"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." It is a saying that we never forget while traveling. The idea of course is simple: when you are in a place, do as the locals do. It is about respecting the culture that you are visiting. As we say constantly, nothing will brighten your travels more than respecting the local language, beliefs, and customs. The very first way that we do this is demonstrated in how we present ourselves. In many countries, that means dressing modestly by wearing long sleeves, long pants with a high collar and perhaps even covering our heads. We don't buy traditional attire that is unlike clothes we normally wear and try to become someone we are not; we simply respect the social norms of the culture where we are guests. Throughout our time in India, I always carried and often wore a headscarf, especially when visiting a religious site. It was amazing to me the number of times Indian women would see me, break out in a huge smile, and start a conversation, often even asking to take a picture of me and with me. The simple act of seeing a Western woman respecting their culture and the way they dress made them feel a kinship with me, or sparked an interest in who I am. It separated me from the average "tourist" and allowed me to be seen as someone different. I became approachable, a respectful guest whom they welcomed into their world with open arms.

A wonderful example of this behavior affecting our travels happened while visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar. When visitors arrive, they are kindly asked to remove and store their shoes, wash their feet and hands, and cover their heads. If they do not have a head covering of their own, one will be provided for them. The vast majority of Westerners who visit are easily identifiable through their standard-issue headscarf. Chris and I brought our own which we had purchased in Rajasthan as sun protection before heading into the Great Thar Desert. Mine, of course, matched my outfit, so it probably looked as if I dressed that way on purpose. Little did anyone know, despite the fact that I looked like I dressed to impress, it was my only long-sleeve shirt and only pants which got properly laundered just once a month. I did at least spare everyone's nose a great deal of discomfort by washing my outfit in a hostel sink every night and hung to dry on my hostel bunk bed while I slept, ready for me to climb right back into the morning. As Chris photographed the stunning Golden Temple, I noticed a group of women staring at me and I smiled at them. They all returned the smile eagerly and then turned to talk to each other. Seconds later, one of them walked over to me and started a conversation with me which ended with me in dozens of pictures with different women and ended with one of them asking if I would hold their daughter and let them take a photograph of me with her. This type of sharing would never have been possible without the respect for the culture I showed with that simple matching head scarf.

Respect for all people and cultures is one of the underlying principles of the Sikh religion. No matter who you are, what you look like, or where you come from, you are welcome at this temple. Stay as long as you want, pray to whomever you want; just act with kindness and respect. Remarkably, the Sikhs offer free lodging and a meal to anyone who visits the Golden Temple. The meal is served in the communal dining hall which is known as a langar. These customs were created to emphasize equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, or gender. It is hard to imagine such a belief originating in the 16th Century in India where the caste system underlies so many aspects of life. While visiting, we took part in this communal dining experience, partly out of curiosity, and partly because we were simply hungry travelers, as were many visitors that day and every day. After hours of walking around the temple and even taking a visit inside to see where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept, the holiest text in the Sikh religion, we made our way to the dining hall where thousands of other visitors were dining. It was easy to see how this is the largest langar in the world; over 5000 people at a time can easily eat a meal together here. We weren't quite sure what to do, but there was such a steady stream of people entering that we just fell into line and sat down on the marble floor when someone motioned where the newcomers could sit. We crossed our legs like everyone else, then were given a plate and a cup. Different volunteers walked around with a large bowl and put rice, lentils, vegetables and roti onto our plates and water into our cup. The meal itself was filling and made us feel very grateful to take part in such a communal event. After eating, we took our plates to the enormous rows of sinks where everyone pitches in to wash dishes. We left a donation when we left to help contribute to the next purchase of a million pounds of rice.

The rest of our visit was just as eye-opening and awe-inspiring as we viewed more of the beautiful complex and the intricate architecture and decoration that adorned every inch of space. We returned at night as was recommended by many other travelers and were overwhelmed by its beauty. The gold, lit by hundreds of perfectly-placed lights, shone as brightly as it did during the day, just with a different feel. I am grateful that I had the chance to learn about the Sikhs first-hand and experience their hospitality.

My husband, Chris, is originally from Milwaukee. As many of you know, there was a tragic shooting at a Sikh temple not long ago in Oak Creek, a suburb of Milwaukee, where some crazy and ignorant person walked into the temple and murdered 6 people and shot and wounded four more, not knowing a thing about who they are. After experiencing a little taste of this religion, it makes that tragedy all the more horrifying to us. It is tragic and unjustifiable for anyone to be a victim of such a horrific crime, but this just hit really close to home for Chris and I after experiencing such warmth and compassion while in Amritsar at the Golden Temple.