Field Trip

On Tuesday the school had a field trip to a Izki Natural Park in Basque Country. It was a gorgeous area and the kids had a great time. My hands were held and released throughout the day by multiple kids wanting to show me around and trying to explain things to me in Spanglish. ​

​They don’t know I speak Spanish, so its funny having them try to explain and then see them get frustrated and ask their friends if anyone knows the word for “----“ in English. I usually give in, pretend to have a moment of realization, and then help them repeat the English word for whatever it is they’re trying to show me. I have to admit it’s hard not being able to use my Spanish with them, or get to know them well, but I respect the rules of the school and their “one person one language” system of teaching languages.
We spent most of the trip with guides and had various stops where they talked about the wildlife and nature in the area (all in Basque of course, so I just got to admire my surroundings). Overall It was a great day, though I was completely wiped by the time I got home. It was exhausting trying to herd small children on a hike! "don't eat that, it's poisonous", "don't touch that, it'll make you itchy", and "put the lizard down" were only a few of the phrases repeated throughout the day in several languages. 
I'm making baby steps with Basque-- I know how to say some basic phrases, but verb conjugations, cases, and tenses are definitely a long way off. It's a difficult language, but I'm not giving up! (yet). ;)