One of the mistakes I made as a first time traveler was thinking that all Parisians spoke English. I know..Embarrassing right? I figured that everyone in schools are supposed to learn a second language. Looking back, I did learn Spanish in high school but I didn't practice enough to retain it. So why would I think it would be any different for others?  However, I've come a long with with my level of respect and understanding of cultures. My most recent trip to Ax les Thermes was much more pleasant because I learned from my past experiences and took a moment to analyze my new enviroment. 

The significance of Lundi de Pâques

I have two interesting stories.  Back in 2018, I went to Italy and Vatican City. Despite being a history major at the time; I was not prepared on how to communicate with Italian locals. When I was at the train station, all the security guards had ignored my family and continued to play games on their phones. Of course, years later I thought about how my interaction could have upset them as well.