At 22 years old, Renae Ninneman flew halfway around the world to teach English in South Korea. It was 2004, cell phones weren't really a thing yet, and she couldn't even confirm with her parents that she'd landed safely until days later. That leap kicked off a lifelong obsession with decoding cultural differences, and today she's the founder of Beyond Tourism, a community radio DJ on KZUM 89.3 FM, and a doctoral student studying how we connect across cultures.

We dig into the reverse culture shock she felt coming home, how concepts like power distance and direct versus indirect communication completely reframed her experience, and why she believes cultural intelligence is a skill anyone can build. Renae breaks down why Americans can come across as "aggressively friendly" to people from other cultures, why you don't look your boss in the eye in South Korea, and how self-reflection is the piece most people skip when trying to connect across differences. Plus, we get into Korean food, sushi conveyor belts, and how music transcends language.

Check out Renae's work at goingbeyondtourism.com, and catch The Language of Music Sunday afternoons on KZUM 89.3 FM.

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