There are many reasons why people travel. Some want to see famous sights or learn a little bit of history. Others want to do something adventurous. Others want to experience the local culture and witness things that could never be seen in their hometown.

Last spring, during my travels with Semester at Sea, I had the opportunity to visit Japan. It was my eleventh country in three months and while I was loving every minute of my semester, I needed a break. Not a break from traveling - just from plans. In most of the other countries, I knew exactly what I was doing for every second of every day.

When traveling in a foreign country, it can be really frustrating to not speak the language. It is hard enough to get our personal travel goals accomplished when it seems like no one around us speaks English; trying to make any connection with the local people around us can seem like a pointless endeavor.