Languages

Languages. The spoken word is something you cannot capture in a photo. It’s heard. It’s felt. While traveling I’ve been privileged to be around people who speak not one language, not two languages, but often three and four languages. I find it fascinating. I find it beautiful. I can honestly say I am envious.

I’m carrying with me mental pictures that cannot be experienced in photo format. My first night in Croatia I stayed with a family in Rijeka. At the breakfast table we sat drinking coffee and passing around homemade bread. The languages were also being passed like food… chatting in Croatian, English, Italian, and a little Deutsch.

One night I was in an outdoor beach café listening to a mix of music from all over the world… John Denver’s famous “West Virginia” to some Croatian love songs to the Beatles. At the table next to me was this adorable little girl dancing without a care in the world. I chatted with her mother who is from Milan, Italy. She is 26, on holiday for a week with her parents. Her daughter Julia turns 4 in September.  We talked about jobs, life, yoga, traveling, California, Italy, dancing, marriage, etc. The languages flowed with a combo of Italian, English, and Spanish -  and somehow we managed to understand each other. 

As I am working with the German language now, I find that I can find common phrases.  Super and Cool are my new favorite words.  They are the same in both languages.  haha  :-)  

My dream would be to know three languages.  I would love to speak Spanish and French.  Languages remind me of water.  They are fluid/liquid.  Words and phrases flowing together, bringing people together.  Languages are beautiful. The spoken word is something you cannot capture in a photo. It’s heard. It’s felt.