I went to write this and I noticed the post count was at 1999. So here you go: this is my 2000th blog post!
It’s serendipitous timing, having such a milestone just after the exam, because the theme of the post is what to do next. I’ve just taken the most advanced test there is. Maybe I passed, maybe I didn’t, but either way, it raises the question: will there ever come a time when I cease to say “I am learning Portuguese” and start saying “I speak Portuguese”? And on a more practical level, does there ever come a time when I stop doing exercises, and thinking of at least some of my interaction with the language as “work”, and have it just be something that’s part of my life, like riding a bike or gardening.
And there’s a whole string of questions after that: If I stop actively learning, will I have forgotten everything within 6 months? What will I do with this blog then? Switch it to being a crypto hub?
I definitely don’t feel like I’m a finished product now, so I won’t be stopping yet. I’ve made huge progress in the last couple of months though and I’d like to keep it up. I was thinking I might just relax a bit, catch up on my engish reading, finish a couple of little projects, and play Fallout:London, before picking up the learning again in earnest, maybe in the new year.
I will definitely need a goal though. What goal? Not another exam. Well, not unless I find out I’ve fucked the last one up. I’ll set a goal maybe six months out, work towards that, and at the end of that time, just take myself out of learning mode, uninstall my apps, and just stick to enjoying the fruits of my labour by reading all the Portuguese books I’ve hoarded over the years.
Well, that’s the beginnings of a plan. I’ll see how I feel about it over the next few days and weeks.
Luso 