Somehow, someway, I've made it back to Penn State alive and in one piece from a week-long spring break trip to Cancun, Mexico. Now I know that a certain columnist last year made some negative comments in her own opinion piece about the sexual nature and sanity of the city, but in my opinion, I thought it was just fine.

Maybe this viewpoint comes from the fact that I am your average American guy, and a little dirt here and there or not being able to drink the water in a foreign country is not going to disgust me (or if a girl feels the need to flash a large crowd of people, I am not going to cover my eyes in horror either).

All things considered, I had a blast there. Who couldn't on a trip with five of his best friends?

Cancun was also great in that it could be totally crazy one minute, and then completely calm the next.

With only a short walk (or a mere 5 pesos for bus fare), you could travel from a jam-packed nightclub to the most beautiful, serene water view of your life.

The key to enjoying your spring break in Cancun, or any foreign country, for that matter, is to be prepared and know what to expect.

Surprises in another country are not very fun and can have you sweating it out before even entering the 80-degree temperatures. We had a few, as any first-time travelers do, but now that I am a veteran, I can clue you in on what to expect.

First, realize that when booking through travel agencies aimed at college kids, what you see is not always what you get.

What might be labeled as a "free breakfast" doesn't always mean that you won't have to pay for anything.

Tip, tax, and of course bus fare are all on you. Not to mention having to wake up at 8:30 a.m. to get to the food.

On the plus side, getting up this early ensures that you won't waste your days in paradise by staring at the underside of your bed sheets.

No matter how close to the equator you are, nobody is going to get a good tan there.

Also, please be ready to spend some money.

You're going to no matter how hard you try to penny-pinch on a spring break trip. You'll eventually give and realize it's more fun that way.

I suggest if you are planning on going on a trip in the future, start saving now.

Put aside money just for that, and don't touch it till it's time for an ice-cold Corona.

And once you get that Corona, make sure you tip the bartender or you can be sure he'll never notice your waving arm again.

This one is important. Make sure when traveling that if you do not have a current valid driver's license, that you acquire a passport.

An expired license will not work, as a member of my traveling party unfortunately found out.

It took some smooth talking and some cold cash just for him to be allowed in the country.

As for whatever country you choose to visit, remember this simple, but hard-to-comprehend idea. You are not in the United States anymore.

The natives are going to be different and they are going to do different things.

We are in their homeland, so get used to doing things their way.

Two other pieces of advice I have for you may sound like nothing more than common sense, but trust me, they're very important:

Use freaking sun tan lotion. Think about where you are with relation to the equator. I don't care if you never burn when tanning in the United States; it's a whole different sun down there.

If a sign says "Beware of Crocodiles," heed its advice.

I'm not kidding on this one.

A guy staying at our hotel found out the hard way that a simple, innocent pee into the lagoon can turn into a two-night visit to a hospital because of a massive leg bite.

OK, now I'm sure you'll have your own set of surprises as well, but you at least know the basics of what to expect.

For anyone thinking about going on a trip next year, I highly recommend it.

It was a once-in-a-life experience that I'll never forget.

I'm sure with the 300 pictures we took, we wouldn't be able to anyway.