As a birthday gift to myself, I decided to fly to a new country and go scuba diving.
Panama was the easiest choice because it was a direct flight from Denver and there was potential for scuba diving. 

My RT flight with Copa Airlines was about 600 USD. Not bad for booking a week before leaving. It was a bit expensive for a 4-day, 3-night trip, but I enjoy spending my money on travel more than anything. (I don’t drink. I shop in the clearance section for clothes. I have a paid-off car. My laptop is 8 years old.)

Sometimes there are nervous thoughts about traveling solo. Panama made it super easy to feel safe. I knew nothing about Panama before arrival. The city skyline is jaw-dropping for someone who knew nothing about the country before going. 

Here are some precautions I took to feel safe going solo to a new country without any research.

1. Booked Uber for all my transportation needs. 

Reason: public transportation gives me a deep unsettling anxiety. I am constantly on edge because I don’t want to miss my stop or get lost. Uber was the safest bet for me because exact location and directions, safety pin codes before the driver drives off, and drivers and riders are vetted through the app. 

2. Used the PADI website and Google reviews to choose a scuba diving shop 

Reason: PADI is one of the most common scuba diving certification authorities in the world. They also register scuba dive shops as training centers. I usually start my search there and expand by looking up Google Maps and reviews. It helps to look on Google because their information is usually more up-to-date than the PADI website. It’s also good practice to cross-reference any information. 

3. Booked a private room on Airbnb with a female owner, who also lived in the apartment, and it was located away from tourist areas. I was surprised and happy to find that the apartment has a 24/7 security guard, security cameras, and key access doors. 

Reason: Similar to Uber, both host and guest are vetted through the app. When traveling I like to keep as much money in the country as possible. Picking an Airbnb with a live-in host reassures me that someone in the country will have an income, not just another investment property company. 

4. I was there for 4 days and 3 nights. I packed only a purse and a medium-sized backpack. 

Reason: Packing light helped with not looking so obvious with a rolling luggage. This helps with safety because there’s less to steal and less obvious of a tourist. 

5. Keeping copies of documents on my phone and Google Drive.

Reason: If my passport or any other documents are stolen/lost, I access them in two ways 1. On my phone 2. On any device where I can log into Google Drive. 

6. I don’t drink alcohol and don’t go out beyond dark.

Reason: Scuba diving is usually an early morning activity, so if I have to be up before 7 am…I’m usually asleep around 10 pm. Especially when on a relaxing vacation, I sleep as much as possible. 10 hours a night is an easy thing for me. Staying sober is kinda self-explanatory on how it keeps me safe and in control. 

Honestly, I’ve only ever feel/felt unsafe is when I’m in the U.S. I think it’s because I am more aware of what’s going on in the country politically and catch news headlines. I don’t typically read the news for countries I’m visiting because the news is usually ridden with atrocities and shockingly bad news. 

Maybe there’s a level of “ignorance is bliss” here, and I’m okay with that because I do some prelimary research to stay safe before I go anywhere.