Language is a very important part of traveling because communication is one of the best ways of getting to know people and the culture you are immersed in. Knowing the language of the place you are in can open up so many different doorways and opportunities and help you connect on a deeper level.
Here in Spain, the main language is Spanish, of course, so I have gotten quite familiar with it. Even so, there have been many times when my communication has been limited because I didn’t speak Spanish well enough, and the other person didn’t speak much English; even though we tried our best, it was difficult to talk with and understand each other. It can feel limiting and distancing when I want to communicate with someone, yet we don’t speak the same language.
I have a friend who is fluent in Spanish, and when I go places with her, she always talks with locals and translates for us. She bonds way more with people, gets useful information or just enjoys a nice conversation with someone I couldn’t have communicated with because of the language barrier.
Now that I have started to learn more Spanish, I feel empowered when I talk with people who don’t speak English.
