The very first sentence spoken to me in the U.K. caught me completely off guard. Standing at an airport Starbucks, the worker looked up and asked, “Are you alright?” I hesitated before answering, slightly confused. “Yes… I’m alright,” I replied, wondering if I looked distressed after my flight. In the U.S., that question usually checks on someone’s emotional state and can feel surprisingly personal. I quickly learned, though, that in the U.K. it’s simply the equivalent of “How can I help you?” That small moment of confusion was my first lesson abroad: even when countries share a language, they don’t always share meanings. What feels intuitive at home can suddenly require interpretation and patience. Those misunderstandings only multiplied as I settled in. One afternoon while hiking with friends, someone asked if I was cold and casually offered me their “extra jumper.” Their what? It turns out a jumper is a sweater, trousers are pants, and pants are… underwear. That realization came just in time — though not quite soon enough — to save me from embarrassment. At one point, overheated on the trail, I mentioned that I might “take my pants off later,” forgetting that I meant my trousers (I had leggings on underneath, thankfully). The looks I got said everything. Moments like these have become some of my favorite memories, not despite the confusion but because of it. They’ve taught me to listen more carefully, ask questions without embarrassment, and appreciate how culture quietly shapes even the most ordinary words.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: University of Manchester