Language barriers are the least reason not to travel anywhere.
Memorising a small number of key words (including numbers), having a decent phrasebook and using gesticulations are all that’s needed.
Hotels will almost always have someone with some English.
Yah, plus quick translations on your phone can come in handy as well.
That being said, I like to learn the local languages if at all possible. To prove it, I’m even learning Georgian (and Russian) for a move to Georgia, and it’s gotta be one of the most useless languages in the world, as only 3.7 million Georgians speak it, plus it’s unrelated to any other language so you don’t even get any shortcuts to other languages.
I’m a language nerd though, so I’m enjoying the process. If I didn’t, I would probably only learn the absolute basics.
My girlfriend is more into Georgian than me though. I’m like 70% Russian/30% Georgian and she’s all in on Georgian. She dabbles a bit in art, so I think she enjoys the Georgian alphabet, which looks like something out of Mordor:
Another possibility is one of these t-shirts for everywhere you go 
If you’re big enough, you could fit every conceivable situation on there.
Ready to get back in the saddle. With 3 kids and a full time job travel is tough but we do our best. Currently in Hawaii for a month. Looking for a long trip, Europe maybe, next summer.
When I first went to Japan in the 90s, Japan wasn’t a very English-friendly place. Today, in Tokyo and most of the other popular destinations, English guidance is everywhere.
And while Japanese are notoriously poor speakers, they do study the language for years in school as part of their compulsory education, so you’ll have no trouble finding someone who can help you out if you do get in a bind.
Wife and I are debating where to go next summer for ~1 month. With 3 kids who’ll be 10, 8, 3. Current ideas: Italy, Barcelona, Ireland
man, i would learn georgian just to understand the songs and maybe be able to mouth along to them without feeling stupid.
Gregorian?
Barcelona has an amusement park nearby if your kids love that type of stuff.
My votes:
Leave 10 year old in Ireland, 8 year old in Italy, 3 year old in Barcelona.
After you do that, where are you going?
Wife in Paris, him in Amsterdam
No, but the flight to Chicago featured a lovely drunken obese gentleman constantly coughing, snoring, sneezing and making random sounds all while constantly refusing to put on his mask. He was sitting directly behind me.
I take it that isn’t the best of what Istanbul has to offer.
Makes it even harder to imagine the mindset of people not wanting to get vaccinated ASAP.
Also, it seems very smart to have a crowded two hour long line of people coming in from all over the world to go through customs declarations at O’Hare.
I’ve been outside Taiwan for less than a day and I’m pretty certain I’m going to die in the window between leaving and getting vaccinated.
Flight home last week I’m sitting in middle seat and can see what the two people to the front right and front left are watching - both fox news. When we land the front middle seat stands up - a nice professional looking Black woman. yiiiiiiiiikes.
When Turkey sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re obese. They’re bringing drunks. They’re making random sounds. And some, I assume, are good people.
hapf a like
One thing on my bucket list is seeing all 50 states. Been to all except AK, HI, ND, SD, MN, NH, and ME. Went to Kentucky last year and Michigan and Wisconsin earlier this year.
I also have the National Park passport book. Been to about 50 places. I recommend getting the book because there’s A LOT of places to visit outside the obvious parks like Yosemite or Yellowstone.
I stopped at Jimmy Carter’s childhood farm last week and I never would have gone if I didn’t have the book. It was really cool.
what state is HA?
LOL oops. Fixed it.
Some of my flight was spent fantasizing about being in the possession of some super glue and becoming an airplane legend.
