Getting Settled and Why I am Learning Spanish
I am in Buenos Aires taking language classes. My new year’s resolution this year was to become fluent in Spanish. For whatever reason I decided to pull my high school Spanish skills out of the attic of my mind and polish them off. I’m trying to get over a hump. I finally want to be able to definitively and with complete confidence and no reservations know that I speak Spanish. I want to reach the point where I don’t have to think about it. I want it to just come naturally. Quiero hablar español. But why? What’s the big deal? Why is this my new year’s resolution and why am I spending my time and energy pursuing it?
I’m learning a language because of the possibility. I’m learning Spanish because I’ve realized that the possibility of your mind far surpasses your physical ability to go places and see things. I want to experience travel and the world and relationships in a completely different way. I’m learning a language for the sake of it and for the romance of it.
Today I finished my sixth week of class at Academia Buenos Aires. I study five days a week 9:30am to 1:30pm and I endure a hellish 45 minute commute in a subway car packed full of Porteños during the morning rush. I come home to a share house with one Argentinean guy named Nico, three French girls; Pauline, Morgane, Amelie, and two British girls, Daisy and Rosie. We have an asado, we drink mate, and we speak only Spanish at home. I spend a great deal of time with my Argentinean friends. I switched the language setting in Facebook to Spanish. I’m watching movies only in Spanish and tonight I’m even going to the theater. Bars, restaurants, clubs, busses, subways, taxis, parks, cafes, music, emails, texts, avenues, shops, museums, concerts- everywhere I’m speaking Spanish. I have friendships and relationships with people whom I’ve only spoken to in Spanish.
I’m getting better for sure. In school I’m level 5 out of 9 and there’s lots more left to go, but I’m at the point where I live my days completely immersed in a foreign language. I’ve gotten settled into an apartment in one of the world’s great cities. This year I’m trying to see fewer places and spend more time in each place. Buenos Aires and I are currently in a monogamous travel relationship and I’m falling in love with it. The world seems new and I’m learning purely for the sake of learning.
I’m lucky to be able to do this. It’s one of the happiest times of my life. I’m going to try to update this blog more… the thing is I’m just having way too much fun speaking Spanish.
The Soft Bulletin 