In this personal narrative, the speaker recounts a 1994 trip to war‑torn Croatia to deliver a box of medical and hygiene supplies to refugees. Upon arrival, customs officials block the boxes, forcing the speaker to confront a cultural clash and the limits of his initial enthusiasm. Over the ensuing four weeks, he undergoes a “master class” in cultural intelligence, learning the four capabilities defined by the Cultural Intelligence Center—CQ Drive (motivation), CQ Knowledge (understanding), CQ Strategy (planning), and CQ Action (behaving appropriately). The story serves as a concrete illustration of how real‑world setbacks can trigger the development of cultural intelligence, turning frustration into a structured learning experience.
Chapters
In the summer of 1994, I took my very first international trip to a country that was actively at war. It was Croatia. I was part of a group going over to help and minister to refugees. We were told the actual fighting was happening several hundred miles away, so we would be stationed and there was no risk to our safety. I was young. Highly motivated and totally ready to make a difference. Before I left, I called up some of my friends in the healthcare industry and we put together a massive box full of medical supplies— toothbrushes, toiletries, bandages, first aid kits— things we were going to hand-deliver to the ref— to the refugees we were meeting who would desperately need them. I stepped off the plane feeling like I was bringing Bringing a little bit of hope, dignity, and hopefully some comfort to those severely affected by the war. When we hit customs, the officials wouldn't let me bring the boxes into the country. They asked what was in them, and being— trying to be honest and forthright, I said— I told them what was in there, and they refused to let it come into the country. So I sat over in the corner on my suitcase while I let the men in the group deal with the very armed and official-looking people in customs. This is only my second trip abroad. Truth be told, I was too angry to be civil, and I was smart enough to realize that being uncivil would get me in a whole lot of trouble, so I stayed quiet. I had these boxes full of things that were going to be practical and very needed for people living in a refugee situation. I mean toothbrushes, toothbrushes, bandages—nothing major. That trip threw me into the absolute deep end of what I later learned I could call cultural intelligence. I had no choice but to learn how to swim or pack up and abandon the whole reason I was there. Over the next four weeks, I got a master class in what the Cultural Intelligence Center calls the four capabilities. of CQ. There's CQ drive, CQ knowledge, 3— CQ strategy, and CQ action. And I'm going to explain all those by telling you the rest of this story.
