Things I've Learned From Traveling #2

• call up those distant relatives you've never met before to get some free accomodation or even a home cooked meal
• leave time for flexibility
• buy a dual-clock watch so you know what time it is at home and where you are
• iTunes gift cards are great care packages
• Don't be afraid to ask. You never know what the answer might be. 
• talking to other people who are about to embark on similar journeys make you feel incredibly wise and well traveled - and gives you a chance to look back on all you've done. 
• When on an airplane, always choose tea over coffee. You can't go wrong with tea. You can go very wrong with coffee. 
• If you are going on a 13 hour flight, upgrade. 
• Do your backward time-counting correctly. You don't want to be sitting at the airport for hours after rushing there in a cab, and you don't want to be panicking about making your flight while sitting on a bus. 
• Sometimes promises have to be broken. 
• Get a hard drive full of movies. 
• Wearing the same clothes, looking at the same things, and not caring about what actually makes it home really makes the stuff you have at home seem new and feels like Christmas when you see them again. 
• Send postcards. 
• Even if you keep a blog, keep a diary. Write down everything. You will forget.