Don Quijote

by Mark
(Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA)

Spanish is a fabulous language. I've been learning it now for a couple of years. I wanted to be able to read Don Quixote de La Mancha in Spanish, so I decided I had to learn the language as soon and as quick as possible. I am thirty three years old now, so languages are not as easy to learn as when you are a kid.

Reading about the adventures of the skinny knight and his comrades in the language they were originally written is my main motivation, although I have experienced a broadening of my views in general, and I've learnt so much about Spain and its history and culture, that the initial excuse turned out to be just that: a good excuse to motivate myself.

After several trips to Spain, I am planning a trip to Mexico next year. I want to learn more about the history of Mexico and how it was shaped by the Spanish Conquistadors. I also want to see firsthand how different the Mexican Spanish is from the Spanish spoken in the Iberian Peninsula.

I am also excited about the musicality of the language in South American Countries, and my hope is to be able to visit some of them in the next few years.