Out of Focus

Living in a foreign country, every day I am challenged when I answer the phone, when I get into the car, when I go to the store, not to mention when I visit the doctor. This is something I did not fully grasp before I made my big move to Italy. I never truly studied Italian, all my language skills have been learned by ear. Frankly, I think it was the best thing for me, but a few grammar lessons here and there would not have hurt either.

Frequently I am asked, "what is it like to live in another language?" The answer I give most often...it feels a bit like you are drunk...all the time...it borders on a dream like state. Sometimes I catch everything within a conversation, sometimes I miss a word and lose the meaning of a statement, and sometimes I am just lost in the clouds. Literally lost in translation. You really need to focus when you do even the most mundane of tasks. So if you are having an off day, do not even get me started. Lately off days have enveloped me. This is a really bad time for this to happen and I hope it is just a phase. I really don't want to be labeled the girl from La La Land...at least not for the wrong reasons! Here is to wishing the world back into focus...