This past week, I received news that I would be able to spend 25 days in the lovely coastal town of Santander, Spain.

Needless to say, I’m psyched. I’ve been to parts of China and a couple of states in the U.S., but never to Europe. As this is an opportunity for which I’m extremely grateful, my goal is to seize it to its fullest and squeeze as much juice out of it without drying it out. Isn’t that why they tell us to make lemonade when we’re given lemons?

To ensure some bangin' lemonade, I’ve compiled a to-do list of sorts, or checkpoints to keep in mind, that can make any experience abroad—near or far—as worthwhile as possible.

Eat local food.

Generally, whether it’s a different borough or a different state, why bother going to McDonald’s or IHOP? Most likely, we can have that anywhere we are. A big part of being somewhere new or different is engaging in what makes that place new or different. Granted, it’s acceptable to try a cultural special or limited-edition burger at an international McDonald’s; the whole point is to eat what we can’t normally eat.

I may be a bit biased, but since food is such an integral part of our survival, mealtime should be exciting or special in some way or another at least most of the time.

Talk to strangers.

Mama always warned us to not talk to strangers, and reasonably so. However, I think if you can read and understand this, you’re very capable of knowing generally who to approach and who not to approach, wherever you are. The word “strangers” produces images of creeps and part-time serial killers, but more importantly, it actually means other study-abroad students, tourists or local residents. We’re meant to socialize and interact with each other so that we can learn something that we wouldn’t have discovered on our own.

Minimize social media use.

Look above, forward, left, right, behind, everywhere but down—especially at a screen, especially when you’re outside and especially when you’re walking. We’ve all heard it a million times already, but just to preach the importance again, when you're somewhere new or different, stop missing out on the present reality because you’ll never get it back.

Take out the headphones.

Going along with minimizing social media use, it’s worthwhile to engage all of our senses. It may be merely noise that surrounds us, but any avant-garde enthusiast will argue that this background noise is free art in the form of music. While that’s a ridiculous thought, it’s also ridiculously true. Each place has its own characteristic background noise, unique to its climate, residents, wildlife and social activities. The ruckus we hear in one community is astonishingly different from that in another, so likely, when we head back home, we’ll never hear those same sounds again in that same symphony again.

We’ll also be more approachable, and who knows? Maybe a stranger will change our world.

Take advantage of the different laws and social mannerisms.

With less time immersed electronically, we can use that time to focus on the here and now. The beauty of being somewhere different is that, well, it’s different. That means mindsets, etiquettes, and actions to which we may not be accustomed. Different is not always good, and similarly, it’s not always bad. Legal drinking and nude beaches, here I come!

Sacrifice frugality (reasonably).

It’s all for the experience. Money is expendable, but an experience is not. As Grandpa Joe says, “Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money.”

Why spend thousands to get to a place, only to hide away and refuse to spend any more? If you have a budget, stick to it—but again, the here and now may be a once-and-only.

Forget English.

This may be the only thing we can be lenient with, especially if the place abroad still uses mainly English. However, in places where English is not prevalent, or even relatively accented, adapting and immersing ourselves can make a monumental difference. It might even increase the chances of returning with a surprise unprecedented accent!

Make a memory each day.

“Carpe diem” could not be more appropriate for any other situation. Our days, our hours abroad are restricted by responsibilities back home, plane tickets, budgets, and even weather. Ironically, these restrictions can make for even better experiences with the right manipulation and prioritization. Be sure to end each day with something memorable to you, even if it may seem minuscule or mundane to someone else. Better yet, record these memories through words or pictures (you know I will). That’s the only time we should be looking at screens: selfie time!

Take care of yourself.

Throughout the whole trip, don’t forget to shave, exercise, eat adequately and smile! Even though you can find yourself in a new country, it doesn’t mean you have to forget about yourself first—and it definitely doesn’t mean you should be reckless. Dangers still exist, no matter where we are and no matter how much we don’t want to think about that when we’re just trying to have a good time. Have fun, but be aware. And again, please maintain adequate hygiene.