When traveling, especially to a country you’ve never been to before, a lot of people have a lot of expectations. Whether it be excitement or dread over a certain aspect of your trip or the culture of the country, assumptions run through our heads. This is advice based on personal experience having been to 10 countries, and having lived in three. So what to expect when visiting a new country? My recommendation is to have no expectations.
On Making Friends
Friends and acquaintances are made in the most unexpected places. This applies to both domestic trips and international trips. One of the most impactful experiences I’ve had with a stranger on a domestic trip was on a flight from Denver to San Diego. I sat next to an old man who took interest in the fact that I was a 20-something year old reading a paperback book on a plane.
He struck up a conversation about life, his story, and the lessons that I could learn from it. His story of coming over to the states as an illegal immigrant and working hard to provide for his wife and future family. He successfully gained citizenship and had a kid. The man worked hard, got promoted to a well paying job so that his son wouldn’t have to go through what he had. The son grew up and felt entitled to the money and ungrateful for what his father had achieved. He gave me the advice to follow my dreams and be grateful for everything I have.
When moving to Italy, I went in the expectation of making friends with locals easily. That did not turn out as expected. I ended up making friends with many other Americans. Some of these friendships extended well beyond our time in Italy. After moving back to the US, I saw many of those friends again and many have plans to visit me in Japan.
I should have learned my lesson when moving to Japan, but I did not. I went in with similar expectations. And I was proven wrong again as right now my group of friends here is the most diverse group of people I’ve ever had in my life. If you’re curious on adventures, cultural differences, or Japanese artisanship check out our other posts and our shop.
On Networking
If you’re hoping to make business connections, stay openminded to where you might meet these connections. Walking out of a classroom in Italy long after I should have left, I ran into an Italian man who saw me and asked “Are you an American?”. What I expected to be sarcasm was not at all. After taking me to aperitivo, I was told he was looking for an American to voice a commercial for a startup company. I happened to fit the bill and learned a bit about business from him and his cohorts.
When I moved to Japan, my apartment was in a small town suburb. Not many foreigners lived here so I was very surprised to meet my American neighbor. Having been in business for decades, he took interest in my ambitions. I told him my startup idea and he helped me build the first plan behind Rambling Merchant. While he is also a friend, he has become a great person to network with. However, you might find the unexpected people who can exceed all your expectations.
On Unexpected Encounters
For those of you who have seen Lost in Translation, you’ll understand the concept. The unlikely bond between Bob and Charlotte is also something we desire. Did Bob expect to meet Charlotte when going to Tokyo? Of course not. Sometimes you go to a Halloween party to see some friends and drunkenly make a life-changing connection. The moral of the story is to keep your eyes open to meeting unexpected people.
On Finding Your Passion or Catalyst
Sometimes you go to a destination with a purpose in mind. A few things can happen in this case. The worst case is that things don’t work out. From here you return to where you came from, regroup and try again. Another option is that you find a catalyst that helps propel your idea. My neighbor and my unexpected encounter were both catalysts in realizing that what I wanted to do had potential. Because of meeting them, I acted a lot quicker than I would have otherwise.
Sometimes you find a new passion. Your initial purpose for coming fades as your realize there’s something new you discovered that keeps you where you are, or you take back with you. This is a concept that can happen at the same time as finding your catalyst as you broaden your horizons.
So what should you expect when visiting a new country? Nothing really. Keep your eyes open to new experiences and connections and make the most of experiencing a new culture.
