When I was 25 and single, I spent a month living in Jamaica. I learned that living like a local can be so much more enriching than traveling like a tourist. I boarded with a local family far from the tourist district in Montego Bay. I volunteered, drove, made friends, traveled, and even attended a wedding. I really got to know the people and the place and it’s an experience I will cherish the rest of my life.

The more I travel, the geekier I get about the process. I want to focus on the experience of being somewhere, not the process of getting there. I regularly fly 14+ hours to get to my destination, so I’m trying at every point to make it easier on myself. These are the indispensable apps to make my journey smoother.

Travel abroad requires extra planning, but finding ways to be efficient means you have more time and energy to enjoy the journey.