Hopefully everyone has heard that you can stay in China for 72 hours without a visa if:

you fly into Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG or SHA), Guangzhou (CAN), or Chengdu (CTU)
fly out of the same airport
stay in the city/province the entire time
arrive with an onward ticket to a third country departing less than 72 hours after arrival
hold a passport from one of 51 countries including the United States

Here's what the U.S.

I really like my passport.

I actually haven't ranked my travel tips, but I love this one because it's super simple and saves me from getting lost all around the world.

But it's not my #1 travel tip, which would probably be "use miles" or "travel more" or "travel solo" or something like that.

It may not even be my #2 travel tip because you can save a lot of money with these two:

How I Pay Zero ATM Fees Worldwide
How to Get Free Texts and Cell Phone Data (Almost) Worldwide

Anyway, here's how I avoid getting lost worldwide when I don't have cell

T-Mobile offers an incredible deal for travelers. All of their monthly plans offer free text messages and mobile data in over 120 countries worldwide.

On previous trips, I've done everything from buy a local SIM card in every country to pay AT&T upfront for way-overpriced international phone, text, and data packages. On this round-the-world trip, I kept my phone and phone number and got free text messaging and mobile data in five of the six countries I visited.

I've had the good fortune to travel to 44 countries on six continents, many in the last two years since starting the blog.

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

I rarely write about my trips because I'm better at writing about how you can earn and redeem frequent flyer miles for your dream trips.

Most of this post was written in August as I left Buenos Aires, but I've edited it today. Thus the perspective is a mix of my perspective as I was leaving and my perspective as time has passed.

I arrived in Buenos Aires on February 19 with three 50-pound checked bags and two carry ons having flown from Los Angeles in American Airlines First Class. I'm typing this up on August 9 from the Star Alliance lounge at Ezeiza International Airport about to board South African business class to Johannesburg with one backpack and one overflow shoulder bag.

One of my most popular posts was How to See Seven Cities in Europe on One 12,500 Mile Award.

In that post from June, I explained how to use the 23-hour layover trick to see seven (or more) cities on one United award for only 12,500 miles plus taxes (of $155 in this case.)

I am in Rome, heading to Brussels tomorrow, so I am already done with three of my goals for the week.

party in Zagreb--check!

cliff jump in Dubrovnik--check!

I am a lodging cheapskate. My ideal trip length is four weeks, so hotel bills would add up quickly. Right now I haven't been in the US since February, so I've had to come up with creative ways to sleep cheaply.

But just because I'm a cheapskate doesn't mean I don't want to stay at fancy hotels sometimes too. I'm jealous that Rookie Alli has two nights at any Hilton worldwide.

I just arrived in Johanneburg, South Africa about 90 minutes ago from Buenos Aires, Argentina on a direct flight operated by South African Airways in Business Class (and paid for with US Airways miles.)

The flight was enjoyable--I slept for five of its nine hours by depriving myself of sleep the night before--but arriving in Johannesburg has already been an adventure.

We taxied to a remote stand and took buses to the terminal.

I'm preparing to spend my 26th birthday in Uruguay, which has me reflecting on past birthday locations, which have included Spain, Bolivia, Uruguay, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Virginia, and Hawaii.

One of my favorite memories comes from my 20th birthday in Copacabana, Bolivia, which featured a silent vodka purchase, stumbling into an international volleyball match, and being charged to use the shower by a ten-year-old.

Copacabana, Bolivia is a small, dusty town with the best access to Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna in Lake Titicaca.