b'In 2018, I was on my way to my next travel nanny position when I landed in Paris and collected my suitcase atbaggage claim. As I was leaving the arrivals terminal, following the signs to the taxi rank, a man approachedme from behind and asked me to follow him in the opposite direction to get a taxi.When I turned around, I knew this was a problem. I was startled to see a second man in front of me, lookingme straight in the eye. Immediately I felt uncomfortable. The man in front started running to call for anelevator for us to get into, but I was already on the street level where all the taxis depart. Something washorribly wrong.Iquicklymadethedecisiontoruntosomeoneelseintheterminalandaskforhelp.Bothmenthendisappeared, and I likely saved my own life.Following that close call, I started sharing my best tips for staying safe when traveling to nanny jobs. Hereare my top ten tips.1. Leave your new job details with someone you trust. Write down your new employers names andcontact information, share your detailed travel itinerary, and write down everything you know about yournextposition.Includeeverythingthatwouldbeofimportanceintheunfortunateeventofsomething AMY BRYANThappening to you.Withapassionforcaringforchildren, Amy Bryant, owner and2. Read up on your destination. Knowledge protects you from the danger of misinformation, unsavory founderofSuitcaseNanny,individuals, and/or naively wandering into an unsafe area. Check the government travel website for any startedbabysittingatjustninecurrent news regarding your destination. Look at a map and get the lay of the land. Take note of major yearsold.Attheageoflandmarks and surrounding towns and cities.eighteen,sheleftherhomeintheUKwithonlyasuitcaseto3. Know the typical con games of your destination. I have the film Taken to thank for my knowledge of becomeanannyintheUSforcon games in Paris. My situation was remarkably like the film, and having watched it, I still feel today that it threechildrenunderagefive.saved my life. Familiarize yourself with the common con games that travelers encounter in the area you will Since then, Amy has worked forbe visiting, and you will feel safer for it.families in the USA, Australia, the4. Download these two apps: Life 360 and What 3 Words. Life 360 is a tracker app, and whoever you UK,Dubai,andmanypartsofshare it with can see your location and can choose to receive notifications when you are moving in a vehicle Europe.Overthelastsevenor on foot and at what speed. What 3 Words is a lifesaving app, where every three square meters all over years,Amyhastraveledthe world has been given an address of just three words. If you get lost or have an accident and need to call extensivelywithfamiliestothe emergency services but do not know the address, they will request your three words. That is all they need supportparentsastheytaketo find you.holidays with their children. Amyis the voice behind The Suitcase5. Travel with a rape alarm. You can buy these online and hang one on your keys or purse. One pull of the Nanny blog, where she educates,pin and it sets off the most piercing and extremely loud sound, giving you more of a chance of being seen or supports,andinspiresnanniesheard if you ever get into difficulty with a stranger. and au pairs to become the nextcaregiverextraordinaireusing6. Stay in public places. You may meet other people and have fun, but remember, they are strangers. You her Suitcase Nanny Guide.have a better chance of getting out of a sticky situation when in a public place.7. Pre-book a taxi. If your nanny family is not meeting you at the airport, get them to book a professionalcar service where someone will meet you at the arrivals terminal of the airport. I learned this lesson the hardway. I was caught in a con game and, fortunately, I did not leave a public space. Had I done so, my lifewould have likely been much different. 8. Trust your intuition. If something does not feel right, it is not. When arriving in a new location, takeinventory of how you are feeling. If you feel like something is off, trust that feeling and investigate what itcould be. 9. Stay alert. While it is lovely to sink into a new destination, immersing yourself in its culture, it is importantto stay alert. Take note of your surroundings, the people you pass, and anything odd that catches yourattention. The note you took one hour before might be important regarding your safety in one hours time.10. Arrive in the daylight. Although this is not always possible when you must travel alone, ask your nannyfamily to schedule your flight to arrive in the day. Arriving in daylight not only allows you to see what sort ofarea you will be staying in, but danger is more visible in the day.The details of the day I ran into trouble while traveling are forever marked in my memory. Following these tentips kept me from falling into a trap that could have ultimately changed the outcome of my life. NannyMag.com| 39'