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Find your balance of travel and home.

Home » Travel » The Language Project: Hello, Thank You

The Language Project: Hello, Thank You

February 11, 2014 Travel

A travel DIY project that brings the languages of your trips back home with you.

Now that I’m decorating a new space in San Francisco (yay!) and coming up on the one year anniversary of my best-trip-ever departure date, I am always looking for ways to incorporate my love of travel into my home.
While I’m a fan of maps, globes, and photographs, they can only go so far without being overused in a room.  After some thought, I created a piece that can memorably display any multi-country trip.

language project

Holding up to the light to trace each word by hand.

In the past year, I was fortunate enough to visit sixteen countries —  totaling thirteen different languages spoken.  I continue to treasure many of the traditions and keepsakes I kept consistent with each visit.
One of my favorite things to do in each new country was learn how to speak the bare necessities of the local language: “hello” and “thank you.”  While I always hope to learn more than this, I find these two words to be the most useful in any language on any part of the globe.  (They’re also the two words I can always still remember from each place.)
In the spirit of this tradition, I decided to create a graphic containing the words as written in the language of each country I visited.  As I journeyed across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe…the end result is quite visually interesting, if you ask me!

What:  A display of a word or phrase in the language of each country visited (in order of the visits.)  Affectionately named “The Language Project.”
Why:  It reminds me of my trip.  It looks cool.  It makes me happy.
How:  Using Google Translate, and searching for other sites when script is unavailable (Burmese and Khmer, for example.)  Copied each to a document, printed, and traced by hand.

I prefer to trace by hand as it adds a bit more of a personal touch (and it’s a fun way to experience the intricacies of each script.)

language project end result

In order: Cantonese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao, Thai, Burmese, Hindi, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French.

I have a friend returning from a trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam and I plan to create a smaller version with each country’s name in its script for him.  Another idea is to create one that displays a word from the language of each country you have visited in all your life.  Even better would be one of these that you could add to as you expand your travels!

How do you decorate your home with memories of your travels?

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Winner of Gold and Silver 2019 Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing.

About Anne

Anne Lowrey is an award-winning travel writer based in San Francisco.

After spending a year in the world, she insisted on building a life at home she loved as much as she loves travel. The result was a move to SF, which she affectionately calls her “soul city.” She believes in the balance of and connection between time spent at home and abroad.

Comments

  1. Naomi says

    February 21, 2014 at 10:13 pm

    great idea! (have you seen the chick who tats her back with a phrase in each language of the countries she visits?)
    our decorating style is quite …um, eclectic? That’s the classy way of saying it’s helter skelter with no rhyme or reason — but it does bring in the warmth and favorites of the amazing things we’ve collected over the years (and yes, with too many globes!)
    Two fun ways we acknowledge our travels is with a modpodged coffee table that has maps of our travels (Mia is currently working on it) AND our clocks around the world “installation” — we have five clocks in our kitchen that represent Delhi, Singapore, Kenya, EST and CST

    Reply
    • Anne says

      February 22, 2014 at 10:38 am

      Who is the girl with the language tats? That’s awesome.
      I love the map table (need to see a picture when it’s done!) and I also have four clocks in my office with different time zones! Great minds think alike 🙂
      Thanks for sharing about your decorating style! The warmth and favorites you mentioned are all you need, if you ask me.

      Reply
  2. Olivia says

    August 4, 2014 at 3:48 am

    THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!
    I just found your blog after falling down a rabbit hole of links and I love this idea so much. I’m definitely going to do something with this when I find a place to live.
    Off to hopefully find more cool stuff here!

    Reply
    • Anne says

      August 4, 2014 at 10:12 am

      Hi Olivia! I’m so glad you like this idea 🙂 I am a bit of language geek and I clearly love to express my love of travel in my home, so this was the intersection of two things I can’t resist!
      If you have ideas or comments on what you’d like to see more of on the blog, I am all ears 🙂
      Cheers and thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

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I’m Anne! I spend part of my time traveling the world and the other part living in my soul city, San Francisco.

