Mild anxiety with travelling to an unfamiliar culture
It may seem silly because when it comes to travelling, isn't the excitement supposed to be bigger than the anxiety? Unfortunately, I feel the anxiety overshadows the excitement when I'm travelling to somewhere where I don't speak the language of. I fear being "cringey" or being seen to be trying too hard in an effort to respect the culture - I think of how people say when tourists attempt to speak French in Paris, they'd speak English back, which to me, that means they think it's embarrassing or annoying.
Another thing I fear is not understanding the culture and disrespecting the locals unintentionally. I learned a bit of a language in university with which I could communicate basic needs. Also worth mentioning that my home culture is similar to this place. However, I still managed to, or at least feel like I had, offend the restaurant staff. In the grand scheme of things, it really is not that bad. I am fully confident the restaurant staff simply thought I was a foreigner and did not know certain customs. But these experiences end up lingering with me and now causing some anxiety as I prepare for my next trip to somewhere where both culture and language are unfamiliar.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this if any of you have any to share. TIA