Lindsay is back from her trip to Egypt!
Listen in on today’s episode as she shares how she did learning Arabic.
She’ll also provide five key takeaways from her trip.
Adventure abroad
Lindsay is excited to share what she learned from her trip to Egypt.
She asks Aubrey what is the most adventurous place she has ever traveled to.
Aubrey said it was her trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico that was most adventurous.
She asked a local to recommend an area she should go that tourists don’t know to go to.
He directed her to a hike through the jungle to a hidden beach with a secluded bay for snorkeling.
It was a very adventurous experience since her destination was off the beaten path.
- off the beaten path: place unknown to the majority of people.
Going on an adventure is so fun and makes you learn a lot of new things.
In today’s episode, Lindsay shares five takeaways from her trip to Egypt.
Five takeaways from Lindsay’s trip to Egypt
Lindsay met up with two locals in Cairo.
Both of them were named Ahmed.
They ate local food together called koshari.
It was an incredible experience.
Today you’ll hear the tips Lindsay wants to share with listeners who are planning to go on a trip abroad.
#1: Embrace the chaos when you travel
Lindsay asks Aubrey if she has traveled to Southeast Asia before.
Aubrey has not and she mentions that it is on her bucket list.
When Lindsay went to Vietnam and she was unsettled by the hustle and bustle of the streets.
You can cross the street without a crosswalk.
That was new for her, as traffic laws are followed strictly in the U.S.
When she went to Cairo, it was much busier and crazier.
She wasn’t used to it and she felt the chaos.
It can be stressful but in the end, she embraced it.
Just because something is different from what you’re used to doesn’t make it wrong.
It broadens our perspectives to see different ways to do things.
If you go abroad, you will definitely experience a culture and traditions that are different from what you’re used to.
#2: Pronunciation is key
It has been exciting for Lindsay to learn a new language.
When learning a language, you have to take note of pronunciation.
There will be certain words in a different language that, if mispronounced, will be an entirely different word.
Lindsay shares that the word for water and one hundred in Arabic are similar.
She would ride a cab and say ‘maa’ and she got funny looks from the driver.
She meant to offer an amount of money and instead was saying ‘water.’
She asked her guide and discovered the mistake she had made.
Her tip here is to not be ashamed to ask a local what you may be doing wrong if you feel there is a miscommunication.
It can happen to any foreigner, so don’t have too much pride to check in if you’re saying the correct things.
Aubrey shared that she had a similar experience in Quebec speaking French.
Stay humble and embrace an experimental mentality.
#3: Take a moment to laugh with other people
Traveling abroad can be challenging communication-wise.
There will be moments of confusion if you go to a place where you don’t speak the language fluently.
But not all experiences have to be stressful because there will be locals who will be helpful.
They will likely find the situation amusing when you both try to figure out and understand each other.
Lindsay shares there was a moment with a cab driver who didn’t u understand where they were going.
He had to call a friend who could speak a little English.
After they got off the phone and finally understood where they need to go, they burst into laughter and connected.
They got to have fun in the midst of a stressful moment.
#4: Have more questions than answers when you head home
Lindsay asks Aubrey if she is familiar with the Egyptian gods or pharaohs.
Aubrey says she is slightly familiar because she took an Archaeology class in college and she has seen films like The Mummy.
Lindsay found out that there are a lot of archaeologists who are still digging up all the historical artifacts of the pharaohs and ancient Egypt.
She asked her guide if there were a lot of locals okay with this being done since it seems like it shouldn’t be dug up.
A lot of the pharaohs have buried or hidden so many of their possessions and relics that maybe the intention was they didn’t want them to be found.
If you’ve gone to a different place and you go home with an enthusiasm to learn more about a world outside your comfort zone, you had a good trip.
This is a good way to broaden your horizons and learn so many new things about humanity and the world we live in.
This is so enriching to our souls.
#5: Try out an Airbnb experience
This is a new service offered by Airbnb.
You can go to the Airbnb app and choose ‘experiences.’
There, you will get a tour guide and help you with a local tour of places most tourists wouldn’t know about.
Lindsay signed up for this and she was able to be guided by a local who curated a local food crawl to share with tourists.
This was a fantastic offering that would help you immerse yourself in a new place.
You will also be able to experience something that is not too touristy.
Lindsay also suggests you look into hosting an Airbnb experience.
This would be a great way to practice your English while earning income.
Email her at lindsay@allearsenglish.com if you’d be interested in a course to learn helpful phrases to do this.
Takeaway
Traveling abroad will help you open your mind to new knowledge and ways of life.
It is always great to expand your worldview and connect with other people outside your home country.
The moments that we engage with others and immerse in enriching activities when traveling make the trip worthwhile.
Are you going abroad soon?
Share in the comments your destination and three things you look forward to doing.
