Custom: (n) a habitual practice; the usual way of acting in given circumstances.

I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life.

I’ve spent more time with strangers than family.

That’s why I learned to never know a stranger—to make all humans part of my family.

But I thought I would stop in today and tell you seven of my favorite customs I encountered during my journeys:

1. Smiling when you first meet a new person.
2. Walking away from a stewing pot of gossip.
3. Eating what is set before you and discussing it later.
4. Believing that women and men are basically just human.
5. Not listening to accents—just noticing what people accent in their lives.
6. Loving your neighbor as yourself.
7. Asking twice as much as you think you should and saying thank you three times more.