My Spanish is okay. Not fluent, but I understand a lot and I manage. Maybe that’s because I had Spanish influences in my life before. (See also: the Spanish thread.) But before I moved here, I hadn’t used it in years – so it had faded a bit.
Fortunately, it’s coming back. Just… not very fast. That’s mainly because I live alone, work from home, and speak Dutch with my clients. So I’m in my own language all day. Sometimes I think: if I had a Spanish partner or worked in an office with Spanish colleagues, it would probably go faster. But that’s not a complaint — it’s my own choice.
Still, I’m working on it. I read Spanish magazines, and sometimes I borrow a book from the library. I’ll grab an old-fashioned dictionary — a real book, not online. I only look up words I don’t understand and try to get the rest from the context. Sometimes I just keep reading, even if I don’t know a few words. Often I get the story anyway.
Of course, I could take Spanish conversation classes. In Pineda, Banc de Temps offers those. But to be honest: I haven’t made time for that (yet). Not because I’m too busy. I simply choose to focus on other things that bring me joy right now — like writing this little story, for example.
For now, I manage just fine. I can have a casual chat with the neighbour or with people I meet on the way. No deep political debates, but natural, spontaneous contact. And for now, that’s enough.