This post was written for GeoVisions by Brielle Sydor of Elon College.  Brie was one of our counselors in 2012 on the Italy Summer Camp program and will be returning to Italy this summer to live and work. While I was happy to find that many of the Italian stereotypes were true—amazing food, beautiful architecture, cute boys—there was one that was definitely less amusing: theft. Every guidebook and travel website out there will tell you to “guard your possessions with your life” while traveling through Rome or Naples, and I certainly wish I had listened to them. On not one, but TWO occasions, I had my iPhone 4 stolen from me and didn’t even realize at the time that it had happened. Those thieves are tricky; so if you are unlucky enough to have your smartphone swiped while living abroad, simply follow my (unfortunately tried-and-true) recovery plan to get yourself back to the cellular world. Before You Leave:

Nothing is as important as our participant's safety.  Absolutely nothing.

Recently, Michael Huxley, founder of Bemused Backpacker, wrote an article entitled Why I Hate The Term Solo Female Backpacker.  It reminded me of the posts we published here by GeoVisions teacher in Thailand, Carla Gott.  Carla pinned 3 posts for us on teaching in Thailand as a woman ... the safety, health, packing and living solo aspects.

This is installment 3 of 3 of Carla's Blog post on a woman’s perspective, living and working in Thailand. Feel free to email Carla at: gocarla1@umbc.edu

Carla Gott has been teaching in Thailand with GeoVisions for more than five months. For more information on a woman’s perspective, living and working in Thailand, please email Carla at: gocarla1@umbc.edu