Learning a new language (or at least attempting to) is by no means an easy feat. Those of you who have, or indeed can speak more than one language, well, what talented beings you are. I remember taking French as a subject during my first year of high school. I don’t recall whether I was genuinely interested in learning another language, or whether it was compulsory, but I wouldn't mind betting it was the latter. I doubt that my 13-year-old self would've had the patience for such things. To this day, recognising the difference between a baguette and a croissant is probably the extent of my French-based knowledge.
When you plan to embark on a journey to a part of the world where the official language is not your own, it makes sense to take it upon yourself to learn a few basic words and phrases, doesn't it? I quite like the idea of being able to, or at the very least trying to partake in a conversation using the local language. Almost seems rude not to. So, I thought it would be pertinent to take a few lessons in Spanish. Being on a relatively tight budget, however, meant that attending an actual, physical class wasn't entirely feasible. We’re fortunate to live in an age where the opportunity for us to learn a language is at our fingertips, quite literally. We can simply download apps onto our phones and carry a virtual tutor with us wherever we go. The means for us to learn about anything that interests us is so accessible and that’s something I certainly don’t take for granted. I've been challenging myself to pick up my phone for 10-15 minutes each afternoon in an attempt to increase my Spanish vocabulary, fragments at a time, through sessions on an app. It’s been much more difficult to keep up with the routine than I initially thought, but it’s pretty remarkable what your mind is able to recall with consistent practice and patience. Spanish is a beautiful language which I'm sure to tarnish with my haphazard pronunciation. Nevertheless, I will endeavour to keep practicing and use what I've learnt during my travels. Hopefully the experience will encourage me to sign-up for some real classes when I return. With a little persistence, I may eventually become fluent in Spanish. You never know, right?
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It seems surreal that in little over two weeks, I will be boarding a plane to Mexico. Even with my tickets and semi-packed suitcase in front of me, I feel as though I need to pinch myself to realise that this is happening. Really.
I am a bundle of nerves, terrified of going alone, but excited for the adventures that lie ahead of me. As I write this post, I cannot help but contemplate how vastly different this year could have been. In October, I was offered a place in the Graduate Diploma of Secondary Teaching at the University of Auckland. Had I accepted this offer, I imagine I would be driving myself mad with study, or meticulously preparing for teaching practicum, If you had asked me what it was that I wanted to do six or more months ago, I would have said that I wanted to become an English teacher, without so much as a moment's hesitation. It is so very easy to stick to whatever it is that we find familiar. I think I would have been quite content returning to study. The routine of waking up, going to class, coming home and picking up your textbooks is comfortable. This repetitive cycle is one that many of us become accustomed to. I guess that's because there is security in knowing what you are doing from one day to the next. I had never been so sure of anything before I applied for my teaching diploma. Even during my interview, I felt so self-assured that teaching was what I was destined to do. As soon as I received that acceptance e-mail, however, I threw my future into question entirely. Within a week, I turned down my offer of place. Why? I simply wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to commit to another year of study, to a career path, or to anything for that matter. At 22 years old, it's hard to picture exactly what you want to do, where you want to be, or even who you see yourself becoming. The next year of my life was no longer set in stone for me and there was something extremely liberating about that. I thought about what someone who was in my position could do. That's when I began to consider booking a trip to Central America. And I did. I've never really been a person to take risks. Again, it comes down to the fact that it's easy to get caught up in the monotony of day-to-day activities. You study, you go to work, you spend time with family and friends, you eat, you sleep. While these are all great aspects of life, I think I'd lose my sanity if I didn't challenge myself to step outside of my comfort-zone once in a while. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to swim with turtles (and maybe a shark or two), zip-line through jungles, go paragliding over a lake and immerse myself in a totally foreign culture. I have absolutely no expectations as far as the experience is concerned, but I look forward to facing each day of the trip with an open mind (and a lot of courage). Only two more weeks. |
B is:A 26-year-old tea drinking writer of words trying to find her place in the world.
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