Many people talk about the importance of learning some of the language of the place to which you are traveling. However, you don’t truly understand its importance until you arrive, and I was no exception to this. Today, we left São Paulo and journeyed south to the beautiful Guarujá beach.
My host family has an apartment right on the beach, and they wanted Sophie and me to spend some time there. It is an absolutely stunning place. Shortly after we arrived, we met some of their friends who also live at the condominium: a lovely couple, the husband’s sister, and their daughter. We all went to the beach together, played volleyball, and enjoyed some corn.
Then we went and swam in the pool, and I played some more volleyball with my host sister and their friends’ daughter. Then we all went to dinner at a beautiful restaurant on the 14th floor of one of the towers. We had a beautiful view of the ocean, and enjoyed some quality time together eating the traditional Brazilian dish, Feijoada. Finally, we returned to the apartment and played some music together.
While the time we spent with everyone was wonderful, many of them only speak Portuguese. And those who do speak English speak very little. So it was quite difficult for Sophie and me to join in on dinner table conversations, or to understand what was going on in general. At times, it felt very isolating to be the only ones who couldn’t understand a conversation. It was very eye-opening and jarring to feel the other side of the coin that many people face back home every day.
However, there was something else I realized. Despite the language barrier that was present between us, we were still able to connect through mediums other than verbal communication. I got to enjoy time with my host sister and her friend by swimming in the ocean together.
I formed connections with them and my host dad through the teamwork required to play volleyball and football (soccer). At dinner, we all shared a meal, one that is very important to their culture. It was served in large pots that we all took from, family style. Even though I wasn’t able to join the conversations, I still felt a deep connection to those around me through the shared experience of the meal and the appreciation of the beauty of nature. Finally, we shared music together, humming and strumming along to the world’s universal language.
Despite the lack of a shared language, I was able to connect with the people around me through teamwork, nature, sharing a meal, and music. Today truly demonstrated the reality that although language is an important element of travel, it is not the only way to connect with the individuals around you. Experiences help connect us and shape our relationships, regardless of what language we speak.
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