Beyond the specific purpose of a travel, mobility is an individual experience constantly calling into question our personal features and beliefs.

During a journey we gain a better knowledge of different cultures and habits but, experiencing diversity, we also see our own culture and habits through new lenses.

Normally, in our home country, we do not feel pressured by diversity.

Travelling in a very diverse country instead forces us to confront with a diverse common denominator and, as a consequence, potentially incur in cultural clashes, in some cases also unacceptable according to our mindset because limiting our regular freedom of expression.

Cross-cultural misunderstanding, involuntary offences up to discrimination episodes due to a different perception or application of what we normally consider to be universal principles are always behind the corner.

Signs and gesture may acquire a complete different meaning and our treats may assume different significance in the new environment.

Cross-cultural differences can create disharmony between people.

Resolving these differences and when possible preventing them can be a big advantage when travelling abroad.

Communication across cultures is not automatic.

To facilitate it self-awareness is crucial.

Self-awareness involves a profound knowledge and recognition of our own underlying, often subconscious values, beliefs, behaviour, personal inclinations, assumptions and treats.

But it also involves the recognition that the language spoken by local people is embedded in their underlying culture.

Therefore it is important to spend some time thinking about who we are and then going beyond the mirror and try to understand which of our distinguishing features may clash with the host country environment.

On the other side having a basic understanding of what is acceptable and what is not according to the local culture will also preserve us and the people we’ll meet from unpleasant situations.

This does not mean that we are expecting to act like local people but simply that we should better be prepared to confront with them.