I recently traveled out of the country for a long-awaited week away in paradise. I spent seven days in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This was a family vacation, and being the rules tend to bend when you step off of American soil, it was a chance for my younger brother, who is 17, as well as my cousins, who are 19 and 17, to get a taste of (literally) some newfound freedoms they would have to otherwise wait a few more years to experience.

For myself, a swim-up bar wasn't that exciting. Convenient, but nothing to go crazy about. For them? You would have thought they hit the jackpot. It was a good vacation overall; we had our fair share of laughs and jokes. However, I left the Dominican Republic with a few tips I feel inclined to share based on our experiences over the course of our stay:

1. Be prepared for everything you can imagine

I do mean everything. Think your family and friends will laugh at you because you packed a first-aid kit and some basic OTC medications? They won't be laughing when you're rushing to their aid. I brought: Pepto Bismol; Tums; Gas-X; Advil; Tylenol; a first-aid kit; Pepcid; Zegerid; Zyrtec; Benadryl; and enough sunblock to coat NYC.

2. Be weary

You're out of your comfort zone. Just because it's vacation doesn't mean you can lose all sense of intuition and let yourself (and your decision-making skills) go haywire. The foods in other places are unfamiliar to you and your digestive tract. When in doubt, ask for bottled water, and test foods in small amounts to make sure you don't spend part of your time away chained to a bathroom.

3. Look into communication options before you get there

Roaming charges add up, and they add up quickly. See if you cellphone carrier offers any type of add-on for your existing plan so you don't come home to a $900 bill thanks to roaming and out-of-network fees.

4. Set a safe-zone meeting place

Following the last tip, when you arrive be sure to communicate with your travel buddies and agree on a spot to meet up should anything go wrong. Try to keep it centralized and around people; this way, in the event you need to ask for help, you'll be in the general population. There is nothing worse than getting lost in uncharted territory with a cellphone that is functioning as a paperweight.

5. Be smart

If it doesn't seem like a good idea, odds are it isn't. Trust your gut instinct. Just because you're somewhere new doesn't mean intuition forgets how to work properly.

I hope these tips help anyone planning to travel. Be safe and have fun!