Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
I spent part of this summer in Spain, and this was me on my first day.🥹
After a loooong winter full of work, honestly, I wasn’t really in the mood to “study” my favourite foreign language.
When I arrived in San Sebastián, I was completely okay with the fact that I wouldn’t push myself to speak.
I knew before going that my Spanish wasn’t great.
I could understand some things. I knew some basic phrases. I had been learning here and there.
But I was on holiday.
I wanted to relax. Take my time. Walk around. Eat good food. Look at the sea.
And then I realised that in some places, English wasn’t really an option.
And that changed things.
Suddenly, I had to speak Spanish.
The first day was… not great. 😂 Actually it felt dissapointing!
I was tired, I couldn’t switch into Spanish easily, I didn’t understand anything and I had to search for words all the time.
And because I’m a language teacher, I knew exactly what was happening.
I knew the words.
I had studied them.
I had heard them before.
And yet, when I actually needed them, they just… disappeared.
And maybe you know that feeling too.
And honestly, I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
I didn’t want to turn my holiday into a Spanish lesson.
I didn’t want to analyse every sentence in my head before saying it.
I just wanted to communicate and get on with my day.
So I stopped worrying about whether I was “doing well” at Spanish.
I just kept being around it.
And a few days later, something started changing.
I understood more.
Words came to me faster.
I started recognising expressions I had heard before.
And I found myself answering without having to think so much.
I hadn’t suddenly learned a lot more Spanish.
I had simply spent a few days actually using it.
And that made me think about you.
We often expect ourselves to feel ready before we speak.
We want the words to be there. We want to understand. We want to know what to say.
But sometimes your brain needs the experience of actually being there first.
Listening.🦻
Trying.🗣️
Getting stuck.👅
Hearing the same expressions again.🙀
And again.
Until, eventually, they start feeling familiar.
And then one day, you’re just… talking.
That was probably my favourite part of the trip.
I spent part of this summer in Spain, and this was me on my first day.🥹
After a loooong winter full of work, honestly, I wasn’t really in the mood to “study” my favourite foreign language.
When I arrived in San Sebastián, I was completely okay with the fact that I wouldn’t push myself to speak.
I knew before going that my Spanish wasn’t great.
I could understand some things. I knew some basic phrases. I had been learning here and there.
But I was on holiday.
I wanted to relax. Take my time. Walk around. Eat good food. Look at the sea.
And then I realised that in some places, English wasn’t really an option.
And that changed things.
Suddenly, I had to speak Spanish.
The first day was… not great. 😂 Actually it felt dissapointing!
I was tired, I couldn’t switch into Spanish easily, I didn’t understand anything and I had to search for words all the time.
And because I’m a language teacher, I knew exactly what was happening.
I knew the words.
I had studied them.
I had heard them before.
And yet, when I actually needed them, they just… disappeared.
And maybe you know that feeling too.
And honestly, I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
I didn’t want to turn my holiday into a Spanish lesson.
I didn’t want to analyse every sentence in my head before saying it.
I just wanted to communicate and get on with my day.
So I stopped worrying about whether I was “doing well” at Spanish.
I just kept being around it.
And a few days later, something started changing.
I understood more.
Words came to me faster.
I started recognising expressions I had heard before.
And I found myself answering without having to think so much.
I hadn’t suddenly learned a lot more Spanish.
I had simply spent a few days actually using it.
And that made me think about you.
We often expect ourselves to feel ready before we speak.
We want the words to be there. We want to understand. We want to know what to say.
But sometimes your brain needs the experience of actually being there first.
Listening.🦻
Trying.🗣️
Getting stuck.👅
Hearing the same expressions again.🙀
And again.
Until, eventually, they start feeling familiar.
And then one day, you’re just… talking.
That was probably my favourite part of the trip.
