.. is to be brave and absolutely not be bothered by how people perceive you.

I hesitated during my first couple of days to open my mouth and speak German because I had completely no idea whether I was pronuncing it right. I struggled with saying my street name, there were confused faces when they heard me say German words. Then I convinced myself not to try, since Bonn is quite international, I can get by with English.

Then there came the trigger - I saw people live for years in Germany and not attempt to speak the language at all. That was when a realization hit me; that I am living in Germany, I should make a strong effort to integrate and learn the language that the people speak. I am lucky to be here, and I have the chance to listen/hear/speak it. What more can a person wanting to learn the local language ask for? So I made sure I found my motivation. Your traditional way of learning through the textbook? Out with that; textbooks are made with a structure, if it does not work 100% for you, you find your own way to motivate yourself.

So I did. I am reading manga translated into German - so I sustain my interest. I speak German with my international friends who know German - everywhere I go I try to speak it. With that effort, I am slowly finding my way to speaking the language, getting praised by the locals for knowing how to speak some words and guiding my pronunication. Each time I get better at it, the more motivated I become. Now I'm not as shy as I started, and I am acquiring new phrases each day, my vocabulary is expanding.

One major takeaway for me? Determination is a huge part of me, and the next thing is to step away and be bold. That way I learn fast, with my drive and determination steering my road ahead for me.