I have a love for all things travel. I also have a love for nesting. I do NOT believe the two have to be mutually exclusive. If you seek that balance…you’ve come to the right place.

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Factoring in a little one has both changed and rei Factoring in a little one has both changed and reinforced how I travel. For so long accommodations have been “just a place to sleep” for me, so I could prioritize my time and money elsewhere.

Now, whether it’s nap schedules or simply the ability for my husband and I to relax longer on a given afternoon, it’s great to be able to experience a destination right from the front step (or even better, from bed.) 🌄

What’s stayed the same, of course, is that a change of place and pace is incredibly restorative and energizing — and you don’t have to go far to get that.

Thank you to @innabovetide for the perfect weekend stay right on the bay. It was just what our family needed 🤍 #parttimetraveler #sausalito #besthotels
Thinking back to my last trip before taking my nex Thinking back to my last trip before taking my next one (with baby!) and wishing I could transport here for a cornetto and cappuccino ☕️

Meanwhile, please send any and all tips for traveling with a five-month-old. (Also, send coffee. All the coffee.)
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After the rain. 🌁 #alwaysSF #goldengatebridge After the rain.
🌁 

#alwaysSF #goldengatebridge
Walks around the city look a bit different these d Walks around the city look a bit different these days 🤍

It’s been three months now since I became a mama. It’s the single greatest life transition I’ve ever undergone.

The amount of love I have for my son is immeasurable. But being a new mother is not easy — no matter how well you heal, how much (or really, how little) you sleep, or how much you love your babe. For me it is humbling how challenging it can be and, at the same time, how happy it can make you.

Mamas, I see you. What a profound thing it is to care for a new life.
—
#citybaby #fourthtrimester #newmama
Mendocino moments ✨ Just a few hours drive up t Mendocino moments ✨

Just a few hours drive up the coast from SF, being here always feels like a breath of fresh air (maybe because it is?) The redwood-lined drive in alone puts me instantly at ease. (Balm for this tired new mama’s soul.) 

Even better we were able to visit with baby and dog in tow 🤍 Have you been? 

Don’t miss walking the trail along the headlands, hiking, biking, or canoeing Big River, and the wonderfully fresh seafood and/or produce.

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Introducing my son, Luca. He entered this world a Introducing my son, Luca. He entered this world a mere six weeks ago and he is everything 🤍

His name means “bringer of light” and he is the light of our lives. And while we are currently cocooning in the comfort of our family and our home, I can’t wait to take him on adventures and show him the beauty of this world.
One year as man and wife 🤍 highly recommend bot One year as man and wife 🤍 highly recommend both city hall weddings and marrying your favorite person. 15/10, would marry again (I’d choose you over and over and over.)
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We are beyond excited to meet you, little  one!✨#37weekspregnant #selfportrait #maternityphotos #almostbabytime
Like all of us, the past few years has meant a lot Like all of us, the past few years has meant a lot less part-time travel and a lot more…full-time homebody. I haven’t shared much about my own house in San Francisco, but perhaps it’s time for that to change!

My husband and I merged existing furniture and styles before we were even in this space. And as we prepare to welcome baby, the nesting urge is strong (plus we’ll be spending even more time in our home!) So it feels like a good time to refresh our space to suit both of us cohesively.

Although I already had a plan in mind for the nursery design, when @thehavenly reached out to work together I knew our living room, the heart of our home, could use some fine tuning. I’ve independently used them before to affordably design our home office (soon-to-be nursery or I’d share!) and loved it, so I jumped at the chance to be a #Havenly ambassador. 

I’m working 1:1 with a talented designer now (stay tuned!) and will also share a 25% off discount soon if you’d like to do the same. They also have a fun design quiz (linked in bio) to help you figure out your style. 
More to come! 💛
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