I have had the opportunity to both host international guests and be an international guest on more than one occasion. During the course of my experiences I have acquired a body of knowledge sure to be useful to the average international student studying at Iowa State or the ISU student getting ready to study abroad. So, without further ado:

Befriend a Native

This item is first for a reason. It is the single most important thing you could do during your time abroad. In-country friends enable the completion of the rest of the list much more easily and aid in the discovery of local traditions and hot spots. Additionally, they often come complete with homes, cars, and connections that can be useful and rewarding not only on your current trip, but on trips to come. Finally, knowing a native can be rewarding for both people as it pertains to gaining an appreciation for another culture.

Be Prepared to Gain 10 Pounds (4.54 kilograms for my metric friends)

When I studied in Ireland, there was a fish and chips place down the street. As it was the closest restaurant, as well as a local legend, we patronized it weekly. We had a challenge associated with the restaurant that centered on trying to return the two blocks to our apartment without letting the breaded fish that was double-wrapped in butcher paper saturate our hands with grease. Needless to say, the food was unforgettable.

There is going to be amazing food in any study abroad location. It is understandable that on occasion you will need the comfort food of home — for me, in Ireland it meant visiting the astronomically expensive and only Mexican place in town). However, as often as possible, enjoy the local cuisine.

In Ames that means navigating the crowd of drunken revelers Friday night for a gyro, slipping in for Burger Wednesdays or the taco buffet at Es Tas, or trekking out to WestCyde Wings for Tuesday Wing Night. For the adventurous eater, it means begging a ride to Ames to tackle the mammoth Adam Emmenecker sandwich at Jethro’s BBQ — recently featured on “Man v. Food.” Finally, there are the drink specials, to which another section of this newspaper is dedicated.

Don’t let your belt stand between you and an unforgettable culinary experience abroad.

Get Involved in Local Traditions

Whether it involves late-night nudity, petty larceny or merely good-natured trespassing, there is bound to be a local tradition that trips your trigger. Ask your aforementioned local friend about the local fare. Keep in mind that in some countries petty crime can mean deportation. As such, it is helpful to know the law before you bend it.

Attend Sporting Events

It could be justifiably argued that this category should be included in the above one. However, in most countries around the world, sport is important enough to deserve its own distinction.

In Ames this means getting up at 7 a.m. to go tailgate a football game. It means road-tripping to an away football or basketball game in some exotic locale like Manhattan, Kansas or Norman, Okla. It means watching 300-pound men abuse each other on the mat while 120-pound girls simultaneously catapult themselves into the air. Most importantly it means screaming your eyeballs out with 10,000 like-minded fans.

Be Adventurous

The entire gist of this writing can be summed up by this headline. Being adventurous will provide you with people to meet, things to eat and activities to try. It will allow you to go home without regrets and make your time spent abroad unforgettable.