- Pack valuables and computers in luggage. I have guilty family members who just look at me in disbelief when I give the “Mommy look” along with a few indelicate words…”Are you nuts?” Well… all you guilty passengers should have read the same newspaper article I did. In 2009 alone, Delta baggage handlers rifled through suitcases in the belly of a plane and made off with laptops, iPods, cameras and jewelry. A couple in Phoenix lifted bags off a carousel and reputedly had more than 1,000 pieces of stolen luggage at home. Northwest Airlines baggage handlers stole items and then had the gall to post on eBay. Baggage theft reports are up 50% and the reports go on and on. Shouldn’t that convince you to carry everything valuable in a carryon? If not, shame on you…;

- Are afraid to ask questions because natives may perceive them as “Ugly Americans”. Let them. You can’t win them all but would you really rather stand like a dork on a street, completely lost, because you’re afraid to attempt fractured French and ask someone? Or misorder and eat a food that totally revolts you? I ordered sardines once. Gigantic sardines. Not the little ones that come in the King Oscar tin and almost threw up when the waiter put down the plate. It was obvious I made a mistake and was unhappy over the prospect or eating or paying for them. The captain graciously replaced this faux pas and gently suggested that I never order sardines again. Ask;

- Don’t carry medical supplies with them. Take it from one who has been there and done it. There’s nothing worse then coughing your head off, running a high fever, or puking your guts up at 2:00 a.m. in a strange country with nothing in the hotel room to relieve the symptoms;

- Frequent (and not so frequent) travelers should make up a master packing list to keep on your computer. Do it once and you’re done. Mine covers the gamut from cold to hot weather destination clothes, hiking necessities, cosmetics and medication. Print one before the trip and cross off as you pack. Must I repeat pack light? I wore one pair of blue jeans and one pair of lightweight capris on a recent trip to China. (Yes, I did wash them.) This usually keeps forgetting an important item to a minimum. I have arrived at a destination and let loose with a most impressive string of curses when items are left behind despite the list;

- Travelers consistently hand out pens, balloons and candy to children abroad even though they know better. This fosters a “begging” attitude. Bring boxes of pens and donate to a school or orphanage. Balloons pop and float away. And don’t get me started on candy. There is no dental care in impoverished countries and don’t be responsible for the line of children along a road shouting, “bic, bic, bic, bon-bon, bon-bon, bon-bon.”

- Read up on a few cultural taboos. Unless you are doing business, not patting children on the head or pointing feet at someone while sitting on a floor will do for starters in Asian countries.

- Americans are timid when it comes to traveling outside our country. The food, water and language is different. There are long plane rides and even I have sinking moments arriving in a new country late at night, crabby and jet lagged. I can’t reiterate enough how exciting and broadening an out-of-the-country travel experience can be. Be brave and take that first step towards a new world keeping in mind that, life is not a rehearsal and you’ll never see, I should have worked harder on a tombstone.