It’s about the journey…

I know everyone wants to speak Spanish instantly-we always do.  I wish every challenge i’m experiencing now and every thing I want now would just instantly solve and accomplish itself. But it’s true that we’re here for the journey.

My friend James who also teaches Spanish gets it.  His analogy for the long journey of becoming bilingual is like climbing a mountain.  If your only goal is the peak, you might peter out or at least you won’t appreciate all the scenery on the way up.  He suggests finding small goals along the way so you can remain motivated. Like “Ooo I can’t wait to see that first meadow when I go up the first 8th of the path!”
In Spanish terms, maybe it’s just getting down introducing yourself and knowing how to ask for the bathroom or order food in Spanish.  Then you reach that goal and you celebrate! You appreciate the meadow and how far you’ve climbed.

Next your goal might be to see the valley below at the first look off.  Maybe in Spanish terms, that’s knowing all the basics and present tense so you’re starting to become conversational. Man that feels GOOD! Looking down at that point you start to really revel in the accomplishment.  Yet the peak is still a good distance away!

​Keep going, keep hiking, keep trying and celebrate the journey of becoming bilingual.  It won’t only improve your mood, it’s likely to help you hang in there when it gets tough and speed up your process of reaching the peak.