What happens when you are dropped off in a country where no one knows your name or your past? You’re a fish in a completely different pond, left to your own devices. For a while, you stop being the person you left behind.
Why do people travel to foreign countries? Typically, it’s for the purpose of leisure, business, or some sort of intellectual enlightenment. When I started traveling internationally, it was a means to shake me out of the ordinary. Until recently I had been working a corporate 9-5 job in a cubicle for about 9 years. I was living the American Dream, I guess. I had a great rapport with my company, but the monotony became overwhelming. Every day at work was more or less like the movie, Office Space. Worse, I was having trouble making real, meaningful connections where I lived. I had acquaintances, but not long-lasting friends.
In the midst of the COVID pandemic in 2021, I booked a flight to one of the few places that checked two crucial boxes. It was a place I genuinely had interest in going to & it was a place that would actually allow me to enter, given COVID travel restrictions. I was going to Dublin, Ireland. It was a wonderful trip. I guzzled down Guiness every day. I toured beautiful cathedrals & the Guiness brewery. I went to pubs & I mingled & sang songs with the Irish. My life of stagnation was all the way across the ocean. I was briefly free.
A year later I would go to Prague, Czech Republic, my options still fairly limited. While this trip was unforgettable with its incredible castle spires & cobblestone roads, I also noticed how common it was for natives to speak multiple languages. So, I left with a newfound desire. I wanted to learn a new language. As to which language, the answer was clear- Spanish. Most Americans already know at least a little bit of Spanish &, more importantly, it’s one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. You get a lot of mileage when you learn Spanish, in any dialect. Since then, I have been pursuing the effort to become completely fluent.
My aim for this blog is to share my experience in language learning, travel, & their impacts on life & personal development. That includes the highs & the lows. It’s about the discomfort & beauty of stepping out of your comfort zone & tearing down language barriers. It’s about reflecting on cultural encounters & trying to make connections that you struggle to make back home. I hope this blog provides clarity to those who have felt the tension between wanting to belong & to be utterly free.
