Why am i leaving?

Where can i begin on this one? It's occured to me that some people have no idea why i am outta here?

Dominican Republic March/April 2005 The trip that started it all... I had already started back studying Spanish when my brother and his Dominican wife - a.k.a. my sister- invited me to make the trip to DR with them. Boy did it change my life...

You see, as a child @ the age of 5 I had very good writing and reading scores and was put into a "program" for advanced students, and one of the subjects was Spanish. I absorbed the year like a sponge, but sadly the woman teaching it had to transfer schools (never knew why). I remember her crying with some of us and saying we were just getting to where she had wanted us to go with it. Long story short is i was able to communicate simple things and ideas, but much more than the average adult knows now. I even ran into 2 friends that were from P.R. and by hanging with their families learned more. Especially at my boy Eli crib. You would think he was Black-American if you didnt meet his mom. One day i was there late and i heard his mom clearly say "Why is Shaun still here so late, when is he going home". What made that moment special to me was that i wasn't paying attention and "thought" i heard pure english subliminally. Outloud i said "Nah I'll go home soon". My boy looked at me incredulously, and that's when i realized what i'd done.
My older brother even bought me a Baron's Language book by the time i was 8 (i love to read, and he knew that- how uncharacteristically f*#$king nice of him :-D)

Fast forward 20 years: I stopped studying and lost everything but being able to pronounce a good word or two. I became tired of always saying "yeah i used to know this and that". Add to that the fact that my now married brother had a Dominican wife and my nephew who was around 3 at the time knew the same amount of Spanish i did. So i vowed to keep up with him as he grew up and also he is a gauge of where I'm at. Of course at 5, he is better than me now :).

I began researching new methods of learning and programs, because clearly i learned nothing in High School and knew that method was lacking. I found a course called Pimsleur based in audio and memorizing without reading, but by "hearing" like children do. You listen for one 1/2 hour a day and talk with it. I bought the sampler (8 lessons out of 90) and can say with confidence that those lessons sunk right in better than ever and taught me simple things like ordering food, drinks, hotel, and other survival stuff like beer (...well ya know...lol).

The one bad thing was it was too formal. By chance i googled for something more "everyday", not so stiff-lip proper and actually found a course made by a New Yorker who bought the aforementioned stuff and was tired of it not being useful in NYC or Mexico (it was Spain spanish). It was called Learning Spanish Like Crazy and although its not perfect, if you can't leave the country, its the next best thing. I did about 13 lessons before my brother came and invited me to the DR.

When left alone i was understood well with what i did know and learned a lot by osmosis. In fact in 10 days there i learned more than in 3 months on my own, especially in regards to things sinking in, because you're directly doing and learning which is more natural. Plus the people themselves were beautiful, the children and locals and those who i sat and played hours of Dominoes with (Capicu-ah!!!)

When i got back in April, after work & Saturdays i began to volunteer teaching ESL to Mexicans who knew little to no English and that helped me more. Not fluent but building a solid foundation. After 2 semesters there, i am ready to further my self-education.

I'll be attending school 3 days a week, several hours a day (half day of grammar, half day of conversation) and living in a studio apartment literally on the other side of the block (by coincidence!!)

I may find work but all in all i am there for my language. At this point i can understand more than i can respond with and i can read even better. If i had to give a number between 1 and 10 i'd say i am a 4 right now, going on 5.

I'll change that number as time goes on for sure.
That's why.

17 days until lift-off...