Just like any other barrier. You just take it and cross it. I personally believe that all these barriers are in our heads. With foreign languages, everything is quite prosaic. Fear is born in your head, and suddenly you stand there as if paralyzed, unable to squeeze out a single word. Fear of mistakes? Judgment? I don't know. Fortunately, I didn't encounter this problem.

Foreign languages are my love, my hobby, and what I study at university. At the time of the trip, I was fluent in English and could express myself decently in Spanish. And of course, I advise everyone to "brush up" on the language before the trip; it will make your future life in the States easier, allow you to find a better job, and increase the likelihood of quickly overcoming the language barrier. My advice is simple: artificially immerse yourself in a language environment. Of course, I'm not suggesting you look for tutors and language schools – no. Change your phone to English, subscribe to some American news, listen to podcasts, songs, watch movies, bloggers, talk to yourself in English (just switch your brain to the target language: describe your life, ask yourself questions and answer them, reason in that language, you can even do it out loud if you are at home, for example). These tips really work. Then you won't have a shock and you won't write somewhere later: "I studied English in school, but here they speak a different language."

I already mentioned that when we arrived in Austin, we needed to call a taxi and we approached a woman at the information desk. I remembered this moment as the moment when my language barrier collapsed. I just pulled myself together, calmed the goosebumps running over my body, and started a conversation. After that, there was no stopping me. I perceived every person as a potential opportunity to learn something new about the language, the country, its culture, and history. I asked what this or that word meant, how my interlocutor felt about this or that phenomenon in the country, what they knew about my country, etc. And this is my main advice! Don't be afraid to use every such opportunity! It's an invaluable experience! You didn't fly across the globe for nothing, right? Don't be afraid of mistakes (because nobody cares about them), ask and talk about everything that interests you (because your interlocutor is most likely interested in it too), open yourself to new people and a new culture. That way, your English (and maybe Spanish too) will just skyrocket over the summer.

And I also smile when I recall every moment when "my language led me to Kyiv." Especially, by the way, Spanish. Since there are a lot of Mexicans in Texas, and many of them don't speak English at all, I was forced to survive.

I remember one day we needed to move from one job to another. We planned to walk, but for some reason, we were delayed, and there was no time left at all. Then I started walking around and asking colleagues who could give us a ride. But no one could (some didn't have a car, some hadn't finished their shift yet), and then one lady pointed out the window to the parking lot and said: "Look, Blanca is driving home, ask her," and Blanca was already one foot in the car at that moment. I ran to her, shouting in English "wait," she stops and looks at me with surprised eyes. By the way, I had no idea who Blanca was and saw her for the first time. Apparently, she did too. I explained to her in all colors how she could save our lives, to which she replied "hablas español?" I understood everything and started explaining the same thing to her in Spanish. And she was like: "Friends, no problem! Get in." That's how we made it to work and found a new friend.

In that restaurant, by the way, I worked at the salad bar (which was quite prestigious because there were no waiters there, so the prestige of the job was measured not by earnings, but by the complexity of the work; the less energy-consuming, the better). And I started working there, and not as a food runner, only because the Mexican woman Lupe (the queen of the salad bar) didn't speak English at all. And I was the only one who could communicate with her at least somehow.

Where I used my Spanish to the fullest was at another job, where I held the position of a waiter. 60 percent of my clients, if not more, were Spanish-speaking. When I saw such families, I always started a conversation with them in my broken Spanish. In fact, I had no ulterior motive; as I wrote above, I just tried to use every opportunity to practice my language. But the bonus was that the guests were always incredibly touched that a Russian girl spoke their language, were sincerely surprised by this (because in many such families, children born in the States lose their Spanish and speak only English), asked about my country, family, paid me compliments and my Spanish, and then left good tips. Once we were discussing this with other guys who worked as servers. They complained that "these mexes never leave good tips" and accordingly annoy them. I was sincerely surprised because I always beamed with a smile when I saw that a large Mexican family (or a small one) was seated at my table, and I always received good money for serving them. But then I realized the secret: we are all human and we feel other people's attitudes towards us and the energy that comes our way. Accordingly, if a poor Mexican sees that he and his family "annoy" the waiter, will he leave any extra money for his service? Well, in general, you got the idea. Just love what you do, and you will be rewarded.

I actually have many stories and just thoughts related to languages. But the moral of this post is: definitely study languages (at least English) and enjoy what you do!