When you live in California, it is obvious that Spanish is the most common language (after English), and many people take Spanish classes at schools and universities. However, if you come from other parts of the world, it is not so evident. In East Europe, the second most popular foreign language to learn after English is German. Very few people study Spanish and finding classes and tutors in Spanish is not easy. Among all the continents, South America is the most enigmatic to any East European, because it is so far and so few people ever go there. South America personifies the so-called El Dorado, where everybody is permanently happy. In that regard, my perception of the Spanish language and the South American continent was stereotypical, which was that Spanish is undeniably the most beautiful language in the world, and  that South America is a dream destination. 

In my twenties, I was dreaming about voyages to distant parts of the world, exploring hidden islands, and studying customs and traditions of lost nations. Starting from my sophomore year in college, I had a well-paid, full-time job with six weeks of vacation per year, which allowed me to travel. However, the idea of simply going on vacation was not satisfying for me. Instead, I dreamed of devoting my life to adventures in the different parts of the world. I came up with the plan to run away to South America to explore the continent and stay there indefinitely. My best friend was going to go with me. We started saving money and also decided to learn Spanish. We sacrificed a lot of sleep for learning Spanish, but it was all worth it. During our work shifts, we often did not see each other. My friend came up with a brilliant idea of writing short notes in Spanish to each and other and leaving them in our lockers. Every time I came to my locker for a break, I would find a note in Spanish waiting for me. We were also both fascinated by the 1958 Spanish movie La violetera. We kept watching it over and over again and listening to beautiful Spanish songs from the movie. We especially liked El Polichinela, performed by Sara Montiel:

Our commitment to Spanish language only lasted for about a year, as did our plan to run to South America. We did not give up completely on going there. We just replaced it with a three-week trip to Brazil and Argentina, during which we visited Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls, Manaus, the Amazon Rainforest, and, of course, Rio de Janeiro. In same year, our love for the Spanish  language took us on a short trip to Andalusia and Madrid. 

For the next five years of my life, Spanish language was out of the picture for me. It was not until I moved to the United States in 2002, when I revived my interest in continuing to learn Spanish without any specific practical purpose. I began taking different Spanish classes at community colleges, language schools, UC Berkeley Extension, and UC Berkeley summer sessions. When I was in the French graduate program at UC Berkeley, I made more efforts to learn Spanish. At some point, I even wrote two short fantastic stories in Spanish in the style of Julio Cortázar. All my wanderings through Spanish grammar and vocabulary culminated in me teaching Spanish at the University of the Pacific later on, and directing a summer program in Antigua, Guatemala. Visiting and staying in Guatemala gave me the peace and self-reflection I did not previously have. I felt that I had always been destined to come to that Spanish-speaking part of the world, so remote from where I was born and so mystifying.

Until today, I have such a warm feeling towards Spanish language. It has been my faithful and loving partner to whom I have showed commitments throughout different stages of my life, despite the circumstances and obstacles. There is a very sturdy but invisible connection that I have with this language that I carry everywhere with me since my first encounter with it. The Spanish  language always brings me back to my youth, my dreams, and my illusions. It vividly reminds me of places that I will never visit because they do not exist. I learned Spanish for imaginary reasons, for the sake of learning it, like we only do out of deep, pure, and crazy love…

Olga Sylvia, PhD