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When traveling overseas, American diplomats have your back

With summer in full swing, you might be getting ready to go on your vacation - or already planning your next one. I know I'm dreaming about where I want to go next. In fact, I caught the travel bug from my mom, Kathy Rodeghier. She is a local travel writer whose stories appear often in Chicago-area publications like the Daily Herald and the Chicago Tribune, as well as in publications across the nation. Every summer growing up, we would pack into the Buick and head to wherever we could reach within a two days' drive of Chicago. Some of my best childhood memories were made on the road, like the afternoon we spent catching blue crabs off a pier in South Carolina or the day I learned to ride a horse in Wyoming.

When my Latin class at Lyons Township High School organized a trip to Italy, I begged my parents to send me across the Atlantic for the first time. That group trip was so exciting that I knew I had to find my way back overseas.

That same travel bug led me to become a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department. Currently stationed in New Delhi, India, I have also served my country from Marseille, France, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is my job to help U.S. citizens who are living or traveling overseas.

If you're traveling abroad and something bad happens, we're there to help. When a natural disaster or a political crisis abroad puts American lives in danger, we send out security messages and check on the welfare of U.S. citizens in need. If a U.S. citizen gets arrested overseas, we visit them in jail and make sure they are being treated fairly. If an American dies while traveling abroad, we work with the next of kin to repatriate their loved one. If you're a victim of pick-pocketing, we can help get you a new passport. If you sign up for the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) before you head overseas, we can send you security messages in case there's an emergency. Sign up at step.state.gov/.

Mary Rodeghier Martin on a camel safari in the Thar desert, Rajasthan, India. Courtesy of Mary Rodeghier Martin

For example, when I was working in Haiti, we helped a group of American volunteers avoid a dangerous situation. The volunteers were on a bus to the airport after helping residents of a rural area that was hard hit by the devastating 2010 earthquake. Meanwhile, at the embassy, we got word that a violent protest was breaking out near the airport. Because the volunteers had signed up for STEP, they received the embassy's email alert, warning American citizens to stay away from the airport. They called us, and we confirmed with local police that the protest was indeed getting worse. We advised the volunteers to stay put until it was safe. We also put them in touch with their airline's local agent. In the end, the volunteers got home safely and I feel good that our emergency message helped keep them out of harm's way.

In addition to signing up for STEP, you should carry contact details for the nearest U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate, in English and the local language. Another travel tip: Read up on your destination at travel.state.gov and become aware of any security messages in effect, as well as visa and vaccination requirements for your destination. It's also a good idea to carry a photocopy of your passport, and to leave another behind with a trusted loved one back home. You might need it if you lose your passport and have to apply for a new one at an embassy or consulate.

Mary Rodeghier Martin at the city palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Courtesy of Mary Rodeghier Martin

In fact, last summer, while working at our consulate in Marseille, I helped dozens of American tourists replace their lost or stolen passports. I learned that pickpockets are operating on the high-speed trains that zigzag across southern Europe. I also learned that it is never a good idea to leave your passport in the trunk of your rental car, especially if you're parking it at the beach.

Now that you know to keep your passport safe, please do consider visiting the south of France, which holds a special place in my heart. The Latin student in me marveled at the mosaics in the villas at the Roman archaeological site in Vaison-la-Romaine, and the nature buff in me enjoyed hiking the rocky Mediterranean coast between the village of Cassis and the city of Marseille. After a day out exploring, end your day with some local goat cheese with fresh figs. Yum!

So as you get ready to send off summer, know that the next time you take a trip or plan a vacation in a foreign country, embassies have got your back. In the meantime, safe travels and bon voyage!

<i>Mary Rodeghier Martin just completed a tour as a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. She is at the State Department training facility in Arlington, Virginia, preparing for her next assignment.</i>

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