Preparing For Your Trip: Cultural Differences

It has been a whirlwind of a week so far, and today is the first day I have been able to publish a post.  I apologize to those who were looking forward to Monday's subject post.  Unfortunately I have to stick with the schedule in order to stay on schedule.

Today I wanted to share a few things I have learned in my years of travel and experiencing other cultures.  When traveling to another country, it is good to do a little studying before you go.  You don't want to offend someone or do something that would be interpreted as offensive or intentionally intimidating.

There are lots of cultural differences between countries, and a good resource to start your search for info. of course, is the internet.  If you are more old school or enjoy books, a good place to go is the local library or bookstore (such as Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million). 

Start by looking at maps of the country and cities you will be going to.  Get familiar with the locations, the surrounding terrain, attractions, popular locations, etc. so you can get a good layout of the land.  This will help you to plot out your trip better and not make you feel lost when you get there.

Another good thing to look up is what the climate is usually like (you need to know what kind of clothes to wear) for that particular time of year, the local currency and exchange rates.  Find out what prices are like so you can budget your money better.

Gather information about the people, what they are like, what their customs are.  This is important to understand so you don't offend them.  In some cultures you don't use your left hand for anything except to go to the bathroom.  In some cultures it is rude to put your foot up and face the sole of your foot toward someone.  And in others it is common for people of the same sex to hold hands just to show friendship and nothing else.  These are things that are good to know so you don't embarrass yourself or those native to the country.

Read up on the local foods.  Are there any dishes you would like to try?  Maybe you will read about a kind of fruit you have never tasted and want to try.  You can learn tips like don't drink the tap water, only bottled.   That's the way it is in Morocco and Israel and many third world countries too.  In fact some countries it is recommended you not even drink water, but only soda from the bottle or can.

So don't forget to prepare for your trip adequately.  There are a lot of cultural differences to be learned to make your experience much more enjoyable.

Helping you get the upper hand to change your life forever,

Peter Bunn
 Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: http://www.workingathome.co/19415?go