I am in love with your blog! What excellent advice! What a great idea! And I really love that in one of your posts about how to travel the world, you listed "serendipity". Ah, Serendipity. It involves all the great things that are wonderful about people: trust, friendship, magic, respect, and wit.

I especially love the idea of carrying small goods with you to give. I think a signature gift is a good idea too, a singular token of appreciation that only the families you've stayed with have.

And people are deeply affected by their culture, no matter that they might be emo teens or curmudgeonly oldsters, their place is part of them. They unconsciously assume the same about you so gifts that speak of your place, your home, are especially treasured.