Tips on Blending In During International Travels

Tips on Blending In During International Travels - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. Travel Tips: Tips on Blending in during International Travels Blending in when traveling international countries is a very good question, because I don't blend in well, so I have to address this issue all the time. The first thing I do when I arrive in a location is I sit back, I relax, whether it be on a public bench or someplace like that, and I watch the locals. I watch how they operate. I watch how they line up for things, or whether they line up for things. I watch how loudly they talk, how close they talk to each other. I look for their mannerisms, and I look for their social mores. I also try to act like an expat, so I try to act like even though I'm obviously a foreigner I have actually lived there for a very long time and I'm not to be messed with. I know the ropes, so when I'm walking, I walk with confidence, as if I've walked that path a dozen times or more. That's really important. I also don't wear flashy clothes that are going to attract me. I try to wear things that blend in with the community that I'm in. I also try to carry things that suggest I'm a local. A grocery bag, or a retail chain's shopping bag is very useful for this purpose. So these are the types of things that I do. I try to blend in with the locals by acting as the locals do. And if I get stares, I ignore them, as if I've had those stares many times. If someone touches my hair, as has happened before, I might turn around. And if it's a child I'll just smile at them. If it's a man they get the look that says “back off.” So having confidence and managing those types of situations is also important. So blend in well, take your time, watch what other people do, and do it yourself.