Upon my return from a recent trip to Mexico, I was surprised that, when people learned where I went, I was met with the question: “Is it safe there?” My reply? “I felt no more unsafe than here in the United States.”

When I travel, I know nothing is without risks. Once anywhere, I do take commonsense precautions to ensure we are doing all we can to travel safely.

Most importantly, I always bring a carbon monoxide detector. You can purchase one on Amazon for less than $30. Recently, it was reported 14-year-old Miller Gardner died from carbon monoxide poisoning while vacationing in Costa Rica. I have found hotels and rentals often don’t have carbon monoxide detectors, so this little alarm could save lives.

I don’t carry large amounts of cash. I bring one credit card so I can monitor it for any questionable charges. I do not trust the room safe, as I experienced a break-in of my hotel room many years ago. The safe was opened with a crowbar, and all the cash inside was stolen. And this crime happened in Florida, not outside the United States.

I don’t travel with expensive jewelry. I have plenty of nice costume jewelry to dress up while on vacation.

I was traveling with my 22-year-old daughter and her friend, so I made them promise to use the buddy system. At no time should either of them go off on their own. We have also traveled to Aruba many times, and people always bring up Natalee Holloway, the 18-year-old who vanished in 2005. It is still talked about today because there is so little crime on the island, and I’d bet Natalee thought it was safe to leave her friends. But that tragic case reminds me to tell my daughter to use the buddy system. I know it’s not a guaranteed fail-safe, but I do feel there’s safety in numbers.

I book transportation in advance with a company I trust. I also do my research about the country and make sure we stay in tourist areas considered safe.

If you’re worried about medical emergencies, consider travel insurance. You never know when a medical emergency could derail a vacation. Travel insurance can include travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation for transport back to the United States.

During our weeklong trip to Mexico, our group parked three vehicles at an airport hotel through a ParkSleepFly program. We returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, to find two of the three cars had their windows smashed in an attempt to steal valuables from their trunks. So when people ask me if somewhere is unsafe to travel to, I can say I have never been the victim of a crime in any country outside the United States that I’ve visited … I can’t say the same about traveling within the United States!

— Tracey Cullen, art director