Hablas espanol muy bien!

Let me recount for you a conversation I have had over and over and over in my last three weeks in Peru. (My sister can even vouch for me on this one.) I’m writing it in English, but pretend it’s in Spanish, kay?

(Introduction, beginning of conversation - in Spanish - on a plane, in a restaurant, at a bar, wherever.)

“Where are you from? (Blah blah blah, leading to, inevitably…) Where did you study Spanish?”

“The United States.”

“Ahh, really? You speak Spanish very well!”

“Well, thank you!”

At first I thought it was a joke. Yes, I studied Spanish from the age of 13 to 18. But from then on, though I lived in California, I never really practiced or studied or immersed myself, other than a few trips to Spanish-speaking countries, which account for a total of three weeks or so in a ten-ish-year period. It always came back enough to get by, but I wasn’t really that proud of my ability because of lack of upkeep, compounded by the fact that I compared myself to the people around me, native Spanish speakers and others who lived or studied in Spanish-speaking countries for years. Relatively, I was not good at Spanish. I had enough in the back of my brain, but never brought it to the forefront of my mind.

Enter my trip to Peru. Relatively here, as an American-born tourist who has never actually studied the language in a Spanish-speaking country, I am apparently pretty good. I try not to think about whom I’m being compared to, but I have had feedback about my pronunciation and general conversation skills, thank you. I've been here for for weeks (to the day!) and can feel it getting easier and easier, even in just a month. And on Tuesday my sister and I did an all day tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The tour was in Spanish and English, and I realized that I could have gotten by with only the Spanish tour and understood about 95% of what was being told to me.

That was pretty uplifting, let me tell you. It’s rekindling a dream of mine that I haven’t had since I was in high school - to become fluent. I could have reached it then, and know that I can reach it now, too, with practice. And, I have to say, I really enjoy being able to communicate in another language. Sure, when I’m really tired (after a 4 hour train ride from Machu Picchu, for example) it’s challenging enough to focus in English, let alone converse in Spanish, but think about how many people immigrate to America and have that exact experience every day? And, in the states, people expect you to speak English - they do not cater to you as a tourist and try to speak your language. You are the one who has to conform.

This leads me to a realization I had my first week here, which has only been reaffirmed the more time I spend here. Though I’m incredibly excited about my time in Southeast Asia and Oceania next year, I’ve decided to shorten that trip from eight months to five or six. I want to come back to the states in June or July and then continue on to another Spanish-speaking country. And, I don’t know how many of you know this, but, biologically I’m a quarter Mexican, so where is a better place for me to go than to Mexico? I don’t know what exactly I’ll do - I have visions of traveling and art classes and cooking school and jobs in film - but I do know that this will be a great opportunity for me to strive for fluency and to explore my Mexican roots.

I'll keep you all updated as to what comes with this new realization, as I'm sure my thoughts and desires will continue to evolve over my next six weeks here. No matter what, it's going to be interesting!