Airports can make for a scary experience, especially when you are carrying two realistic looking toy handguns in your bag!

I had just visited the war-torn country of Bosnia. Every kid over the age of six there seemed to play with guns. As we walked through the marketplace looking at unique trinkets, little boys seemed to pop up out of nowhere pretending to shoot at us. Everywhere we looked, the walls were covered in bullet hole scars, a memory of the recent war. The toy stores looked like armories, so a plastic gun was the obvious choice for my birthday gift.  I brought my new gun back to our room and played with  it for a while. I then stuffed it into my bag with the rest of my purchases and forgot about it.

When it was time to return home to the US, we arrived at the airport and found the baggage check area. As the clerk inspected my overflowing luggage, she noticed one of my toy guns. I had forgotten I even had them with me!

She confiscated my toy gun and asked me if I had anything else to declare. I told her that I had one more toy gun, but I couldn’t find it. She told me to look for it before I got to the TSA Screening line or else I wouldn’t have a bag to go home with.

I desperately searched through my bag and finally found it.  I ran to the nearest police officer and handed over my “weapon.” Startled, he thanked me, and let me go on my way. After that, I quickly boarded the plane. I was on my way back to the US – without my Bosnian souvenirs!

Airports can be intimidating, but as long as you follow the rules and don’t carry a toy gun in your bag, you will be just fine!

Dylan DeMichiel is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program

Photo courtesy and copyright Dylan DeMichiel