Half a Century Later, in Mexico

TL;DR

Growing up in multilingual San Jose taught valuable lessons about language and cultural bridging through community. For 13 years, my son's friends served as interpreters - not just translating words but bridging cultures, understanding context, and creating authentic connections. This mirrors global communications consulting: it's about understanding cultural context and building relationships, not just translating content. Living in multicultural communities provides access to diverse perspectives that inform successful international business strategy. Language and culture intersect in ways crucial for global expansion and effective cross-cultural communication.

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Although I was born in a cold climate, I love the tropics! To celebrate my younger son turning 18, and my turning 50 we went almost as far to the south as this continent goes. This is Ixtapa island, the view from the hotel.

For 13 years my son's friends have been my consistent interpreters. Growing up in the northern US, this wasn't part of life for me as a kid. I learned to become an interpreter much later in life. Growing up in San Jose, this is to be expected. Now after 18 years, our younger son is ours on this trip!

Learning Language Through Community

This experience highlights something fundamental about how language learning happens in multicultural communities. My son's friends weren't just translating words - they were bridging cultures, helping me understand context, nuance, and the deeper meaning behind communication.

This mirrors the work we do in global communications consulting. It's not just about translating content, but about understanding cultural context, building relationships, and creating authentic connections across language barriers.

The Value of Multilingual Communities

Living in San Jose has given our family access to this rich multilingual environment. The benefits extend far beyond language skills - it's about understanding different perspectives, appreciating cultural diversity, and learning to communicate effectively across boundaries.

These experiences directly inform our approach to global business strategy. Understanding how language and culture intersect is crucial for successful international expansion and effective global communications.

The trip to Mexico was more than a celebration - it was a reminder of how far we've come in building bridges across cultures, both personally and professionally.

-Ben Cornelius