Day #158 in A Year of Thanks:
I’m thankful for my first in-person experience with the Italian language.

This morning, I woke up thinking today was going to be a typical Saturday with getting my hair cut and taking my Grams to the mall to pick up her new eyeglasses from LensCrafters. I wasn’t expecting to have a real-time, in-person, face-to-face conversation in Italian with a native speaker. The lady who was helping my Grams was so sweet, and our interaction with her began in the store as we would typically expect—in English, which she spoke perfectly. However, as we were getting ready to leave, she gave us a farewell, wishing us a good weekend and ending her statement with, “Ciao.” I whipped around so fast when I heard that, and I could hardly contain my excitement.

She asked me if I knew Italian, and my first answer was, “I love Italian.” Then she continued in Italian, asking if I spoke the language, and I replied with a yes, adding that I was studying it. She then asked how I was learning, and of course, I told her all the sources I’m using. It was a short and sweet talk, but it was the highlight of my weekend. The only Italians I know well enough to speak Italian with are all in Italy, so it’s challenging to speak and practice it face-to-face with someone, anyone, where I live. My joy overflowed throughout the entire drive home. Even now, the joy is overflowing with a few tears I’m trying to keep at bay. I cannot find the right words to express how much this truly meant to me today and just how incredibly special this experience was.

Day 157 | Day 158 | Day 159
Year of Thanks