I'm Jewish, so I have to keep many laws in mind. Kashrut, tefillin, yichud, kol isha, and more.
When staying as a houseguest in a non-frum or non-Jewish home, what are some of the issues I might face? What's your advice on dealing with these issues?
[Edit: Assume that the point of my trip is to attend a computer conference. Assume that my host is a quiet guy who's not attending the conference.]
Sources, links, and personal experiences are all welcome. Please tell us what web search terms you used, if any.
Related, regarding kashrut:
Related, regarding tefillin:
Answer
If I were staying in a non-frum or non-Jewish home, the foremost thing on my mind (outside of all the more common halachos that you mention) would be the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem, and the issur of Chilul Hashem.
Remember that you may be an uncommon sight for them, in some cases even the only orthodox Jew they've ever observed up close. As much as we'd like to think otherwise, most of us do draw stereotypes in our minds. (Imagine meeting only one Amish person, or only one Siberian; you'd be pretty likely to assume that most others from their place of origin are the same.) Keep in mind that your actions and behaviors will influence their thinking of all other orthodox Jews, and orthodox Judaism, and G-d.
No pressure. ;)
This is sobering, but empowering at the same time.
(It's true that we always have to be careful about these mitzvos, but when you stay in someone's house, they see a side of you that they wouldn't see on the street. Therefore, it's more important than ever that you are meticulous in following halacha and derech eretz.)
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