road. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself and stay protected!
Safe Travels
