As a child, I frequently imagined creating my own language, a new and unique way to express thoughts in my heart and head. Little wonder that the works of Tolkien became my favorite the moment I opened the first page. I knew that I would study a foreign language the moment the class first became available at my school. Originally, I planned to study German since my high school offered three years worth of classes in contrast two only two of Spanish. In a moment of weakness, however, I succumbed to peer pressure and chose the “easier” Spanish. Once in that class though, my mind opened to the astounding wonder of expression in a whole new way. I had found my heart language.

My recent European adventure plunged me, once again, back into the world of languages and the enormous power and influence they hold. The countries I visited spoke a myriad of languages: French, German, Slovak, Hungarian, Luxembourgish, Flemish, Dutch, Czech, English, Catalan, Spanish, and many more. Several countries share languages. Switzerland speaks French and German, specifically a Swiss dialect of German. Belgium speaks French and Dutch, as well as German thanks to territory ceded to the Swiss after World War I in the Treaty of Versailles. Luxembourg speaks French, German, and Luxembourgish, a German dialect so infused with French words it gained enough distinction to merit the title of language. Many of these countries speak languages related to one another, sharing common origin, usually of Germanic, Slavik, or Latin origin. Hungarian, however, has none of these. Rather, Hungarian’s closest relative lies far to the north in Finland. Suffice it to say, for a month, I lived in a veritable language stew.

Living immersed in this stew taught me several things. First, I noticed that I felt more comfortable conducting business in Spanish rather than English, for a few reasons. I will admit that I did this largely because speaking in English would reveal my American accent. The last thing I wanted was for others to think of me as a dumb American, someone who knows little of history and culture, who insists that others speak their language, English, the only one they know. Rather, in Europe, the default sets to a minimum of bilingualism with many speaking far more than that. In that month, I encountered only one monolingual person, and I don’t know for sure that she spoke only one language. I know only that she did not speak English. Additionally, conducting business in Spanish came in handing in many of the francophone countries since most everyone I spoke to either spoke Spanish, a sister language, or understood enough to figure out what I needed.

Second, this time in Europe confirmed something I learned through a podcast or article, shortly before leaving on the trip. Learning another language makes you more empathetic. Immediately, I sensed the truth of that statement. All languages are not created equal. Google Translate struggles as it does because words do not exist in direct substitutionary form. Instead, each carries its own subtle weight of connotation and nuance, always signifying more than the dictionary conveys. To understand the speaker of another language, you must take the time to learn what the word means to them, factor in the cultural connotations. Although I cannot recall a specific instance when this translated to a concrete example from the trip, the immersion into these different languages made me more aware of my surroundings, caused me to ponder how the other person may see the world.

Lastly, during the last two days of my visit, when I holed up in a cute Madrid flat to relax before beginning the journey home, I had plenty of time to read several books. One, All Strangers Are Kin, I could not get enough of. This book chronicled the author’s journey through a year of intensive Arabic language study. Though that description may sound dry and academic, the book draws you in with warmth and passion. Since I do not share the author’s personal passion for Arabic, I substituted Spanish in my mind, quickly identifying with her desire for true fluency and self-immolation at her self-perceived novice mistakes. I finished that book compelled to immerse myself as much as possible in the study of the Spanish language.

In conclusion, I came away from this trip convicted of the power of language and how our use of it reveals so much of us. This trip instilled a deep longing in my heart to study languages, not to obtain bragging rights over those who do not speak more than one language, but so I can better understand those around me to best meet their needs.