Whether I am okay with it or not, I’m 48 years old. There are many advantages to doing this sort of thing later in life. You have wisdom, you’re more comfortable in your own skin, making mistakes, so on and so forth. You’re cooler under pressure and don’t panic nearly as often. You know your business, who you are, what you’re about. Culturally, older folks are also given a little more respect around the world, and thus some deference as well. It’s not always an advantage, but it doesn’t really hurt anything. However, picking up a new language is not one of those advantages of age. When we’re younger our brains are like new sponges. They absorb everything. As we age, our brains start absorbing new information a little more slowly. The synapses are all still firing, but the uptake and recalling of information is just not as quick. That’s just life.

One of the biggest challenges of learning Asian languages for us Westerners is the lack of sound association. Many of us speak a language based on the Latin alphabet. Whether you are at a pub in England, le bar in France, or a gostilna in Slovenia, the letters form a sound in your head. Then, more often than not, you can muddle your way through figuring out what the word means. Metric, however, is a different matter.

With no sound in your head, where do you start? How do you navigate the maze of words and sounds? Never mind the syntax. Fortunately, Google Translate does a good job—mostly. I’ve not had any embarrassing Google Translate incidents that have sparked a war with the West, which is nice.

So, you need someone to help you learn some basic words and phrases. This will help you get started on your journey. The folks over at XploreAsia, once again, were amazing. They handled this specific aspect of Thai culture expertly. They even arranged for a Thai language teacher to come in and help us out. Pear was absolutely amazing! (No photos of her. Sorry, folks.) She worked with us on the basics: hello, thank you, what’s your name, my name is, etc. Later on in the week, we will put our newly acquired language skills to work at the local open-air market. That’s another post for another day.

One of the things I was concerned about living in Thailand was navigating the language barrier. I was worried not knowing the language would be a huge disadvantage. It turns out that good observation skills, some basic manners, and being somewhat deaf works out to my advantage here. For the record, it’s not that I am deaf. I still hear things clearly, but I am losing the ability to differentiate conversations from background noise in crowded spaces. I can tell that an oboe is 10 cents flat while the entire band is playing in a concert hall. However, I can’t understand a single word of the person next to me when other conversations are happening. Noise all around me makes it hard. If someone is talking directly to me in said crowd, I can understand them. But I really have to concentrate on it.

As it turns out, that’s actually a huge advantage. This is especially true when traveling in a foreign country that doesn’t speak your native language. Whether I am in America or Thailand, people sound exactly the same around me. This is true regardless of the language they speak. That’s a gift, I think. Or, at least a way to turn what could be a huge disadvantage into a major advantage. That’s how I’m going to frame that. I think. Regardless of your age, I still recommend learning a new language. Science has shown that being multilingual will help your brain regardless of your age, so it’s a worthy pursuit. Especially if you’re looking to visit a foreign country. But don’t let that be the reason that stops you from going. I didn’t.

So, here are a couple of practical language tips for you to prepare for your own journey abroad.

1). Don’t worry about the language barrier. You’ll pick up words and phrases as you go.

2). Embrace mistakes and learn to laugh about it. People are kinder than you think.

3). If you don’t know, that’s okay. There’s always Google Translate.

4). If you like, you can start learning a foreign language through many different apps. Science is good, and it will help your brain out in the long run. Just do it!

So, until next time, please take care of yourself, look out for each other, and stay curious!