It wasn’t that long ago when people didn’t even think to bring their cell phones with them while on vacation. Nowadays, however, most of us wouldn’t even run to the grocery store without our cell, never mind leaving it behind while exploring a foreign country.
But what happens when the cell phone isn’t there to save you?
To deal with any disaster, it’s always good to have a plan B. Before entering a tourist attraction where there’s a potential for becoming separated from your friends or family, it’s a good idea to take the following steps:
1) Pick a place for every one to meet when you get separated. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how easily these practices fall off the to-do list. After all, who wants to kill the happy buzz with mundane instructions about where to go in case of an emergency? Start by pointing your thumb to your chest and repeat after me “This guy.” Or girl. You’ll save a lot of time and anguish if you have a plan in case the cell phones go dead and you get separated from your group.
2) All members of your party should know everyone else’s  contact information such as each other’s, e-mail addresses, directions to all hotels, etc. Last year my friend and I got separated from each other—in the Vatican Museum of all places. With fourteen miles of so many different corridors leading in so many directions, the place can became a nightmare when you become separated from your friends and you’re on a deadline. In our case, we had a train to catch but our phones had gone dead. Risking everything I went back to our hostel and e-mailed her to meet me at the station. Thankfully it all worked out. But I know this only happened because I was suddenly inspired to write down my friend’s e-mail address.
3) Make sure that everyone has the money they need for taxi rides or bus fares. Unfortunately you cannot take a bus or cab to a meeting place without some pocket change. Make sure everyone has plenty of it!
4) Try to pack cell phone chargers and power adapters—not all countries have the same electrical systems as the U.S., so voltages will vary. In order prevent your phone from becoming useless, buy converters beforehand in the states and bring them with you wherever you go.
5) Get to know what role cell phones play in whatever culture you’re visiting. Some countries are all about the cell phones (like the U.S.). In other countries the cell phone does not play as big a part of the culture. Often the local residents have other ways to deal with crises when they get stranded, or lost in a crowd with a dead phone. Learn what they do in these situations and the ways they go about fixing them. It might make an otherwise nasty experience a little bit more enjoyable and stress-free when it happens.
6) Keep your phone on your person. Not only is it less likely to be stolen, but you’ll be able to check how much power the phone has left in it.
7) If you’re staying in a country for a long enough period of time, buy one of their phones. It’s much cheaper. Take it from me: I spent over a thousand dollars using my American-made phone for the first month I lived in Ireland. (I didn’t know it was going to be that expensive at first, of course.) It also makes situations where you get lost a whole lot easier to deal with because you are more than likely to find a charger, or at least someone who knows how to get your phone working again.
8) Keep your phone shut off until emergencies strike. This both prevents the batteries from dying and keeps you from being distracted. It’s difficult to pay close attention to the little details of a new place and to get absolutely lost in the moment (in a good way) when you are constantly tempted to keep track of both the time and phone messages every couple of minutes.
9) Cell phones can’t talk back. So don’t let your anger get the best of you when something unexpected happens. The phone will not be able to defend itself, tell you why it shut down when you needed it most, why it can’t connect your call, etc. It’s no use getting upset about the things you can’t change. You’ll just look like a crazy person yelling at a cell phone.
10) Recognize that the cell phone is not your first line of defense! Your intellect and common sense are. And you have plenty of both to see you through any mishap that happens during your travels.

Article by Barbara Ford
Photos by Diana Lambdin