Hey, I'm Sarina Schroff, I'm 19 years old, and I speak seven languages. I graduated from high school in the summer of 2022, immediately moved into the big wide world, and started to travel.

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I traveled with Interrail for two months to almost every big city in France, Spain, and Italy. After that, I was in Portugal for two months and attended a language school in Lisbon. Then I was in Barcelona, New York, and Milan for a short time. In December, I ventured to Asia and traveled for more than a month through Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore.

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But how can seven languages be useful?
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1. Get to know people better

I often slept in hostels, not hotels, because I wanted to meet new people from different countries. A conversation usually started in English, but as soon as the person told me they spoke one of my languages, we switched to that language.

I improved my language skills incredibly, but I also got to know people in a completely different way.

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2. Not everyone speaks English!

Even if it seems impossible for many, only some people speak English today. In many smaller villages, people only speak the local language and usually with a very strong dialect. They will feel honored if you can communicate with these people in their language. You can also get a lot closer to the culture. For example, in Madrid, a woman in a restaurant offered me everything for free because she was thrilled that I could speak Spanish.

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3. Find friends

Thanks to my language skills, I've made amazing friends on my travels! For example, one of my best friends is from Paris. I can always go to Paris and visit them AND not lose my French. Likewise, I can visit a friend in Portugal whenever I want. We get along well, although she doesn't speak English and I've only just learned Portuguese.

Languages can open so many doors for you; as you can see, it's sometimes about more than just being able to order in a restaurant abroad.

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