Talk to Me, Goose: Learning Languages and Bridging Cultures in Your Travels

Parlez-vous français? ¿Habla español? ?????? ?? ????? ????????? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Parla italiano?An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? ????? ?? ????????? ????? Fince konu?uyor musun? Sen Türkçe konu?may? biliyor musun? If that paragraph leaves you wanting to say, “That’s all Greek to me,” don’t worry—you’re not alone. The European Union is (currently) comprised of 27 countries: allContinue reading “Talk to Me, Goose: Learning Languages and Bridging Cultures in Your Travels”

Money, Money, Money

Call to Action: Hi everyone! I need your help. I’m putting together an article about slang terms for money around the world for an online travel magazine.  For example, in the USA, we might say “cash”, “bucks”, “flow”, “Benjamins”, “bank”, or “dough”. Particularly if you live in another country (although I am deeply curious aboutContinue reading “Money, Money, Money”

It’s All German (and Turkish) to Me

One of my linguistics professors once said to me, “Language is culture.” He didn’t mean that it’s a part of one’s culture but that it both encompasses and permeates the culture. It defines—and is defined by— it. And whenever I travel, discovering the quirky phrases that make a culture tick helps me to get inside theContinue reading “It’s All German (and Turkish) to Me”

From Travel Idiot to Travelphile: One Woman’s “Travelution”

With the start of a new year, many people take stock of their life in the last twelve months: choices made, goals achieved, promises broken, dreams unfulfilled.  In optimistic form, resolutions are made in the hopes of making this year even better than the last.  In a similar vein, I’ve been thinking about my travelContinue reading “From Travel Idiot to Travelphile: One Woman’s “Travelution””

It Takes A Village And Then Some

This might have been the lightest I’ve ever packed.  Two pairs of lightweight cargo pants, one pair of leggings, two well-worn long-sleeve shirts, one short-sleeve, two tank tops, a sweatshirt, my jammies, my tennies, my undergarments, and my toiletries would be more than enough to get me through a week of construction work in Tijuana. Continue reading “It Takes A Village And Then Some”