What did you regret NOT doing on your first Sri Lanka trip that you fixed on the second

Pattern I see across hundreds of returning visitors: the biggest regrets are NOT exotic places, they are SPEED and DEPTH. Concretely: (1) Rushing through the cultural triangle in 1.5 days; second-trip people give it 3-4 days minimum and add Anuradhapura at sunset and Ritigala. (2) Skipping the north (Jaffna, Mannar); first-trip people regret this universally and the north is the #1 second-trip add. (3) Doing only the famous train leg; second-trippers do multiple train rides and the coastal line to Galle. (4) Eating only at tourist restaurants; second-trippers eat at a kade (local eatery) every other day and discover lamprais, achcharu and proper rice-and-curry. (5) Not staying at a homestay; the social experience of a family meal in a Sri Lankan home dwarfs any 5-star room. (6) Buying gifts at the airport instead of the source (tea, batik, gems, spices - all cheaper and better at source). The most common second-trip itinerary: slower pace, more north, deeper cultural triangle, more homestays. Plan for less, experience more.