Time off, time to learn spanish!

For the last couple of months, I was planning when I will finish my studies and how my life will proceed. I enjoyed my last travels in Asia and Europe so much, that it was only a matter of time before it'll drag me again out into the world. Exploring new places, meeting inspiring people, and developing every minute out there was something rewarding for me. The goal to finish my master thesis was priority number one, since studying the past years towards this was exhausting even though really valuable. Still, studies and a career are not the only way to develop yourself and not the only key to personal growth, especially concerning a balanced work-life, especially in times of a pandemic.

For months I was telling people, friends, and family, that I will leave Germany and Europe at the beginning of January until April. Where do you go to? When do you leave? These were questions that came along every day, but I was not able to answer them. Cause of Corona restrictions I planned to start my research myself around Christmas 2021 after finishing my thesis to plan my trip. I did not want to get too curious and excited about countries or places before knowing if I can go there.

Coincidently, I was in contact with Samantha, who I met earlier in 2021 in Milano and Firenze in Italy. She planned to visit Central America during the same period. Since I was open to exploring any country in South or Central America, we decided quickly to head for Mexiko in the first place and I booked a return ticket for Panama City. In the beginning, I planned to just buy a one-way ticket to keep my plans flexible. Since entrance restrictions* for Mexiko are strict and even your airline might expect you to have a return ticket, plus the bundle price was convincing, I decided for Panama City even though the route: Sayulita (Mexiko) to Panama City (Panama) might be a way to long to travel by bus. In the end, I fixed some money within my budget plan for a later additional flight to either in the end just get to Panama or to skip some places or countries in between, depending on the mood, time, and recommendations.

In addition, I need to mention, that one of my other intents to visit this part of the world was to challenge myself. Being in countries, where it is not common or should not be expected to always find people who can speak English, should be the most important reason for me to adapt and to learn a new language, which I was always striving for. My Spanish before the trip was limited to some introductory phrases and a general understanding of basic sentences or e.g. menus and timetables. This came mainly from my basic understanding of Italian as well as some takeaways of a Spanish intensive course a year earlier at university.

So goals were set...

• Exploring Central America

• Learning Spanish

• Enjoying time to the fullest <3

...the 14th of January was set as the date to kick things off, and preparation* could start!

*I consider writing articles specifically focusing on those topics later on