22 Comments
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Michael Horvich's avatar

Reminds me of the time I started dreaming in Spanish, no longer translating but rather thinking in Spanish, and I knew I had arrived when I was able to tell a joke in Spanish and have my native listener laugh. Great story, thanks for sharing.

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thank you for reading!

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Shane John's avatar

Such a wonderful piece! You show the beauty of multilingualism so well.

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thanks so much for reading!

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Peter Moore's avatar

After reading this post I feel as if I, too, have just spent a week on a Greek island. The waiter didn't do anything for me, but the Retsina was refreshing. Meanwhile, I have my own "dreaming in..." story to tell. When I was studying in the Alliance Francaise in Paris ("lèvres en avant") I was also catching up on the blank spots in my reading of dead white authors, and concentrating on Dickens. As I lay on the bed in my dorm room, I would fall asleep while reading...and then DREAM THAT I WAS STILL READING DICKENS! The story was advancing, even while I was unconscious. So clearly, my brain was able to contsruct facsimile Dickens, when my eyeballs weren't actually taking it in. That still freaks me out.

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Sari Botton's avatar

Ha!

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Julie Metz's avatar

That's crazy...sounds like the stories became a mind game with many possible outcomes...did your dream continuations track with Dickens's originals?

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Leslie Hoge's avatar

Beautiful.

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Sharon Enck's avatar

This is a beautiful read! Oddly reminds me of my time in Munich when I kept responding to the locals in French. I was learning it at the time and I guess I just couldn’t code switch well enough!

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thanks for reading! In fact, what I remember is that I spoke in friend to the German guy even when Valerie wasn't there. It had become a habit. I was thinking in French. I am always amazed by people who speak many languages, as many people in Europe do by necessity...how do they keep it all straight?!

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Sharon Enck's avatar

That is an excellent question. The teacher who taught me French was fluent in four different languages and she said that it just all becomes second nature (how I do not know!)

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Julie Metz's avatar

I think it helps to learn languages young...like music.

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Francine McKenna's avatar

Love this! Sent to my niece who spent a semester abroad in Paris last year and is returning in October to teach English for a year in Versailles. I hope she can travel out and about during that time.

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thank you for reading! Happy travels to your niece! Do let her know that prices have gone up since then! ;-)...

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Epstein Irwin's avatar

Floating naked in the

wine-dark sea

Your front warmed by sun and warm breezes

Your back chilled by cool

clear water

The occasional splash to

remind you that

you’re alive and immensely grateful for it.

Thank you for that memory.

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Epstein Irwin's avatar

Reminded me of many trips to Greece with Fran, my late wife. Floating naked in tandem. Returning to the same taverna night after night. Squid fishing at midnight and giving them to honeymooners. Taking advice from total strangers and never once regretting it.

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thank you for reading! Taking advice from strangers...That's something that has changed, unfortunately. Interactions with strangers are rarer...people are afraid, or they are looking at Google for answers.

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Epstein Irwin's avatar

For us, one of

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thank you for reading and for this beautiful image. I write to relive these kinds of sensations.

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Epstein Irwin's avatar

That’s very sad. For us, one of the nicest parts of travel. The kindness of strangers.

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Ricard  Margineda's avatar

Wonderful story.

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Julie Metz's avatar

Thank you!

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