Twelve: Carry Your Own Shade

A hat and sunglasses are always a good idea, too. You're going to want them when you get to your destination, so save yourself some time and money and bring them from home.

Eleven: Read a BOOK!

Always carry a book. Preferably a paperback, hardbacks are big and heavy. You never know when you're going to have to wait. Or when you wont want to talk to your family and friends after seeing them 10 days in a row. When you're finished, you can trade it for something new!

Ten: Disconnect

Leave the cell phone and laptop off. You're on vacation, not at work or at home. By all means, bring them. They're good for long periods of transportation on a plane, train or bus, but are otherwise unnecessary. There are better things to do wherever you are than talking to your friends back home, reading the news or surfing the web. You can do that all you want when you're home in a few weeks.

Nine: Space

Always leave some extra room in your pack or suitcase. No matter how hard you try, you'll always end up coming home with more than you brought with you in the first place. It's good to be able to carry it with you because it's very expensive to mail things home.

Eight: Camera(s)

If you're a photographer, by all means, bring your SLR. You won't regret the great photos you'll get. Just be sure to invest in a good zoom lens, I recommend an 18-55. They're cheap and, if you get good glass, you can zoom in way more when you finally get the photos on your laptop. However, DO NOT EVER leave home without a solid point and shoot camera. There will be some places you don't want to take your expensive camera, but you'll still want to record those moments. A waterproof and shockproof point and shoot is a good investment that's easy to carry around. You can spend a little more and get a point and shoot camera that will take photos nearly as good as an SLR. They're expensive, but ideal.