Here are five things I've learned from my own adventures abroad:
1. Hug and kiss your precious Wi-Fi goodbye. I am the first to admit I am addicted to my iPhone and there is not an ounce of shame there. Let's be real, we all have important things to do on our phones and it is difficult to go without internet. Long gone are the days when a phone was used just for phone calls. Nowadays, internet connection can make or break a person's entire career! While I do not have a foreign cell phone, I do have a global plan through my carrier. This is a total preference thing and something you can decide based on the amount of time you will be in a different country. With my plan I am allotted a certain number of minutes and text messages but no internet unless over Wi-Fi. This is a bit difficult sometimes because I love sharing my day on Instagram but often have to wait to post until I am somewhere with Wi-Fi. The beauty of this is that I can direct my full undivided attention to the sights in front of me, which is important in such an incredible city like Milano.
2. Fine dine with house wine. Don't fall into the trap of ordering a wine out of your price range just because you think it will taste better. Unless you are knowledgeable about the different grapes and regions you prefer, don't bother trying to decipher a wine menu that you may not be able to afford. In countries that heavily export wine like Italy and France, the house wine is sure to do the trick. They have this down to a science and I can assure you it will taste just as good as the bottles that are three times the price of the liter of house wine. I've had both and I can confidently tell you I will always order house wine over a fancy shmancy bottle because I trust the quality. Worst-case scenario, you can mask the taste with a piece of glorious crusty bread drizzled with fresh olive oil or creamy butter. Yeah. Voice of experience here.
3. Water water everywhere, so drink it. I won't be held responsible for any hospital bills you may incur from a parasite and/or virus. Just saying. However, I will be responsible for sharing my experience with tap water from other countries. I have been to Paris a few times now and each time I have bought liters and liters of bottled water because I was told the water was unsafe for foreigners to drink. One of my family members had a bad experience with it many, many years ago and this has never really left my mind. I was hesitant about drinking the tap water in Milano because I was unfamiliar with the sanitation laws in the city and let's face it, I can't just drink house wine 24/7. I have had zero problems with the water in Italy and while in some countries the water is a real issue of concern, I do not feel that it is in countries like France or Italy.
4. Sleep when you're dead. I have a lot of stuff to do guys. I mean a lot. I can't imagine my life any other way... I need to have something on the horizon every minute of the day or else I will go insane. There is never a time that I don't have something to do. I left those days far behind and now all I do is go, go, go. I used to sleep in as much as I could but now I set an alarm that goes off before 7AM almost every morning. I rarely go to bed before 2AM but as I mentioned in a previous post, I wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated thanks to double shots of espresso and really great under-eye cream. Bottom line: don't miss a moment of seeing the city you're traveling in for a few extra hours of sleep. That is tragic! Get up and get out. You will be so glad you did.
5. If you feel overdressed you're doing it right. This is a good rule to have in general but especially when you are abroad. It doesn't matter if you pay close attention to fashion or not, when you travel you are representing not only yourself but also your home country. What would the outfit you are wearing right now tell a foreigner about your country? If you are proud of where you come from, you should be proud of the clothes that you wear. You wouldn't wear a raggedy t-shirt and tacky pants to make an important first impression so why wear something like this in a situation based entirely on first impressions? You don't have the chance to talk to everyone you see on the metro or in the street and 90% of the time your outfit will be the only thing people notice about you. Americans are FAR too comfortable wearing sweatpants, leggings and even *cringe* pajamas in public. These articles of clothing are simply unacceptable and a real embarrassment in places like Milano and Paris where fashion is something placed on the same level as food and water. Again, voice of experience. Rule of thumb: don't wear something you would be embarrassed to see yourself in on the front page of a newspaper or magazine.
Follow along with all of Ashley's travels via Snapchat: itsashleycook
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