There are few things I despise more when travelling than people who are convinced English is the only language in the world.

Yesterday, I was in a small café in Guatemala when a guy ordered an oat milk latte, in English. The girl behind the counter didn’t understand, as oat milk is not called oat milk in Spanish! Instead of trying another word or meeting her halfway, he got annoyed and started talking to her like she was a child:

“CAAAAANNN AAAAIIIIIII HAAAAAVEEE AAAN OOOOOAAAAT MIIIIIILLLLK LAAAAATTTTTE”

Honestly, hermano, you have two options here:

1. Learn a few basic phrases in the language of the place you’re visiting or,

2. If you can’t be bothered, at least have the decency not to be rude to a local.

If anyone should be extra kind, curious, and willing to adapt, it’s us, people who travel! I see this all the time, and it’s honestly more embarrassing than anything. It might be hard for some people to grasp that English is not everyone’s first language. If so, maybe it’s easier to just stick to regular milk in your coffee order when you’re out of your home country.