#14: Howdy, Neighbor!

I know it can be awkward and uncomfortable, but small talk is not all bad. In fact, I’d argue that it’s an essential part of building relationships and connections with people. I mean, how else are you supposed to get to know someone? Sure, some people use small talk to butter you up before hitting you with a sales pitch.

But not everyone is like that. Sometimes, a “How’s it going?” is just a friendly greeting. So, my advice to my European friends is this: embrace the small talk! You never know what interesting conversation or connection it might lead to. And in the worst-case scenario, you can always just pretend you don’t speak English…