I traveled the world for a year and here are the 21 best travel tips I can give you

A year ago, I left New York to travel around the world as Business Insider's international correspondent. Over that time, I visited over 20 countries and had countless adventures.Traveling for so long has led to lots of mistakes, adventures, and realizations about how to make every trip better.Some of my most important tips include only going to tourist attractions that actually interest you, skipping overhyped destinations in favor of lesser known ones, and using Skyscanner's “Everywhere” feature to get cheap flights.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.The only way to get better at traveling is by doing it.From the booking of hotels and flights to figuring out how you want to spend your time and making friends with locals, the more you travel, the more comfortable with it you become.I've been something of a travel junkie for most of my adult life, even before leaving last March to travel as Business Insider's international correspondent. I've taken countless backpacking trips and have visited over 30 countries in my life — yet I still feel like a novice.Every trip I take, I feel like I learn something new, but no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are with travel, it is always a rewarding experience. After a year abroad, here are the best tips I can give you.