Spice up your home with these 4 international living tips

It's a shocking statistic: The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries reports that only 30 percent of U.S. citizens have a current passport. The faltering economy and vastness of our own land to explore does help to explain the small number, but we clearly need to get out more often. One of the richest rewards of international travel is experiencing how other people live and taking the best of what we discover and incorporating it into our own daily lives--whether it's learning how to cook with olive oil in Italy or discovering the joys of open-air homes in the Caribbean. Here are a few examples of international cultural norms, and ways to bring the best of the world home.

Going Dutch

The vibrant city of Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands. Since the city suffered heavy bombing by the Germans in World War II, it was almost completely rebuilt post-war. Thus, it is home to some of the most cutting-edge architecture on Earth. For example, famed modern architect Rem Koolhaas is a native to Rotterdam, and his company OMA is based in the city.

A population of 603,425 (as of March 2010) call Rotterdam city proper--a mere 80 square miles--home. Thus, the population density is extreme (7,381 people per square mile) and its inhabitants make use of every inch.

Esther Ruijgvoorn lives in a loft in a converted warehouse in Rotterdam with her partner (only about 30 percent of committed Dutch couples marry) and their infant son. She shares some intriguing details about day-to-day life in her city, pointing out that there is no room for automobiles in her city. "You can't get around in a car at all easily in Rotterdam," says Ruijgvoorn. "So we move around on bicycle and via public transportation. We've got a subway system and trams and you can reach every part of the city easily. The no-car situation defines the way we do our grocery shopping. There's a supermarket around every corner and shopping is done almost daily."

The lesson we could all learn from Rotterdam is to be less auto-dependent. If you live in a densely populated area, running errands on bike can be a terrific way to burn calories, save fossil fuels (and emissions), and take the hassle out of parking. Many U.S. cities, like New York and San Francisco, are instituting new bike-share programs that'll make this much simpler.

Sri Lanka socializing

Melissa Lamson, president and CEO of Silicon Valley–based Lamson Consulting, has the enviable job of cross-cultural consultant. She counsels U.S. executives and their families who are assigned to work overseas and helps them adapt to new cultures. She has visited over 40 countries, worldwide, and is an expert in daily life and etiquette in many destinations.

One of Lamson's favorite places is Sri Lanka. She especially loves the spontaneity of the culture in this South Asian country. As she explains, "There's not this big separation between public and private; people come over to your house all the time, they're always welcome." Lamson says that, "Generally, in private homes, the dining room and outdoor area, usually melds into backyard, private. Family, friends, neighbors all come in and out. The pace of life is very slow."

As Americans, most of us could use a lot more time for socializing and really getting to know our neighbors. Though it isn't practical for most of us to have an open-door policy all the time like the people in Sri Lanka, you could unplug the TV and computer one night a month and start a rotating potluck dinner once a month at the homes of neighbors and friends (maybe a Sri Lankan curry could be on the first menu?). You'll be likely be heartened at the warmth and closeness that sharing a casual meal engenders.

Greek love

Dana Kokla is a British native who came to Zakynthos, a small Greek island close to the resort area of Tsilivi, to celebrate the 2004 New Year with friends. A friend who lived on the island was getting married to a local. Dana met the best man, fell in love and, as she says, "The rest is history. Five years later, I was married to him and now have two beautiful children!" Dana, the author of the eBook "Flower Reflections," says she's a wholehearted convert to the Greek way of life and will never return to live in the U.K.

"Greece has a completely different culture to that of Britain," says Kokla. "When I tell my friends about it they're often nostalgic, remembering how life used to be in Britain even just 25 years ago. The Greeks are bound together tightly as a community and in their own family groups, through tradition, celebration and the Orthodox church. Even though I am not of the Orthodox religion, watching and participating in any religious celebrations, especially Easter, is an emotionally moving experience. When we celebrate, we know that every other person on the island is celebrating at the same time and in exactly the same way."

Kokla says that the pace of life and the values on Zakynthos would be considered old-fashioned by most. Family comes first, children are raised to be respectful of elders, and most meals are prepared and eaten at home. She says, "My favorite part of living here has to be my home and the wonderful family that I have here and the way that we live together. Having come from a city and a home with all modern conveniences, my life here is completely different. We have a vegetable garden and chickens--life seems more 'real.' "

To add a taste of Greek living to your home, you might consider starting a small vegetable garden, in season, or just growing herbs in a window box. It's incredible how much pleasure (and flavor!) you'll get out of adding just-picked ingredients to your homemade dishes. Children, especially, enjoy participating in helping to grow and cook home-grown food.

Mellow Mexico

David Landsel, the travel editor of The New York Post, has visited nearly every corner of the world, but finds that his favorite lifestyle is the one enjoyed by our neighbors to the south.

"I love Mexico so much," says Landsel. "It's still North America, but it has an intriguing, mellowed-out difference. I can go down to Mexico and have a five-hour lunch with people I don't know. You sit down, and the next thing you know there are seven bottles of wine on the table and it's dark. It's similar to the U.S., and it feels close to life here, but the pace and enjoyment of life is so much richer."

Landsel enjoys the fact that Mexico is close to home, but as soon as you cross the border--even from San Diego to Tijuana--everything changes. "It's very hospitable, a very welcoming and generous culture. It's very in tune with the environment, indoor and outdoor. There is a sleepy, happy kind of quality. They live at a pace that I absolutely love."

Americans could certainly take a lesson from Mexicans and take the time to savor life a bit more. Why not try a Mexican-style lunch some weekend? Prepare a buffet that can be served at room temperature, gather a variety of wines and some friends, and carve out a few hours to just sit, chat and enjoy each other's company and not worry about the clock, errands or chores. Like many of these life lessons from other lands, you might find that a slow, leisurely meal can be way more fulfilling than an afternoon chock-full of "accomplishments."

Even if you don't have the time or money to travel internationally right now, there are many simple things you can do to add an international flair to your life. Borrow beautifully written travelogues from the library (Martha Gellhorn's "Travels With Myself and Another" is a classic, and Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" is a more modern treasure-trove of foreign joys), watch PBS travel specials and subscribe to international-destination magazines. The rest of the world most certainly has a lot to teach us, but some of those lessons can be learned right here in the U.S.A.