What I Learned on my Summer Vacation

PACKING
Rolling your clothes maximizes suitcase space
If you can only pack two pair of shoes, one pair must be cute
One carry-on per person makes the airport easier
One carry-on per person = a lot of ironing
Accessories are underrated- scarves rule
REI fashion is better for camping than urban areas
A small clutch handbag would have been nice
If your hotel offers laundry service, remember for the same price you can buy new undies
Carry a small Moleskine journal for travel notes and use the handy pocket in the back

DINING
Walk ten miles a day and you can eat all you want
Don't bother with the chocolate cake at Hotel Sacher in Vienna
It is possible to eat too much sausage
Turns out I like beer
If you pack a lobster print dress you must iron it, wear it, and order lobster
The waiters bring the check only after you request it
"Rocket" salad translates to arugula
Tipping is confusing- agree to over-tip

 GETTING AROUND
Berlin and London have public transportation nailed
Never jump on/off a bus when you can walk
Buy an Oyster Card for London's Underground and get a free IKEA plastic pouch
When traveling by train, check out the station the day before you leave
Mind the gap and look right
London taxi drivers earn 1100 pounds per year to cover their cars with tacky graphics
Find the U-2 station in Berlin and take a picture for Bono
Those tube escalators go way, way down

LANGUAGE
Don't worry- almost everyone speaks English
Unlike the French, Eastern Europeans enjoy your attempt to speak their language
Read the signs in the subway stations for a taste of popular culture
Smiles require no translation
Czech text is lovely to look at
German street names are unusually long
Brits speak a different form of English
Someone needs to invent a universal form for ordering coffee

SHOPPING
Cherish the solitary experience
Visit Harrods if only to ride the escalator and look up at the ceiling
Scarves make good gifts and they pack flat
Check out the window display at All Saints in Berlin
Walk quickly past American and stores and don't look back
Visit the local grocery store for a glimpse of real life
Appreciate Liberty of London's prices at Target

SEEING THE SIGHTS
If there's a public park, walk through it
If there's water nearby, sit next to it
Take on the big museums early in the day
Mitigate museum fatigue with a coffee/wine/beer break
When in Prague, limit your photos of the castle to under 20
Touch the Berlin wall and remember what it represented

AND FINALLY...
Set the security room lock unless you want to treat your maid to a peek at your left breast