What did you come here to teach me…

Something about the beach feels like home. Like I can close my eyes and feel the water surrounding me, hear the smooth crash of the soft waves pull back and forth and hear the long, beautiful silence of the beach. It’s the most wonderful feeling.

Deep down I knew this last trip would be a return home in many ways. Panama was my first “Semi Solo” trip and my intuition told me it would be my last. Perhaps I was tired or perhaps I was making room for the next chapter but this “part of the journey” I had wandered and fulfilled my dreams. I stepped back to jump forward and the puzzle-piece that had been missing for so many years was in its place. I did it and all the steps were out of order, but I did it all so now that this jigsaw puzzle was finally complete, I could put it all to rest. I could sigh a breath of relief and be still. I could sit back and breathe. My peace, my tranquility and calm were here when I closed my eyes I could see my heart – my family. I didn’t need to run anymore I just needed to go home. So, the moment everything came together, it all fell apart because it had served its purpose. And once I stood still long enough, I understood.

Love letter to me 2015

Spice Girls, Power Rangers & Language Enthusiasts

In the follow up to Dear Language Lovers, I chat with a fellow language enthusiast from Chile. She shared some childhood memories about learning English, the various languages she has studied over the years and the techniques she uses in the class as a language instructor.

Hola! Primero, gracias por hablar conmigo !

Yo quiero hablar de tu amor por los idiomas y tu viaje como docente.

Entonces, ¿como estas y como va tu dia?

Hola! Soy Victoria. Soy profesora de español e ingles.

Muchas gracias por confiar en mi para entrevistar en tu blog.

V shared that her interest in languages started when she was 5 years old learning English in school and spending her spare time immersed in the English-speaking culture. She spent time pretending to be Power Rangers and carefully translated the lyrics to famous Pop groups like Spice Girls. She was truly engulfed in a language learning experience.

Creo que comenzó desde cuando era muy pequeña y escuchaba música en inglés. Antes, cuando la música venía en cassettes, antes del CD, dentro venía una portada con un papel doblado en dónde venían las letras de las canciones. Recuerdo haberme visto traduciendo con un pequeño diccionario de mi escuela las canciones de las Spice Girls. Disfrutaba mucho haciéndolo.. Nosotros en Chile aprendíamos inglés desde Kinder, cuando teníamos 5 años, cuando veíamos a los Power Rangers y jugábamos a ser ellos. La cultura angloparlante estaba muy presente (Veliz, March 2025).

In her later years she continued to study various other languages such as German, Chinese and Portuguese. Her experience as a learner has helped her structure her English and Spanish classes as well as the multitude of webinars, conferences and seminars she attends. She strives to shape her tutorials around experiences and interests that motivate her students and immerse them in authentic conversations. V noted that one thing that she found fascinating is the subtle transition that learners make between the stage of mentally translating in the target language to L1 back to the target language vs. fluid speech in the target language.

Victoria is always open to new students so feel free to reach out!

Want more information?

it was the End and Beginning

The taste of disappointment. The gut-wrenching fear that my whole life might
crumble.

These things used to haunt me like a ghost. Until I realized that I
truly had no control over the circumstances around me and suddenly I was

free…

It started as a decision
to quit my job. A job which was well paying, had potential for growth and was in a
field which on the surface seemed as though it fit into the puzzle pieces of my life. But the jigsaw pieces were forced and if you looked closely the puzzle
was always incomplete. I needed a career which was challenging and stimulating whilst
encouraging growth. Stagnation and predictably
did not match with my appetite to learn and grasp new ideas. So, in one
of my less eloquent moments I stated,

” I have something to tell you”.

As I sat in the car after riding the train back from work.

“I quit my job,”

I held my breath for a moment. Waiting for him to
tell me he was proud of me. Thinking back now, I realize that was another
slightly delusional fairy tale moment I was clearly living in. Especially since
I knew how extremely practical/risk averse he was and quitting my job without
another job lined up was the equivalent of a practical person’s worse
nightmare. Thus, it was the end and beginning of many stages of my life, but I
knew in order to do it right it was all or nothing. So, I started over and fell
back in love and lust with writing and the cognitive process of language acquisition. I facilitated lessons, developed curriculum, coordinated with content creators, managed tutors and linguists.
And I explored the role of culture, identity and student learning preferences and how they intertwined to create a dynamic and unique learning experience. I unlearned, relearned, taught and explored.

