The only thing that could possibly elevate my already convivial mood during my buoyant morning walk to Scuola Leonardo da Vinci would be an iced latte in my right hand. But this is Italy after all, and they don’t do coffee to go here. In fact, I don’t know if there’s even an iced latte to be found in this country.
Anyhoo, back to Italian class. As nerve-wracking as it can be to attend the lessons, I have found them worthwhile for several reasons so far. Don’t get me wrong, I love everything about them, but they’re still scary because of the humility factor that’s attached to learning a second language as an adult. It’s humbling to take it on and commit to it because you have to put yourself out there and be ready and willing to make mistakes. Trust me, I make tons and yes, sometimes I’m embarrassed, but it’s all part of the learning process.
To start, where else would I ever have the opportunity to write a short bio for a deceased famous person of my choice–Jim Morrison, of course!–in the passato remoto? I feel like slowly but surely, my grasp on the language is starting to coalesce…I’m stringing together phrases in my head a little more quickly than usual, and communicating these thoughts in sentences that actually make sense.
Though the best part–besides learning Italian of course–is the classroom environment. The few hours I have spent racking my brain each day has made me more mentally on point in all aspects of my life, both personally and professionally. The regimen that the classes bring to my schedule enables me to discipline myself and manage my time more efficiently, therefore rendering me more productive overall. Honestly, I’m sorry I only signed up for three weeks and I’m going to see if I can manage to extend by another week or two. I think (& hope!) that advancing in the language will open up even more doors for me here and lead to some cool opportunities because this isn’t a sabbatical or anything like that. I’m in this for the long haul.
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