Do your new world a respect by learning it. Get lost in the confusing streets of Venice (but don't try that in Rome or you'll get robbed), or sit in the Starbucks at Victoria Square in Belfast, but above all, go out. Don't stay in your room when there are things to see, smell, feel, taste, and hear outside. Play with the local children, or write poetry while people-watching, or make conversation with fellow travelers.
One thing you should avoid doing, though it often cannot be helped, is just checking off a list of landmarks you have to see. Eiffel Tower? Check. Done. Picture taken. Move on. NO! Appreciate the place! Go to the famous landmarks, get your pictures, but breathe too. Don't just be somewhere. Feel it.
Because after the trip, when you are back at home and your friends ask "How was _____", you don't simply want to report your list of landmarks. You had that list before you left. What did you bring back?
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