It was a sad ending. It was a beautiful beginning, and I was slowly becoming a Language and Education Enthusiast.

I would tell her to just be selfish

There are moments in life when you simply need to remind yourself that you are enough. In order to do that, you have to have enough self confidence to come up with the words that are both comforting and inspiring.

I’ve been told that nothing is impossible, and certain things aren’t meant for me. I’ve been told to follow my heart, and I’ve been told to always be mindful of others. And I’ve been told to say what I really want move in that direction, but move with caution. I’ve been told many conflicting things, but I have out that the most important words come from within. What I tell myself when I am not sure of the next step, or when I am scared to truly articulate my thoughts into actions. I tell myself to move, just move, take a step, and move. Be bold.

Forget your failures and mistakes because the lesson is over. Sometimes we have to fail over and over until our failures are no longer setbacks; they simply push us closer to our goals.

Ask yourself…what are my goals and how long will I pursue them?

It took me many years to invest in me and appreciate my own value. But once I knew my own worth there were no more excuses. I don’t have many profound words of wisdom or a wonderful magic toolbox to fix every unforeseeable problem.

But if I could sit with my 19 year old self, I would tell her how special she is and that there is no need to be so unsure. I would tell her to just be selfish.

Be freaking selfish, know your worth and love yourself. Wait for no one to validate you just get your own stamp of approval. Stop hesitating and move boldly towards your goals. The world is your drawing board so dream big, hold tight to your dreams and pursue your passions with unwavering focus and perseverance.

Most importantly I would tell her,

“Some things aren’t that serious. Just smile!”

Semi Solo and whatnot

So, what have you learned from your semi solo trips? …

In the last several years I have taken multiple trips to different countries and each time I have travelled I have arrived at a new destination with new people, new food, new colloquial expressions and new idiosyncrasies. Although all this newness always comes in like a whirlwind as soon as I step foot in the airport, the real emotional shift always hits me as I sit down on the airplane to return home. It’s the realization that another journey has concluded with its ups and downs, and soon, I will return to my home, with my comfort food and recognizable routine as if nothing changed. But it always does. I find that the distance makes the notion of home seem so luxurious as if it’s a treasure that I never realized I possessed. And my hours wandering in the woods suddenly seem so invaluable. This was the most evident when I visited Bogota. Although it was a short visit, it felt like I was there for months, and it inspired me to brush up on my 0+ (barely/perhaps a stretch) Spanish proficiency levels. Since everywhere I went it was necessary to have phrases readily available to use and that was something I wasn’t prepared for. So, on this semi solo trip I learned that being away from recognizable idiosyncrasies, words and references is truly forcing yourself out of your comfort zone and as a result you can either blossom or wither. Some say Bogota is the New York of Colombia, I’ll be better equipped next time. Goodbye COLOMBIA!

Just wandering in the woods (again)…

T: You don’t care enough that’s why you don’t have a blog.

C: No, I just don’t have any extra time!

T: You’re not doing anything just wandering in the woods.

C: Well, I don’t want to spend my down time doing anything.

From that moment forward, I couldn’t get the pestering thought out of my mind. Why had I stopped writing? It was my passion, my joy, my form of expression, it was never a burden. I had simply forgotten the feeling of creating and learned to live without it. I was moving through life, checking off boxes and going through the motions. Fulfilling every obligation and ignoring everything else. So, this is day one of many of Wanderland reflections/blog/journal or creations as I return home from the place that I instantly embraced as home away from home. The question I keep returning to is why did I fall in love with this country. So, I close my eyes and replay the highlights of my time there. And I remember feeling at peace, a sense of freedom, the warmth of the sun, the familiarity of mountain peaks and the crisp chill in the air. Learning new words as I passed a sign and listening to a store clerk repeat a sentence 2 times …agau sin gas? and the constant sound of music and chatter which often faded into background noise this was my routine. Waking up with the sense that a mini adventure awaited me as I navigated my way on the metro, trying to remember how to say “how much does this cost”, and exploring a few new blocks seeing if I could communicate a bit more or recognize one or two more words. Santiago was special because I truly had moments where I wandered, discovered and learned quietly and confidently. I loved every magical moment. Chao Chao Chile until next time mi amor….