Culture
Friendship in a Foreign Language
The unexpected intimacy of being known across accents, histories, and different ideas of home.
August 30, 2026 · 5 min read
Some friendships begin with a shared language. Others begin with the willingness to keep listening when the words are not quite enough.
Living elsewhere changes the way friendship forms. Without the shorthand of a shared childhood or familiar culture, we learn to explain ourselves more carefully. In doing so, we sometimes become more visible than we have ever been.
The people who meet us abroad often know a version of us that is still unfolding. They witness the mistakes, the small victories, and the days when courage looks like simply showing up again.
These friendships do not replace the ones that knew us before. They add another room to the house of who we are—a room with its own light, its own music, and a table that always seems to make space for one more chair.
-Diedre McLeod