From China to Costa Rica, from France to Minnesota, from Iceland to Disney World, Sam has had plenty of travel experiences over the last decade. Here are 10 lessons from the road she'll never forget.

1: Simply knowing how to say "Hello," "Please," and "Thank You" in somebody else's language goes a long long way.

2: Embrace Plan B. Things go wrong, and Plan B is always more interesting than Plan A.

3: Always bring a sweater and a snack wherever you go.

4: Americans work too much, and we need to learn how to relax and enjoy life more.

5: The most beautiful men in the world are from Spain.

6: Robert Frost was right. To take the "road less traveled by" does make all the difference.

7: I like to think through problems when I am on the road rather than escape them.

8: An unfamiliar landscape, or culture can trigger a more open mind that can offer up the "Aha!" moment you were searching for.

9: Never apply self-tanner after 2 glasses of wine.

10: Once I got a surfing lesson from a Rabi who told me the strongest point of the wave is just when its about to crash, so it's best to dive under and wait for it to roll over then to keep getting beaten up. I thought that advice would work well in real life too. So now when I have problems that seem to be gaining too much strength, before I panic I picture myself diving under a wave, the wave crashing and me coming up for air stronger.

MORE: Samantha Brown's Portsmouth Tips