Language

As some of you may have already seen on my Facebook page, I visited Rome a few weeks back. I’ve never really been thrown into a country that wasn’t primarily English speaking until my weekend in Rome. This city was absolutely gorgeous and had so much to offer, but it was a struggle trying to navigate in a city that had limited English. Luckily English is a very common language, and most countries that don’t speak it primarily, at least teach it in their schools. We were always able to either find someone that spoke a little English, or mime our way through the conversation. Rome was the only place I’ve traveled to thus far that I’ve had any difficulties with language barriers. It was frustrating at times, not only for my group but also for the locals attempting to help us. One thing that I learned in Rome, that I’m definitely going to try and continue to do for my future travels, is to learn a little bit of the primary language spoken. By at least attempting their native language, the locals seem a bit more willing to help. Plus I just think it’s more respectful to try and emerge yourself into their culture and try it all out, even if it seems a bit uncomfortable. All countries are proud of their history and culture, and they all appreciate the effort when travelers jump right in to their surroundings. I did my best to speak a little Italian while I was visiting this wonderful city, (granted I said everything horribly wrong) they assured me that it was the effort that counts. My advice for world travelers is to really jump in head first to the culture around you. Although it can seem uncomfortable at first, you might find things you actually really enjoy, and it brings self-confidence in the long run as well.

Sending my love!

Regan