We’re all guilty of it (myself included…too often). We hit the road and try to stay as connected to email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc as we are at home. To what end? We should be immersing ourselves in new places. Interacting with friends and strangers alike.

Sure, it’s lovely to touch base with the folks back home and share glimpses of our travel experiences along the way. But why do we feel so compelled to be fully plugged in every step of the way? I’m going to follow my own advice from now on and enjoy my travels in the moment and worry about sharing things once I get home.

People are so sensitive these days. Everyone wants to be so progressive and politically correct. That’s made jokes about other cultures and stereotypes completely off limits. However, many stereotypes and clichés are rooted in truth and it’s OK to laugh at them.

This French guy rode passed me with a baguette sticking out of his bag. Japan is riddled with Harajuku girls. Iceland really does treasure trolls and their homes. Clichés exist everywhere and stereotypes often hold true. Heck, we’re often known as “Fat Americans” and, well, we’re pretty plump. I’ve seen it firsthand.

I’m not saying that mean-spirited jokes are appropriate. To the contrary, racist and hurtful comments are just plain wrong. But playful joking and taking the piss out of each other on a global level is really no different than teasing our friends. So, celebrate clichés, embrace stereotypes and laugh with each other rather than at each other.

You have an iron constitution. You never get sick. You’ve eaten street food from Calcutta to La Paz. In other words, you think you’re invincible. But, eventually, we all get sick. Most of the time, seeing a doctor will be pretty simple and you can address the problem with an expert. Other times, however, you’ll be stuck on a plane, a remote island or have no idea how to say “hospital” in the native language. That’s when you’ll be glad that you packed an antibiotic.

Whenever I’m traveling to a place with dodgy drinking water and an abundance of alluring street markets (those traits always seem to overlap), I have my doctor write me a prescription for Ciprofloxacin (or, as the kids are calling it, Cipro) which I fill before hitting the road. In the rare moment when your stomach gurgles and your poop resembles frozen yogurt, you’ll be glad that you can start killing whatever bug has begun Couchsurfing in your GI tract.

Persistent illnesses should be treated by a doctor and you shouldn’t start popping antibiotics every time your head hurts or tummy aches. But it’s always best to have some meds at the ready for when the shit hits the fan underpants.

Smoking habits (and laws) vary from country to country and city to city within those countries. While it’s fine to feel out social norms on your own, sometimes the best thing you can learn from a guidebook is when and where it’s permissible to smoke.

One thing’s for sure, no one likes being trapped in a car with a smoker. Best to find yourself an alternative.

Note: I don’t smoke. Smoking kills (and worse, makes your teeth yellow). But if you’re going to smoke, be cool about it. And not in the way that 16-year-olds think smoking is cool. I mean be polite.

Some people take travel way too seriously. I’m all for exploring cultures, connecting with strangers and experiencing the world. But, sometimes, you just need to be silly. And laugh.  And act out. You don’t need to spend every minute of your travels attempting to become holier than thou. Sometimes you just need to be wackier than thou. Thou will respect that.

No one wants to look like a lost tourist. As such, we all tend to shy away from walking around with huge paper maps unfolded in our hands. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t pack a map on the sly.

Smartphones can access real-time maps and information on the go. Guidebooks may look dorky, but you can easily tear out the small maps or make photocopies. Notebooks are great for drawing simple (or perhaps crude) maps of neighborhoods and the maps make for great journal entries when you look back on your trip. My friend Derrick cleverly keeps maps on his camera’s memory card that he can then access anywhere.

You may not want to look like a tourist, but you also want to find that restaurant that your friend recommended. So, swallow your pride and find a way to navigate without looking like an amateur.

How do you discreetly carry maps with you on the road?

Sure, we know that healthy dogs love the SkyRest Travel Pillow. But what about dogs who are getting over illnesses and injuries? Those are the dogs that are most in need of rest and comfort. Take Heath, for example. He irritated his prepuce and needs to avoid licking the area so that the medications and time can work their magic. He’s been uncomfortable for days in his Elizabethan collar. No dog needs a nap more than Heath.

How’d the SkyRest handle this coned canine? You’d think that collar was a halo the way he slept like an angel.

Check out previous SkyRest Tests and my full SkyRest Tests Flickr gallery.

It is often hard to fully unplug when traveling. Between smartphones, the internet and the ease with which one can find a copy of The New York Times or USA Today in any remote corner of the globe, it’s easy to stay connected to the news and events taking place back home. However, you’ll have a much more engaging experience if you stick to local periodicals.

Sit in a cafe with the local daily. Pick up a gossip rag and enjoy someone else’s version of sleaze. You may not understand every word (or any word, for that matter), but the layout, photos and design can often tell you everything you need to know about the tone of what you’re reading.

If you do speak the language, then you’re really in for a treat. Spend your time on the ground acting like a local. Follow the political scandals. Read up on the local rugby/field hockey/camel polo team. Or, if you’re into that sort of thing, indulge in some…uh…erotica.

Eschew tracking down your hometown newspaper and, instead, plug into the local scene. You’ll learn more about what’s happening in your destination at that very moment than any brochure or guidebook could tell you.

Often, when you travel, you rent a vehicle. Then, you leave a restaurant or shop in a strange town and can’t, for the life of you, remember where you parked. Why not make a note in your phone, on a piece of paper or, in a pinch, on your hand? Anything to help you remember where the hell you left that snowmobile.

While I intended to teach you to renew your passport more than six months before it expires, perhaps the better lesson to be learned from my old and new passport photos is to take care of yourself during your twenties. Either that, or make sure that your hair is strong enough to withstand the ceaseless pull of gravity.