My personal story involving Italian.
This is my story. The story of my association with all things Italian.
I am a 24 year old computer networking engineer. Just 7 Years ago I met an Italian girl in my high school senior year. She was on an extended year long exchange student program. We began dating, it truly was love at first site. In the back of our minds, we both knew that she would have to return to Italy soon (dreading the upcoming day of course). The day she left, at the airport, was a sad day indeed. However, we pledged to make it work. Each year came to pass and either she would visit me in the States for a month or two, or I would go to Italy for a shorter period of stay typically lasting around 30 days or less (couldn't stay very long due to work schedules).
After 7 years of this back and forth long-distance craziness, and an unimaginable amount of trust in one another, thousands upon thousands of hours spent chatting on the internet and telephone, we finally decided it was time to meet our destiny. We both had great great jobs, she in the public sector and myself in the IT branch of Education. However one night while returning home from work, I decided it was time for a change. We spoke that same night about my decision, and I purchased plane tickets the next day departing for Italy just one and a half months from that moment. The next week at work, I put in my two week notice. This left me a full month in order to prepare for the big move and get all necessary paperwork done at the Secretary of State and Italian Embassy. It wasn't easy, but I finally finished my paperwork, 3 days before my flight.
I finally arrived in Italy. I hadn't studied much Italian in the 7 years together due to full time university and a full time career. My schedule hadn't left me much time for anything other than working, sleeping, and studying. All I had was Fluenz. I began using the software religiously. Daily, twice, thrice, 4ice!??? You get the picture. Around the same time that I completed Fluenz Level 1, WE TIED THE KNOT! We finally did it, after 7 long years of one of the furthest long distance relationships imaginable, even against all odds and the many speculations we always heard from people, we succeeded. I can honestly say that this is the highest point in my life and I don't see anything ever surpassing this in the future.
To Recap: I quit my job, packed my life into two suitcases, moved across the world, and got married. It's a pretty surreal feeling doing all of that in less than 3 months. In case you don't know, those are 3 of the most stressful things in life you can do. Quit a great job, move to a foreign country, and plan a marriage.
Back to the language stuff, afterall this is a language forum! I continued using Fluenz throughout level 2. After completing, I did what I think any reasonable person would do of course! Celebrate! It wasn't long-lived though. Just a few days later, wanting to put my skills to the test, I signed up for italian language school. Yes, I just said that. To clarify a bit, we don't live in a touristy part of Italy like Pisa, Florence, Rome, or Milan. There are practically zero english speaking people where I live (Carrara). So guess what, my school is purely in Italian. Absolutely no english. Armed with my confidence and pocket sized dictionary (my bible now), I hit the ground running. I was rather surprised by how much I understood in the first two sessions. Fluenz has done an outstanding job on selecting which areas of the language you will need the most. I don't understand everything, but I can piece most sentences together (as long as the teacher isn't speaking as fast as a formula 1 car roaring down a track). In fact, after my third session of class, I was enjoying it so much that I signed up for another school. So now I attend two language schools full time. Did I mention that this part has only just started to happen within the last week? I am now attending language school(s) in Italy; What a dream come true!
None of this would be possible without the help of Fluenz. Well I'm sure I still would have married the woman of my dreams without you, but, the language part of the story. I can't express my gratitude for the foundation that you have given me. Without you, I don't know where I would be right now. Fluenz has played a key role in the biggest decision of my life. I don't know how I will ever be able to thank you enough.
Status:
Open Feb 24, 2011 - 05:53 PM