For Christmas, my brother bought me this pretty dope Icon Speak T-Shirt.
I saw it floating around some of my travel forums a few months ago, but per usual, filed it in a “maybe later” file.
Basically, the shirt has icons all over it, each with a potential need or desire while you’re on the road. Need to find coffee, but don’t speak Portuguese?
No prob. Just point to the little coffee icon and gesture wildly.
I honestly might even wear this around town to avoid having to actually communicate with people.
To date, I’ve only run into one situation where this shirt would have helped. But in a pinch, having something on hand that doesn’t require internet access to translate can be a lifesaver.
Seriously.