Traveling the world teaches you many things—sometimes the most surprising lessons happen in the bathroom. I was recently in Thailand. During a tour with a private tour guide, I excused myself to go to the public bathroom. When I was done, I was alarmed to see that there was no toilet paper in the stall. There was only a small water hose. Luckily, I happened to have a single tissue in my handbag.

When I left the stall, I asked our guide about the hose. She told me that the name of the hose was a “bum gun” and it is all one would find in a bathroom in Thailand. She then told me that, on her first trip to the US she was shocked to not see a bum gun in the stall but, rather, toilet paper. She went on to tell me that she felt unclean after only using toilet paper. I responded that I would feel the same if I had to use a bum gun.

I have to admit, seeing the bum guns in the stalls throughout Thailand felt very awkward for me. But I learned to quickly adapt. 

Learning to adapt—sometimes quickly!—is part of the adventure of travel. It’s also a lesson in  that everyday routines we rarely think about at home are not universal. Could you have adapted?