Unfortunately, the assumption that Americans only speak English and expect everyone else to do the same sort of applied in my case when I studied abroad. I knew zero phrases of French before I stepped on the plane and was armed with my Rick Steves' phrase book that I was hoping would help me communicate just enough until my French lessons began. 

If you are visiting an area that speaks another language and are a picky eater, it is important to learn the names of foods that you like and don't like. Samantha and Emily hated fish with a passion. They made up a little reminder "poission = poison" so they knew to avoid it on menus.

You'll also find yourself doing a lot of pointing and gesturing. Because somehow these generic sign language moves transcend language and culture. Most of the time.

Also, in France, they start counting with their thumb on their fingers. So let's say you pass by a bakery (there is literally one on every corner so take your pick) and you want two almond croissants. You step up to the counter, butcher "deux croissant amande" so for good measure you hold up your second and third finger to emphasize that you want two. Well, it's your lucky day because you will most likely be given three (you should have held up your thumb and second finger...does that make sense?) Anyways, in this instance having three almond croissants instead of two is a great thing in my opinion.

Finally, while you may have a grand idea of visiting every country in Europe at one time, but be prepared for a language overload. After accidentally speaking French in Italy, and Italian in Switzerland, it might be easiest to try your hand at English and hope for the best.

We truly live in a global society. Whether you're travelling for fun, or working in a global company or organization, interacting with others who speak a different language is inevitable. Don't let a language barrier prohibit your information from reaching people across the world. Go a step beyond Google translate and instead opt for a translation service, such as Smartling, run by humans and not computers.

Have you had any language mishaps either while traveling or at work? How did you handle them?

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The Jessa Olson Blog

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Meet Jessa (formally of Life of a Sports Wife). Similar to me, she spent some time in Arkansas. There is something about everyone around you shouting "Woo Pig Souie" that automatically gives you something in common. More than our shared time living in The Natural State, we are also baseball fans (her husband works for the minor league team) and I suppose I will forgive her for wearing Rangers attire. Jessa is also a runner and is constantly sharing tips for you to become a runner too. It's yet to work for me, but I always love the motivation! New to her corner of the internet? Get a crash course here. 

For the majority of the country, spring is here to say (minus yesterday's freak cold snap). The azaleas are blooming, the pollen is in full force, which means my car will be completely yellow for the next few weeks. Also, my apartment complex's pool is officially open. If that doesn't say "spring is here," I don't know what does. Besides the miles-long waiting list to get a pedicure at my favorite spa. But that is neither here nor there. I said all that to say that the flowers awakening from their hibernation reminds me of that one half-hour I spent in Monet's garden in Giverny. Enjoy!

Towards the end of the semester, the group I was with decided we wanted to visit the beaches of Normandy before we left. So we planned a two-day drive north, stopping along the way at Monet's garden and Mont St. Michel.

To start this story off, I feel like I must admit that I am not an art fan. Yes, I enjoy looking at it, but it's not my favorite. I can't have conversations about how it makes me feel or the way the strokes give an air of melancholy. So the endless tours of museums in Paris was a little dull for me. That is, until I discovered the Impressionists. After visiting the Orangerie and the Orsay I fell in love with the muted palates and pretty subjects of Monet, Degas and Renoir. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned we were going to visit the scene that inspired Monet's water lily series.

And the visit, no matter how short, was delightful and breathtaking. I wanted to capture every inch of the space, so I viewed most of it through my camera, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

To get from Paris to Monet's garden in Giverny, take the train from Saint Lazare station to Vernon and then take one of the shuttle buses to Giverny and the garden. Since my group had a very limited time (i.e. the time inbetween one train from Vernon and our next train on to Normandy) we had to rush through the tour of the garden and the house. Despite the rush, I was so glad that I was able to make the stop and see all of my favorite scenes in person.

*this post was originally a guest post of Oak & Oats

Hello everyone!

If you are in the South, I hope you are unthawing. 

Today, I'm guest posting on Oak & Oats

while Elizabeth is at Disney. (so jealous!)

I'm talking about that one time I visited

Monet's garden in Giverny

on a spur-of-the-moment weekend 

trip to Normandy.

While the trip was short,

it was one of my favorites. 

Getting lost riding through the French countryside,

staying at the perfect b&b, 

visiting the beaches of Normandy, 

and (almost) touring Mont St. Michel.

When can I go back?

Day 2: Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at.

I'd like to pride myself on knowing a little about a lot of things. Teenage television dramas, the quadratic formula, the French Revolution; I could tell you a small amount about all of them. However, if we're being honest, I could talk for days hours about teenage television dramas; my expertise is in The OC, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and The Hills.

So what am I going to educate you on, you may ask? Spelling and grammar. Before you stop reading, just let me explain. I see this as a public service because, if you're like me, nothing makes you stop reading more than incorrect capitalization and the dreaded Oxford comma. Oh, That doesn't bother you? Well I don't know if we can be friends then. Just kidding. But please, next time you type something, at least go through and correct all of the words spell check catches. The world and myself will thank you.

Here are a few reminders: 

1. Alot is not a word. 

2. "I" is always capitalized when referring to yourself. Always. Now if you are one of those writers who doesn't capitalize anything, then I will give you a slide on this one because at least you are consistent. But for the rest of you, i'm watching. 

3. Ellipses should not be used to represent a period. The president may pause every few words during his speeches hoping they will be filled with applause, but that does not mean you need to include ellipses every few words in your writing. I'll tell you right now, unless you are J.K. Rowling writing "Harry Potter Book Eight," no one is going to be cheering after every sentence.

And finally, I am going to put the ongoing "who vs. whom" debate to rest with a simple trick. 

4. Who vs. Whom. Until a few months ago, I vowed to ignore "whom" because I thought that surely it was soon to be removed from the English language. Since that has not happened, and most likely won't happen any time soon, I needed to learn the correct usage. As a child, I thought you only used "whom" when you wanted to sound fancy or extremely educated. (Surprisingly, I was wrong.) TIP: Turn the question into a statement. Who/whom does he love? He loves me. If you answer the question with "me" use whom. If you answer the question with "I", use who. Make sense? 

For those of you who have read this far, thank you. Especially those who are not communications majors. I will reward you dedication with a few tips on "How to not look and sound like an uncultured American when in Paris."

1. Speak softly (or not at all) and don't make eye contact with other passengers when on the metro. The French are seen as rude and unkind because they don't talk a lot in public. While they are by no means as friendly as the Italians, the French are not rude. They are just reserved. If you don't want to stand out as American (as if your Northface jacket or Kavu backpack didn't give you away), then pull out your white Apple earbuds and enjoy the view out of the window as you ride through town.

2. Stand on the right side of the escalator; walk on the left side. While this is supposed to be a universal rule of etiquette, most American ignore it when at home and abroad.

3. Always attempt to speak French at first. Your Southern twang or Boston accent will most likely give you away, but the French appreciate your effort. Who knows, your pronunciation may even get a smile or chuckle from the shopkeeper.