Learning Spanish While Traveling & Why You Must Too

In 2022, after the pandemic reshaped life as we knew it, I began my journey as a digital nomad. What started as a necessary shift turned into a lifestyle that’s taken me across continents—and into the heart of a new language: Spanish.

Before I set off on this journey, I had lived in Los Angeles for six years. Being surrounded by a large Spanish-speaking population helped me pick up basic phrases. I could order food, give directions, and make small talk. But real conversations? Those were out of reach. I couldn’t immerse myself, and I knew it.

Everything changed when I moved to South America with the intention of learning Spanish properly. I enrolled in classes, rented a place, and set out to experience the language in real life. But the reality hit hard.

South America can feel intimidating, especially when you're not fluent. There’s the fear of not understanding what's being said around you—and worse, not knowing if what’s being said is safe or dangerous. Even with prior classes, I found the pace, slang, and regional variations of Spanish challenging. People speak fast. Words are chopped. Accents differ from country to country. It felt like learning a new language inside the language.

One of the biggest traps expats fall into is sticking to English-speaking circles. It’s comfortable, it’s easy—but it keeps you stuck. I made the hard choice to avoid English conversations. It was isolating at first. I hung out with locals, even when I didn’t understand half of what they were saying. I’d smile and nod, and go home to Google what I’d just heard. But I stuck with it.

The journey wasn’t glamorous. It took a lot of hard work. I joined language exchanges, did volunteer work (which turned out to be a huge help), and forced myself to speak—even when I felt silly. And slowly, the pieces started to come together.

Consistency is everything. Now, even when I spend 4–6 months a year in Hong Kong to be with my mom, I continue practicing. I text and call my South American friends, take online classes, and use language apps to keep the momentum going. If you stop practicing, you lose it. It's that simple.

Learning Spanish—or any new language—isn’t easy. And I won’t sugarcoat it. But it’s so worth it. Especially if you love traveling and learning about cultures. Speaking the language opens doors, invites you into real conversations, and helps you understand a place on a deeper level. And let’s be honest, it also gets you local prices and respect.

So if you’re thinking about it—do it. Get out of your comfort zone, make mistakes, and keep showing up. Your future self (and your travel budget) will thank you.