Imagine the following scenario. You travel to an exotic destination. You have been planning on this dream vacation for years, maybe even decades. You are having the time of your life. You can’t imagine the experience getting any better. You are having such a great time that you are not paying attention to what you are doing, maybe because you have been enjoying too many adult beverages, and you misplace your wallet.
What do you do now? You know you are going to have to replace your license or ID and call your credit card companies. If you have earned any specific skills or degrees which could prove handy during your travel plans, how can you prove you have earned those accreditation’s? If you are overseas or otherwise in a country other than your own, what are you going to do about your passport?
Scanning and Copying Saves the Day
You might not think it is a good idea to have copies of your identification and passport. You may be of the school of thought that if someone got their hands on this information, they could steal your identity. This is definitely the case. However, when you have scanned or otherwise copied all your important personal papers, you will find that getting replacements is much easier than if you
did not have these copies available.
If you are concerned about additional physical copies being snatched up by some ID‐stealing villain while you are traveling, do this instead. Scan all your important documents and send the scanned files to your smartphone and tablet. This gives you the same information as copying, and as long as you don’t lose your phone, the information doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
Don’t Forget Insurance and Medical Information
If you have any specific medical needs, make sure that all related documents are also scanned or copied. The same is true for any insurance documentation which may apply while you are traveling. If the idea of scanning this information to your phone gives you a sense of unease because you are prone to losing your phone, save the information on a thumb drive you can keep in your pocket, your hotel room safe, or on a key-chain.
When planning a vacation or some other type of travel, you often think of the best case scenario. There is nothing wrong with this. You want to have a great time. You want this to be positively memorable. However, bad things do happen. Planning for the worst‐case scenario as far as your identity and other documentation is concerned makes for the best possible outcome.