What Inspired Me to Write This
When I was young, I travelled a fair bit with my family, albeit I didn’t know too much about what was going on around me. Recently, however, I went on a trip with one of my American friends to Phuket in Thailand, my home country. It was a surprisingly new experience for me despite this trip being in my home country.
As I was showing my friend around, I explained various things about Thailand to him, and we discussed the differences between Thailand and America. When I first went to America for high school, I learned about the differences between American and Thai culture through my interactions with the people and the environment. The thing that I made the trip a surprising experience, however, was how this was really the first time I seriously took a look at Thailand through the lens of a foreigner. In fact, most of the locals there thought I was a foreign tourist trying to speak Thai due to my looks and the fact that Phuket is a touristy area. Not only did I now see the differences between Thailand and America through the conversations I had with my friend, but I also experienced, firsthand, Thailand through the lens of a foreign tourist and was able to observe how local Thais treated me there compared to Bangkok, where most of the people are locals.
It was quite interesting how when I started speaking Thai to the local vendors and staffs there, their tone instantly changed, and it was like they gave me a different level of respect and started treating me differently. Besides that, there was many things I only got to observe because my American friend pointed it out. These were things that I would normally take for granted since I grew up in Thai culture.
My Tips for You
Surprisingly, the techniques you used in your history and literature classes weren’t so useless after all. Just like when you’re about to read and analyze a book critically in your literature class, it helps to learn about the history and culture of the place you’re about about to visit before you go there. Of course, if you want to just go somewhere like Miami to party or go to a national park for a hike, then it is not really necessary, but if you want to broaden your understanding of the world, then follow these tips below.
Learn the language
Even just learning the basics like how to greet or thank someone will be helpful. Learn the different terminologies people here use (if you’re visiting the UK as an American, for example). There are some things you should definitely learn before travelling to a foreign country, however, including how to ask for help, where the restroom is, or order a cab. This can include learning about the body language too since it can differ from where you’re from.
Learn about the history of the place you’re visiting
Read up some Wikipedia entries or watch some Youtube videos about the place you’re planning to visit. Some questions to research are:
How was this country formed? How is the society structured? What are the main drivers of the economy? What policies does the government follow? What religion do most people there follow? What major trends are the country experiencing?
Now, when you visit the place, you can tell your friends about what you learned or you can observe your surroundings and see if it matches what you read about. You can think about how the place has changed, the state that it is currently in, or how you think it will change in thefuture. Learning about its history will give you a greater appreciation of the culture overall, with its beauty and its flaws.
Learrn about the people
Like previously mentioned, learn about the society of the place you’re visiting. Try to understand what makes the people there the way they are.
What are their values? How do they live? What are the common struggles they face? What do they take pride in? How does society there differ from the society you’re from?
You can even talk to the locals there about there experiences and ask them any questions you have. You do not necessarily even have to learn the language to communicate with them, though it helps. You can use Google Translate or find someone that speaks your language if its common enough (like English or Spanish). This will help enrich your experience and understand people better in general.
Jot down your experiences and any interesting observations
Write down some your expectations prior to the trip, experiences during the trip, and reflections after the trip.
What were you hoping to get out of the trip? What did you expect to see going in? What interesting differences did you observe between your culture and the culture there? How did this trip affect you? What major things did you learn? What surprised you? How does your life compare to a typical person from that country?
Taking time to answer these questions will help put your own life into perspective, and it can be very beneficial to do so.
Conclusion
That about wraps up my tips. The biggest takeaway is that if you want to get more out of your travels, then do some research before going in to better understand the place you’re going to, and take time to reflect upon your experiences. Why not take this opportunity to truly broaden your knowledge of the world?