Milestone in a Second Language #1: Speaking in Spanish in a dream.
They say you´re fluent when you dream in another language. Well, I´m definitely not fluent, so I´m definitely not consistently or completely dreaming in Spanish yet. But I clearly remember speaking in Spanish in a dream–and thinking, as I do in real life, “Wow, they´re actually understanding me!”
Milestone in a Second Language #2: Making mistakes in English when I’m honestly not trying to.
Trying to say homey or cozy and instead literally translating en casa into in house. Trying to use profundicize as the English version of profundizar. Explaining that someone lost her flight instead of missed it. Mentally going through the three other words furgoneta, camioneta, and coche before remembering the English word for car.
These little milestones may not be a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But they make me happy because although I still feel like a third-grader when I try to express myself, little things like this become a light at the end of the tunnel that I just might be improving. But another reason this process brings me joy (mixed in with many other feelings, but it´s there…) is because it´s been a real experience for me of my vow of poverty. Belonging completely to Our Lord means that I don´t own anything for myself anymore… not even my native language or my homeland. Not what I choose to study or where I study it. Not where I live or who I live with. Not what language all of that happens in. Whatever he chooses for me is what I choose for myself, so that he can extend his Kingdom when, where, and how he wants– in English, Spanish… okay, even Spanglish…
