This was the first country I’ve traveled to since 2018 where English was the first language spoken.
Debatable, because Scottish English deserves its own category… (I kid, I kid)
For the first time in years, I didn’t strain to listen. I didn’t have to read faces before words. I didn’t have to calculate context clues before responding. I didn’t have to sit in the quiet humility of not fully understanding.
And it hit me.
For eight years, I’ve been placing myself in rooms where I wasn’t fluent. Where conversations moved around me. Where I had to be patient. Where I had to be wrong. Where I had to ask again. Where I had to surrender control.
That does something to a person.
It teaches humility. It teaches patience. It teaches you what it feels like to be the outsider. To be uncomfortable. To not know what’s going on and still choose to stay.
Travel stripped me of the illusion that I needed to understand everything to belong. It taught me that presence is sometimes enough. That kindness translates. That eye contact matters. That laughter bridges gaps. That patience is a muscle.
Living and traveling where English wasn’t the default shaped every part of me.
It shaped how I listen. How I observe. How I plan. How I hold space. How I guide others into experiences that stretch them in ways they don’t yet see coming. Because I know what happens when you step into the unfamiliar long enough.
You soften. You expand. You grow in places comfort never could reach.
I am deeply grateful that my life took this path. Grateful that I’ve sat in rooms not understanding. Grateful that I’ve fumbled through pronunciation. Grateful that I’ve relied on translation apps and hand gestures. Grateful that I’ve felt small, because feeling small makes room for something bigger. Travel didn’t just show me the world.
It reshaped me.
And that is why I do what I do. Because I’ve seen firsthand how experiences you never imagined saying yes to can quietly redefine you. That’s the power of stepping into the unknown.
I’ve would love to help you create your own unfamiliar adventure. You can find out more about working with me here.
