Two years really passed by faster than I thought. A lot has happened, lots more has changed. It makes sense that the pandemic has really affected the process and video upload frequency, but I wouldn’t have thought about it as an immediate factor. The support I get from family and friends has been instrumental during this time and I appreciate all that I get. They not only cheer me on, but also put up with all of my filming! :)

Both my mom and dad speak Spanish, and yet I was raised with English as a first language, and no Spanish at all apart from the high school Spanish that is forgotten (by most) within a few years. I’ve been learning Spanish since the beginning of the pandemic, and now comes the moment when I can actually talk to my parents in Spanish. To some level, at least.

Bite size chunks is how I’m getting through Duolingo. It’s quite the challenge, and takes lots of determination and persistence. This is the second checkpoint on my way to complete the entire Spanish series. Last time, I finished all of the stories available, and this time I’ve finished all of the lessons for level one. There are 6 levels, so I still have quite a bit to complete, and wanted to share a bit about my progress.

There are items all around us all of the time, usually dismissed because of repeated use. And then there are other items that almost seem to blindside you with the impact that they have made in years past. This is about the latter.

Duolingo Stories is one of the features within the platform, but starting on a language track in Duolingo can be intimidating. I don’t know how many times I’ve started and stopped after having ruined a long streak, causing me to get discouraged. But Duolingo Stories is another issue entirely, in my humble opinion.

Who doesn't love bloopers? And what's better than a blooper than a compilation of bloopers?! Anyway, this is the second video of compilations.

There are a ton of different language learning strategies, and reading is one of them. I had the bright idea to read my favourite book in English (actually translated from Portuguese), but in Spanish. It would be my first Spanish book (not including children’s books). Here’s how it went…

Leo’s birthday just passed in February, which makes him now twelve (human) years old. I have a difficult time dealing with mortality, in general, but seeing my aging best friend who will always be that little puppy I picked up at the adoption center has been especially difficult. Aging is SO natural. It’s a part of life, but that doesn’t stop it from being an incredibly challenging time when I think about our future together. Time is a limited gift, and so we must enjoy it now.

After seeing several push up challenge videos, and learning NOT to do them every single day, it was time to put myself to the test. At the beginning, I could do a whopping seven pushups. You don’t have to tell me… I already know it’s super impressive.

If you’re learning a language, this free tool might be right up your alley. I don’t have money for private classes all the time, or even bigger classes, so I’ve downloaded this app called Anki. If you’ve heard of it you know that it’s a tool that uses spaced repetition, and here’s a quick, simple way to get started using it.

FYI This is not a sponsored video. I just really enjoy using the app for a simple flashcard review. I’m still learning about new apps that I can use to continue learning languages, and recently heard of Quizlet so I definitely need to check that one out too!

One of my goals this year is to increase my culinary knowledge, and what better way to do that than to learn from the best. Definitely also part of this is sharing that not everything is going to look “restaurant perfect”, no matter how hard I try.

After having bought the Ergatta earlier this year, and not having been consistent using it, I created a 30 day challenge of rowing at least 30 minutes a day in one of the busiest months of the year, with zero experience rowing. Can she do it?

Around the Austin area, okay - actually it’s closer to Pflugerville, there’s a 5.2 out-and-back hike called Gilleland Creek. It’s a completely paved trail, but I’d never been on it and I'm always game for a shiny, new hike. But also I'd like to reflect a bit about the self-development journey, and how that has impacted me (a bit).

Setting some goals for the new year, goals, not resolutions. I feel like resolutions are too easy to let slide by the wayside, but goals? They last much longer than that. So plan with me, for 2022.

This year started out with a bunch of goals (read: resolutions) but I was here, there, and all over the place. So this is just me reviewing what I did manage to accomplish, what I still need to work on, and what I’m not interested in working on anymore. Share your accomplishments too! And also your favourite books!

I’ve had a lot of fun creating content over the past year and wanted to share the bloopers, which are at the end of almost all of my videos. There’s a lot that goes into each video, but there’s enough time for goofing off and playing around, especially when working with family and friends. Here’s an ode to the past year and a giant thanks to everyone that I’ve worked with thus far.