Three Cultural Lessons I Didn’t Expect to Learn in 2025
We spend a lot of time, energy, and money on international travel. Some trips offer many opportunities to learn about cultural differences, others less so. I’m a firm believer that every intercultural interaction holds a potential nugget of insight about the people who share this world with us, if we’re willing to notice it.
In my experience, cultural growth often appears unexpectedly. It doesn’t usually arrive in glamorous tourist hotspots or perfectly framed social media moments. Instead, it shows up in quiet, human-centered encounters. These moments can’t be captured on camera but fundamentally change how we understand one another. These are often the most transformative stories we carry home from our trips. However, fear of misunderstandings can prevent us from staying open enough to receive these lessons.
In 2025, three moments shaped my understanding of culture. They didn’t all take place abroad. One was a slow lesson I learned over time while at home.
1. Learning History Through Human Memory in Riga, Latvia
In April 2025, I traveled to Riga, Latvia for professional reasons, but I carved out time to wander. Wandering is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to get to know a city. Before arriving, I knew very little about Latvia, but on tourist websites I kept seeing information about the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. When I saw the museum on my wandering, I stepped inside and booked a guided English-language tour.
Our guide, a middle-aged Latvian woman, was deeply knowledgeable, not only about the exhibits, but about her country’s lived history under Soviet occupation. She shared personal stories of how the Gulag system had impacted her family. Until that moment, my understanding of the Gulag had been abstract, primarily through small references in history books and novels, or even casual references to some sort of strict environment. My tour guide brought historical facts to life for me.
This encounter connected historical trauma to present-day political situations and reminded me how much cultural understanding depends on listening, especially when someone trusts you with their story.
2. Unexpected Warmth in Iași, Romania
I’m drawn to destinations that are usually outside conventional travel recommendations, places not often labeled as “glamorous.” Also traveling for professional purposes, I went to Romania in 2025. I did some reading about Romania’s recent history, but still felt unprepared. Like Latvia, Romania’s recent history includes significant hardship.
What surprised me was the warmth of the people. In Iași, I encountered extraordinary openness, enthusiasm, and generosity of spirit. People were eager to share ideas, discuss goals, they asked thoughtful questions and spoke proudly about their work and aspirations. I felt deeply welcomed, more so than in most places I’ve visited.
This experience reinforced what I already know. Destinations overlooked by travel media offer some of the most beautiful opportunities for human connection. Iași taught me something Paris never could.
3. Rethinking Power Distance
My final lesson came from reexamining power distance, a core cultural value describing how societies relate to hierarchy and authority. Growing up in the United States, I was always taught that we are all equal and that no one is better than anyone else. This cultural value is powerful, because it teaches who should get respect in a culture and how to show it. I’ve taught the differences between high- and low-power distance cultures for years and understand it well.
What I hadn’t fully appreciated was the peace that can exist in high-power distance cultures. Individuals from low-power distance cultures don’t have any problems questioning or complaining about the people in their hierarchy. I’ve been in many environments where employees are more than happy to loudly challenge and question their leaders, in fact this is encouraged in low-power distance cultures. In 2025, I observed people who trusted hierarchy rather than constantly resisted it. Decisions weren’t endlessly contested. Not every frustration became a moral battle.
This experience deepened my understanding of power distance as a different way of organizing social harmony. This is a great example of deep cultural wisdom that I was happy to gain in 2025.
A Short Reflection for You
Where did you feel most uncomfortable in your travels or cross-cultural interactions this year? What assumptions did you bring into that moment? What might that discomfort have been trying to teach you? Cultural discomfort is not a failure. It’s an invitation to deeper understanding.
Want Support Making Sense of These Moments?
If you’ve had travel experiences that left you confused, unsettled, or longing for deeper connection, you’re not alone. Through my Individual Intercultural Training, I help travelers, expats, and global citizens understand their cultural patterns, build cultural intelligence, and move from surface-level travel to meaningful human connection.
If you’re ready to turn cultural moments into lasting growth, I’d love to work with you.
👉 Set up a discovery call here to discuss your unique situation and cultural goals.
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