Lessons From a Vacation in europe
I returned from an eight-and-a-half-hour flight from Copenhagen, spent the past two days recovering from the time-change and am now ready to reflect on lessons learned as a result of my travels. Every new journey is an opportunity to enhance my learning so here are a few morsels from this trip. I hope they are helpful for you too.
Lesson One: A smile goes a long way. When you travel abroad, especially on your own rather than with a tour group, you find yourself apprehensive about numerous challenges like:
“What if the server doesn’t speak English? How am I going to order?”
“What if the menu is only in German? How in the world will I know what I’m getting to eat? Not to mention, will they have any food I like?”
“How do their gasoline pumps work? This one won’t take my card?”
“What if they don’t like Americans here?”
“How do I learn to drive on the opposite side of the road?”
“What’s up with all these trains driving through the middle of the city? How do I avoid getting hit by one?”
The list of fearful challenges is long, especially if you are not travel-savvy. When traveling to new lands, being nervous about the unknown is okay. It is also good to remember that when Germans or Swiss, or Austrians come to America, they experience the same apprehension.
So allow me to ask a question. What is your default expression when faced with the unknown? Honestly, for most of us, in these situations, our appearance is not our most pleasant. Our face tends to appear perplexed, afraid, grumpy, and even angry. If you are the person interacting with someone showing these facial expressions, it is easy to misinterpret what’s behind the look. “What is this person scowling about? This is just a restaurant?” “Is this guy angry with me? Why would he be upset with me?” “She should get off her high horse and treat me with respect!”
These conundrums force one to accept that you need help navigating a different culture and are willing to ask for assistance. In this case, a touch of humility accompanied by a smile is a good thing. Most people respond positively to a smiling face.
So, I was reminded to ask for help and do it with a smile.
We found a beer garden in Austria which was a bucket list sort of thing, so we were excited to enjoy an authentic German beer. The place was a huge, loud, outdoor venue, jam-packed with locals and tourists. We walked into the seating area and looked for a place to sit. We soon found a recently emptied table, so we high-tailed it to the destination. We were about to take a seat when a sizeable Austrian server who had tailed us looked down on me, saying something I could not decipher. What had we done wrong? Many European restaurants do not escort you to a table; instead, you seat yourself. Not so here we learned.
He finally pointed to another entrance with a fairly long line awaiting a table. I chuckled the entire time, knowing we had probably done something boneheaded, in his opinion. “Stupid Americans think they own the place.” We dutifully got into line, smiling and laughing the whole time, which disarmed our guide, who treated these American buffoons with respect and kindness. People respond better to smilers than frowners.
In turn, we took our seats, and the same server approached our table. I was sure he was thinking, “Oh geez, how did I get stuck with these nitwits?” He was about 6’2” and as stereotypical Austrian-looking as you could get. He leaned towards us to take our order. Rick ordered a bucket list huge barrel glass of brew for a souvenir picture and a badge saying he downed the entire golden elixir at an authentic beer garden in Austria. I ordered a beer as well, not knowing he would bring me the same behemoth as my friend received.
He then turned to Lori, who desired a more sophisticated drink of some kind, and she proceeded to inquire about what that might be. “Do you have a cocktail menu?” she asked. The colossal figure looked at her like she was from Mars, smiled, and leaned into her, saying in his distinctive German accent, “This is a beer garden.” He chuckled and asked her what she would like. I don’t remember what it was, but it was obviously not on the menu, which he expressed, rolling his eyes in the process.
“So, what do you want? Tell me what you would like.” We are now laughing as he peered down upon her, intensely waiting for another selection. Lesson: When visiting a beer garden in Austria, it is advisable to drink beer. However, they finally agreed on a good drink for her, and he cheerfully proceeded to make the order. Once again, smiles won the day.
My trip to Europe reminded me that smiles can help neutralize uncomfortable situations. I have practiced for many years trying to make my default look pleasant and smiling, which leads me to the second lesson.
Lesson Two: People want to help people who need help and are willing to request it, so don’t be afraid to ask. To most people, most of the time, helping someone, even in a small way, feels good. When you allow someone to help you, you are doing both of you a favor.
Train travel in much of Europe is high quality and common, much more so than in the States. However, this mode of transportation looks a little different than in the US. Many trains are electrically powered, quiet, and sleek. They move quickly and are usually on time. However, we did experience an hour-and-a-half delay on our last train ride. Knowing that European train efficiency sometimes resembles American plane schedules was heartening.
We thoroughly studied train schedules to Salzburg, determining that we could board the train at our small municipality’s train station. We gave ourselves plenty of time, plugged in the station location to Google Maps, and obediently followed directions leading to a tiny, non-descript “station” in the middle of nowhere. “Are we in the right place? This place seems awfully small.” We struggled to read the posted schedule, which seemed to indicate we were in the correct location.
Time for train pick-up came and left with no sign of a bright red Choo Choo. Obviously, something was wrong, and it was most likely us. Let’s plug in the location again and ensure we got it right. “Oh, there is another train station closer to town, and the Google Lady wants us to go there even though we have already missed our train.”
We arrived at a reasonably large, modern train station a few miles from the previous one, and it looked more promising. But our pick-up time had come and gone, so now what. Ah, there was an attendant behind the glass across the large station house; perhaps he could and would help. We approached the window, presenting our best lost child look, hoping for a bit of empathy and kindness.
“We went to the wrong place and missed our train to Salzburg. Can you help us get there?” I showed him our ticket on my iPhone, and he quickly looked at his scheduler. “Take the train to such and such a station (I can’t pronounce it.), change trains, and you will end up at your destination only a half hour after your original time.” And it would not cost us a dime more. Sure enough, he was right.
We practiced this approach numerous times on this journey, and it always worked. Generally speaking, we all like to help folks in need, even in small ways. But you’ve got to be willing to ask for help.
Two more quick observations:
There are exports from three different countries all over the world. They are Ireland = Irish Pubs, Italy = Pizza and Pasta, USA = McDonald's & Burger King. I have now traveled to thirty-four countries, and nearly all of them sport these three kinds of restaurants. After eating schnitzels for a few days, pizza was so good! Thanks to the Irish, Italians, and, yes, we Americans for influencing the world with your culinary delights. Though I am not sure how wise it is to compare Micky Ds with some fine Italian Pasta. Relatively speaking, two of these countries are small compared to many nations, yet they have immensely influenced the world. Good job!
Finally: Traveling to exciting destinations is fun, but Dorothy was correct; there’s no place like home. It is always good to step off the plane back in the good ole US of A.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
P.S. The publishing process for my upcoming leadership book – Lead Like a Bodyguard – The Bold Leadership of Nehemiah, has begun. It will take about six months before printed versions are available. I hope this work will help parents, pastors, department managers, coaches, and any kind of leader, become more effective and glorify God in the process. Please continue to pray that the process is productive and smooth, and plan to purchase a copy for you and your friends and family. Thank you for your help!
