32 Things I Learned While On Vacation

1. Always let others plan their own accomidations

2. When traveling with a group, make known that you might want to slip away to do other things

3. When going to Italy, fly in and out of Rome and make side trips accordingly

4. American travelers/Americans living in foreign countries are whiny little bitches. Avoid them at all costs

5. Learn basic phrases before you get there and make friends with the people and have them help you with your phrases

6. Ask the locals where they like to eat. It is usually the best food.

7. Don't eat near tourist spots in Rome

8. Just because an American lives there does not mean they know best. The usually know what is most familiar to them from America. Go local!

9. Be nice to those serving you. A smile and kind word could get you a better seat or more service, a discount on merchandise or food. Just be kind in general.

10. Drink lots of water.

11. Take lots of pictures

12. Keep a daily journal so you remember the experience and be honest so you remember the good and the bad.

13. Try - try the food, the language, to communicate even if it is hard. It will make the experience much better and you might just like something new.

14. Never judge a book by it's cover. Be cautious, but don't be ignorant. Grafitti does not make a bad neighborhood just like a nice handbag does not make you classy.

15. Be accepting of things that are not familiar to you. Just because it is not your norm does not make it bad

16. Be patient - at the airport, train station, restaurant, with others you travel with. No need to make drama when you are on vacation.

17. Wear the right shoes. Nothing worse that hardly being able to walk due to massive blisters on our feet.

18. Travel with people who have similar interests as you. If you like museums and your travel partner does not, there are going to be problems.

19. Fresh food is awesome.

20. Make sure you can charge all your stuff, bring at least 2 converters.

21. Brings little detergent just in case you need to hand wash some things

22. Cappuccino in the morning, espresso the rest of the day

23. Take the time to have an afternoon espresso.

24. Enjoy you meals. Take the time to eat and savor them

25. Italian food is simple. Simple sauces, simple pastas, simple salads. Food should not be that complicated.

26. Take a full day to just rest each week of travel. You are doing a lot and you need your rest to be able to enjoy it fully.

27. Portions are small, time to savor is long, day to day exercise is crucial.

28. Italian men are just hot.

29. The skin is the proof of good eating. Fat or thin, Italians have healthy glowing skin, and I can see by the fresh whole foods they eat why.

30. Friendships do change. Good friendships change and bend together. Bad friendships bend and snap. Learn to know which are deep and which are shallow.

31. Pack snacks and water. No matter how much you want to eat the local food all the time, sometimes you just need a snack.

32. Duty free cologne testers make up for smelly dirty clothes and no deodorant.