safety

The year was 1919, and the world had begun to recover from the haunting shadow of the Spanish flu. Fifty million people across the globe had died from this invisible disease, and the one question on everyone’s mind was “Where do we go from here?” After staring death in the face and surviving, people began to explore the world around them in an affirmation of life and health. Travel boomed for commercial flights and voyages. Many were desperate to escape the confines of home for bigger and brighter places.

It’s 2019, and there are more people traveling solo than ever. In fact, solo travelers proclaim that their individual adventures are some of their most treasured travel experiences. While there are many perks to traveling alone, the truth is that it’s not as safe as traveling with a group—especially for women.

Photo by Georgie Pauwels. cc“You are out of your mind.”

Landes Holbrook visits an LDS temple in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.If you’ve ever wondered how safe it might be to travel to another country, Landes Holbrook knows the answer. Holbrook is the international security analyst at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, and also has extensive experience doing security analysis for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stowaway caught up with Holbrook recently and asked him about his analysis process, personal experiences, and helpful tips on how to be prepared for travel abroad.