Year One: Smile a lot and kiss English goodbye

I can't explain how much I've smiled over the past year. I'm certain I have smiled more in this past year than all of my life combined. Why?

When we got here almost a year ago we didn't speak any Portuguese. The only thing I knew how to do was smile a lot! I know it sounds ridiculous, but putting on a big smile as we tried out new words in the language really helped a lot. Of course I think the Portuguese are very gracious people; when I first starting trying to speak Portuguese they really encouraged my learning and were so kind. But, the smile helped a ton. It gave me a way to communicate non-verbally while I was learning how to communicate all over again.

There are times when I still just smile away---Our Portuguese isn't perfect just because we've been here a year. We still have a looooooong way to go. So, needless to say sometimes I need to smile a lot and say "pode repetir, faz favor" which means, "can you repeat that please?"

Oh, and the second reflection is a warning to those who want to learn another language: During this past year I have gotten increasingly terrible with the English language. I can't write anymore, which bothers me because I felt like I (in my former English life!) was a good writer. I find myself wanting to use Portuguese expressions or words because they just fit better than English....so, fair warning, your English skills will start to disappear. Hopefully one day they'll come back!