The language of love: German?

There’s a whole new language being spoken in our house these days!?I never expected to be learning a new language at 50-something, but here I am, well into my second semester of community college classes where I’m learning what I have come to revere as the “language of love.” German.

You probably never considered German to be the language of love but let me explain.

Our son, Jake, met his girlfriend two years ago.?They had friends in common and had lived in the same California city for a year, but they never met until they connected online after she had moved back to her home country.?Germany.?At the beginning of the pandemic.?

The two managed to get Jake into Munich for occasional visits, thanks to Europe’s “Love is not tourism” movement, which created avenues for partners to break the COVID lockdown and get into Germany to spend time with loved ones.?

Since then, Jake has moved to Germany and taken a job there. ?Thanks to remote work options, we’ve had the chance to have the two of them here in the U.S. for extended visits, and on family vacation in Mexico, too!?

We already love Chrissy like a daughter and next week…we’ll “meet the parents”!?My husband and I, along with our other son, Zack, are off to a family vacation in Munich, where we’ll spend two weeks with Jake and Chrissy, and we’ll get to meet her parents, in person, for the first time.

Like most people in Germany, Chrissy’s folks have some command of the English language (and they’ve been studying up since they learned we were coming).?And as I’ve mentioned, I’ve put on my language-learning cap for the first time in 40 years.?What an experience it is to learn a new language as an adult, especially when there is a deep motivation.?In my mind, learning the language brings me closer to Chrissy and her family, and to Jake, too!?He’s more advanced in his German studies so he’s a great tutor for me and we enjoy talking about what we’re learning and our observations about the language differences.

Certain elements of high school Spanish classes are coming back to me.?Conjugating verbs is somewhat similar, for example.?And oddly enough, when I try to say something in German, I sometimes accidentally slip in a Spanish word!?That’s been a surprise!?My ear still isn’t yet well-trained to make out what is being said verbally in German; it’s pretty difficult!

One benefit I’ve found in taking a class in another language (even on Zoom) is that it requires my complete attention.?When I’m called on to talk about my weekend, for example, I cannot worry about the day-to-day issues that otherwise fill my brain.?I have to be all-in, focus on the question and trying to find the right words!

If anyone is interested in expanding their world and learning something new, I would highly recommend considering trying out a new language.?Strangely, the addition of German classes to my already hectic schedule is not a stressor for me.?Class time actually provides a bit of a mental break!?(And I sure hope the experts are right when they say learning a new language helps keep our mind fresh as we age!)

With less than a week left before becoming fully immersed in the German language, I’ll sign off and do some more preparing for meeting the parents, attending Oktoberfest, exploring the Bavarian Alps, and visiting Austria.?Let’s see how this goes!

Tschuss!