Summarize the following:
If you want to discover what makes a place special, make it a point to engage with those who call it home. Get out and live among the people rather than just passively observing them. Your taxi driver or tour guide can tell you things that no map can.  Do your best to appear in control at all times. Making it obvious that you're a tourist in over your head can make you an easy target. Stop and ask someone when you need help or directions instead of relying on your mobile device. Make new friends and have them show you around during your stay for a more intimate and authentic experience of the culture. In many ways, traveling is the ultimate teacher. You have a rare chance to dive in headfirst and see so many new and astonishing things firsthand, and to learn about what makes life interesting in the process. Capture new sights on camera, or keep a travel journal to record the details of your adventures. Take advantage of this chance to enrich yourself.  Take part in local cultural events like the Mardi Gras in French New Orleans, Germany's Oktoberfest or the Songkran Water Festival in Thailand. A stacked itinerary will not only keep you busy but allow you to get better acquainted with unique character of a given culture. Traveling is every bit as much about doing and feeling as it is witnessing. Go hang-gliding in the Alps or sign up for salsa lessons in Brazil. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and experience everything a culture has to offer, from its history and politics to its charming and unusual quirks.  Write down a list of specific things you want to see and do, or challenge yourself to try one new thing every day. It’s normal to feel like you’re in over your head at first. This can be a very good thing, as it means you’re able to recognize and appreciate cultural disparities. If you wanted to be completely comfortable at all times, you could just as easily stay home. There are many times when traveling can become a source of frustration, especially when you’re lost somewhere halfway around the world where no one speaks the same language. But nothing can cure a sour outlook like a smile. No matter what happens, keep a cool head and a positive attitude and be grateful for the opportunity to see more of the world.  A happy, confident demeanor will make you more approachable, and make it less likely for scheming opportunists to try to take advantage of you. Inconveniences happen: you’ll get lost, run low on money or encounter a frustrating language barrier. What’s important is that you don’t let unforeseen mishaps keep you from falling in love with new places.
Interact with the locals. Absorb everything you can. Get out of your comfort zone. Stay positive.