My passion for traveling began when I was a baby and traveled to another country just a few months after I was born. Now, at the age of 19, I have lived in five countries and visited seventeen, and my passion keeps growing. Being exposed to so many cultures at a young age had a major influence on my life. I spent most of my childhood in international schools where I made friends from different backgrounds and learning about their cultures was always fascinating to me.
Learning how to adapt
Moving to a new country involves a steep learning curve. Everything is new: a new language, cuisine, lifestyle, rules, fashion, etc. Obviously adjusting to a new place won’t be immediate, but being willing to learn and keeping an open mind has always helped me have a positive experience everywhere I’ve lived. For instance, when I moved to Germany, I didn’t know the language and took a German class in school to help. I couldn’t speak fluently but simply learning how to say simple phrases like “good morning” and “thank you” was appreciated. I learned that when you show people that you’re making an honest effort to try to learn about their culture, it goes a long way and they’re always willing to help.
“Where are you from?” is a complicated question
This question was confusing to me; I wondered when people asked me this. Did they mean where I was born? Where I lived prior? Where my family is from? It was difficult to answer because, although I was born in India and have a special connection there, I saw it as a place I simply visited to see my extended family. I also felt a strong connection to Singapore because I moved there at such a young age and have several significant childhood memories from there.
Since I’ve lived in New York for the past eleven years, it’s made this question a bit easier to answer. Short version: “I’m from New York and originally from India.” Long version: “I was born in India and then moved to Singapore, and then Malaysia, and then Belgium, and back to Malaysia. Then moved back to Singapore and then to Germany and then New York and I’ve been here ever since.” I can recite that in my sleep because of how many times I’ve said it.
Being a picky eater is lame
Food plays a major role in every culture. The one thing I’ve learned is that you should appreciate local food when you get the chance since you most likely won’t be able to experience authentic food like it in another country.
I have to give credit to my parents since they constantly told me to at least try everything once before forming an opinion on it. To this day, I will try anything that served in front of me regardless of what it looks like (as long as it’s safe and not moving; I still have some standards). I’m grateful that I tried so many different cuisines when I was a child because that is how I’ve discovered some of my favorite foods. Whenever I’m introduced to a dish I’ve never heard of, I’m always excited to give it a try.
Your accent will go on a world tour
My parents are from India so I’ve heard Indian accents in my house, but moving around and going to international schools early on has influenced the way I speak as well.
When living in Malaysia, people spoke in a Malaysian accent while my parents spoke in an Indian accent, and since I went to a British international school, my teachers spoke in a British accent. To top it all off, all of my classmates had different accents as well. This pattern of being exposed to a plethora of accents continued every time I moved. This has helped me pick up accents pretty fast and understand other accents better.
Now that I’ve lived in America for quite a while, I can speak with ease. However, there are still those certain words and phrases I catch myself pronouncing differently. It’s interesting how, even after years of not living in a certain country, it still has an effect on you.