It's the only way to learn , earn the respect of the people there , and make the experience much more enjoyable .

Me!

I do like to immerse myself when I can. The language barrier is hard to overcome but I am reminded of a time in Malta. I found myself in a small greasy spoon type of cafe (not for tourists) and asked for an " iced coffee ". The lady thought I had said a " nice coffee " and proceeded to put a spoonful of nescafe into a half pint glass, half filled it with hot water then topped it up with evaporated milk. If this was not enough she then added 3 spoonfuls of sugar. Being English I did not complain but sat quietly in the corner. As people came in they saw my beverage and assumed that I too was Maltese and talked freely. It is amazing how you can get by with the odd grunt or nod. Maltese being a bastard language comprised Arabic, Italian and English it was not too difficult to glean the conversation. I spent a whole morning just listening and nodding, I even ordered a second coffee !

A relative of mine is always on the move because of her job - took the kids everywhere , - Now grown up one works for London university in South America and the other has 11 languages and works as an interpreter - When mine were 16 I sent them to India for 6 months - they now tend to work in the countries they visit and both such open and broadminded adults - it is the best thing you can do for you and your children

That's reason to travel to discover new things, Tastes, aromas get inspiration from meeting new people - walk down back streets away from the tourists to find somewhere the locals eat and take in what it has to offer - I've met americans who've been going to Mexicp for their annual hols for 15 years and couldn't speak any Spanish

It is a common tendency. When I moved to Germany I discovered Heidelberg was a big area for Americans and Brits. I met a guy in the old city and was able to move there. Our small house had 2 Amis (not including me) and a Brit and 2 Germans. Later all the Germans moved out. It became difficult to learn the language because everybody (including most Germans) spoke English. I finally found a neighbor who did not speak English and we became friends and I got to practice the language. In German there is a phrase that says to learn a language one has to have a 'sleeping dictionary'

There is an organization called SERVAS Int'l. (I am a host) that started after the 2nd World War by an American who thought a good way to foster peace was for people to intermingle with those from other cultures. One can be a host and/or traveler and stay with people from other countries for free (kind of like couch surfing but with restrictions and you get to know the host beforehand). Here in the US it is US Servas. Look into the philosophy of this group. They are all over the world and also in Thailand.

If I traveled I would most definitly immerse myself in the culture - I can hang with my own kind back home. But even within the United States we are so culturally diverse that the ethnic food experience is wonderful. When I was 20 my friend Mick and I did a road trip down the west coast, camping along the way. In San Francisco we went into Chinatown. To find a place to eat we avoided the places the round eyes favored and ate at the places favored by the Chinese themselves. My 'problem' is languages, english is tricky enuff for me but I could probably get by.

I haven't traveled outside the US yet, but I'm sure I would. I always try to stay at locally owned hotels. Vacation rules for food have always been if you could get it at home, its off limits when traveling.

First thing I do when abroad is find out where the locals go for street food, then go there for dinner - not only is the food usually much better than the big restaurants, you also get talking to the locals who tell you all sorts of interesting stuff.

Except in USA, I never had the chance to live long enough to "get immersed" in a country's culture. I envy you all the languages you speak.
BTW, As you know, most immigrants to USA don't get involved in the country' s culture. I had students (HS) who were here for over five years and only spoke the mother tongue (Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Spanish...) and that never left their "ethnic corner of the city".

Perhaps my favorite thing about travel is eating ALL THEIR FOOD. Even if I end up hating it (rare), it is great experience.

I love to be immersed in the sounds of a foreign language. The mix of languages (including a lot of English) on the streets of Amsterdam is amazing. Dutch, French, German, English, Arabic, Farsi, Indonesia, and more I'll never know. I could stay in that city a long time.

If I could stay abroad for any length of time, I would do it just like you and your daughter. Well done.

I've been in the US for 28 years now.

I don't get to travel as much as I'd like to. When I do get out of my back yard, so to speak, I tend to seek out the local culture as much as possible. Last time I went to Mexico I was able to stay away from the tourist destinations. I also speak Spanish and look like a local so I was incognito the entire time. Best vacation ever.

the thai lingo i find too hard for my brain to grasp, but when i stayed for two months on bali once i picked up enough bahasa indonesia to get around & delight the locals of course. i had a little boyfriend who took me to the village where he'd grown up. no one spoke english, there was no electricity, & we arrived in time for an important ritual, the blessing of the water. when i travel to kerala/india, which is quite a challenge for me because people are very sensitive about female dress code, & it is just so stiflingly hot & humid there, i stay & eat with the local people. i love indian food, & sometimes i live in an ashram. same in thailand. i will never understand why someone would travel to asia & not dig into the absolutely yummy cuisine each of the countries has to offer.

I admire your pluck! And ability to pick up a language. I visited Thailand last year - loved it! - but was pretty much a total fail as far as speaking Thai is concerned. I'd love to go back. My daughter has learned Burmese ... after several years in Myanmar. I learned English as second language. Each language gives a different "flavour" to thoughts. There are always untranslatable things. new Zealand english has adopted a few maori terms or words, that English was lacking.

Living immersed in another culture enables a genuine understanding of that culture. It also teaches you a lot about yourself and your native culture.. One of the things you learn quickly is that when speaking with a person from a different culture, you do not always start from the same assumptions, and you sometimes have to go back and state assumptions up front when beginning the dialogue.