Travel can be both exciting and overwhelming. The easiest way to enjoy immersing in the unfamiliar when traveling is to arrive equipped with at least a general familiarity with the place’s history, culture, and geography. On a deeper level, it breathes meaning into every experience and puts you on the path towards cultural literacy while expanding your horizons. 

When abroad, cultural literacy enhances your ability to appreciate, learn from, and engage with other people and move within the culture you experience on vacation or otherwise. That way, you really get the most out of your time there. 

Avoid being surrounded by other tourists all the time. Keep your eyes from glazing over on the next museum tour and bypass the feeling like you’re only snapping pictures of things just because they look important. 

Combine cultural literacy with a humble inquisitive mind and a quick seasonal weather check before you pack, and you’ve upgraded yourself from lost blundering tourist to prepared wandering traveler.