Before I took a recent vacation trip to Beirut, a friend asked whether I was concerned about being targeted by jihadists or Hezbollah during my visit to the "pearl of the Middle East." I had done my due diligence research , so I wasn't worried. Besides, I explained, I was going to "be very gray" as I traveled. I first became aware of this concept, which dictates that travelers should blend in with the local environment, during my work at the U.S. State Department. The techniques of traveling gray can benefit other travelers who visit potentially hostile regions. The Shadow Course In the Counterterrorism Investigations Division of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, agents were often assigned to provide protective countersurveillance for people and events at high risk.