Human Interactions

Category BackpackingPosted on

Dining Manners and Etiquette – How To Use Your Knife and Fork Abroad

I just spent the evening ruining a perfectly good hamburger while trying to re-learn how to use my knife and fork. In an effort to immerse myself more completely during my time in Europe and Scandinavia I'm starting to try and eat like a European.  Unfortunately, that means awkwardly using my knif…
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Category BackpackingPosted on

In My Father’s Footsteps: Photos of Dad’s 1970 visit to Granada Spain and My Shots From 38 Years Later

I have the great fortune of coming from a family of travelers.  I crossed my first international border before I could walk and have continued to feel the drive to explore ever since. As I pave my path through life it's …
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Category BackpackingPosted on

Etiquette Be Damned. Stop Asking, “Do you speak X language?” It’s Rude and Pointless.

In a previous post Learning Danish – Surprising Realizations I discussed my evolving relationship with Danish.  One of the things I didn’t discuss was the surprising advice I received from Danish friends regarding one of the cornerstones of a traveler's phrase book; the oft used opening inquiry, “…
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Category BackpackingPosted on

How “Howdy” Has Made Me A Better Traveler – Considering Cultural Identifiers and Their Value

Each time we interact with a stranger there’s a significant amount of uncertainty. When that interaction occurs between people from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages that level of unknown is magnified sign…
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