If you never try, you will never succeed. But knowing that someone else can do it better so you don’t have to try is very appealing. During my trip to Senegal I stayed with a family that has grown up speaking and listening to English, while I grew up listening to French. I knew that they could speak better English than I could speak French so I took advantage and pretended I couldn’t speak French. I knew what they were saying most of the times, but sometimes I didn’t completely understand because either the French was too complex, they used their native language, Wolof, or both. Knowing that they could speak French was not the only factor that played a part in me not speaking French because everyday I interacted with people who could only speak a word or two of English. I wondered if this hurt my ability to fit in and make close connections with other people. I wondered if this caused me not to fully understand their culture, which would have been exciting to learn because I was there during an important religious holiday. Did I feel like I didn’t belong because I wouldn’t speak or because I didn’t completely understand their culture or was it both? Was I afraid to sound like a foreigner like Sedaris, but then why couldn’t I speak a little French, like codemeshing at least, in front of the family that has known me my whole life? I wondered the underlying meanings of why I couldn’t or wouldn’t speak and maybe I’ll never know them.