Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world? This question is one of my favourite questions ever. For me, the answer is: everywhere, starting with Italy. Why Italy? The culture, the people, the FOOD, the Archetecture and Ancient Relics. Why would you go everywhere and SKIP Italy?
As such, I am learning the language (albeit, very slowly). I had set the fine intention of learning a certain number of words per day (I think it was 16 or 18 words), because after 365 days I would have learned 5,000 words, which should be more than ample in knowing the language through and through – although grammar would be very helpful too.
I did START the task of learning however many words it was, by well-meaningly borrowing a book, written mostly in Italian: ‘I Love Shopping Con Mia Sorrella’ (With My Sister) – and writing every word from the front page to the beginning of the book that is written there (publishing terminology) against numbers (so I knew where I was at), with room for the English translation.
I failed to get to the part where I actually look up the English equivalent of facsimile thereof. Why is this? Is it that I am incapable of learning Italian? No. Not at all. Is it that I am too busy? No. Not that either. Is it that I set an unrealistic goal? Perhaps. What I think it going on here is that I have overcommitted to various activities, and simply allowed it to ‘slip’.
I do not urgently need to learn Italian as I do not have a pending trip to Italy organised. Perhaps this is what it will take to really knuckle down and get to it. We learn best when our lives depend on the information that we’re learning (or so I’ve heard – on a TEDx talk on youtube, lol). How much credit should I give to TEDx? Well, a lot I think. Many of the people who go on TEDx are very experienced in their field. They may not be professionals (although many are), but they are certainly experts.
What is the point I am trying to make? I guess it is time to start planning my trip to Italy. It probably won’t be this year, as I am saving for a trip to see my family – and I would later like to go on a cruise to see what that is like (as I want to work on cruise ships if I get the opportunity (by sending resumes in to Cruise Liners). I particularly would like to work in a position that requires a person to have full grasp of several languages.
That being said, it is a long way off, because I only have a taste of many languages on my tongue, and a little Italian, but it is certainly something to work towards! Back on topic [please note: jumping from topic to topic is typical of myself, but I am not sure if it is something that people with Schizophrenia generally do or not. I will ask at my next psychiatric appointment on the 27th I note that this only started happening when I’d been on antidepressants a long time. Other problems, such as ‘dissociation’ also occurred on those meds.]: Italy, it is time. Here I come…
… in 1-2 years.
Just to be clear, as this is also a travel blog, I would like to inform you that the type of travel I will be doing at first will be local. Around the Gold Coast (I have a friend willing to take me to different places each week, but I also want to do a considerable amount of this on my own – for the experience of travelling alone), then there will be visits to see family and friends interstate, then a cruise, then overseas travel. I am doing this in baby steps.
One thing I have taken into account is wether it is possible to get the meds I am on (for the time that I will be taking it, under the guidance of a physician) on cruise ships or overseas. My understanding is that some medications that are legal here in Australia would be illegal in Italy and vice versa. It is good to consider such things before travelling.
So, if you could get on a boat and go anywhere in the world – just one place – where would that be – and what would you do there?
This is Ms Jasmin, signing off. Good day/night wherever you’re at. 🙂
