The street signs, faucets, bedding, and money were all slightly different. There were prawn cocktail Pringles and gooseberry yogurt. And even though the local language was English, words and expressions took on different meanings that I struggled to navigate. I felt like I had tumbled into an alternate universe and may never get back.
It was difficult to realize that the culture I grew up in is just one way of living and that there are countless other ways of living that are equally “right” and valid. But once I settled in, I started to love these differences. It was exciting to learn how words, signs, money, and government work differently in different places, and comparing cultural notes with my British friends over meals in the dining hall became one of the favorite parts of my day.
By the time I left England, I felt like I had learned a new way of being and seeing the world. In fact, I loved it so much that the next year I signed up for a semester in northern Spain, and a few years later I spent a summer working for a family in southern France. After I graduated college, I became a high school Spanish teacher to help students learn about a new language and new cultures. Finally, after three years of teaching in Michigan, I moved to Seattle and found a job working for a European travel company called Rick Steves’ Europe.
Now I get to spend my workdays teaching travelers about the different destinations and cultures across Europe that they can explore and preparing them for the challenges they might experience. Plus, about once per year, I get to go on a European trip of my own! In the past few years, I’ve traveled to France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Bulgaria, and the Faroe Islands.
