I'm a Word Nerd

     As I get older and continue my education, my passion for language grows and grows. My desire to learn more about it has gone beyond formal education and spilled over into my free time. I'm always looking for ways to learn about a new language or "Stumbling Upon" a website that tells me more about linguistics. When people ask what I like to do for fun, I get just a little hesitant to tell them; learning about things is kind of a weird thing to do in your free time, I know, but I just can't get enough! It amazes me how people have created and developed so many different ways to communicate with each other and that has given me such a great appreciation of language.
     One thing that I love to find are words that are nearly impossible to translate into English. Something about a good word just makes me smile, especially when they are very specific. I’m not extremely smart and I don’t have a huge vocabulary, but I love discovering interesting words. These are some of my favorites so far:

• Mamihlapinatapai — A look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start (This is a word from an indigenous language in Chile)
• Schadenfreude – satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune (Don’t deny it. It’s funny to watch people get hurt. The Germans understand)
• Torschlusspanik — The fear of diminishing opportunities as one ages (Another German word; a little depressing)
• Dépaysement — The feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country (A French word. I will probably understand this feeling soon!)

I have decided to name my blog "Dépaysement" one, because I had a hard time thinking of a good name and two, because it's meaning is something that I feel will be very relevant to me in these next few months as I study abroad in the Czech Republic. I have never left the country before so this trip will be quite an experience and I'm sure I will get the feeling of dépaysement. Maybe the word is meant to be translated as an unsettling feeling of not being home, but I've chosen to view it in a positive way. I am excited to be somewhere else and experience what else the world has to offer!! I'm already sure that one can only benefit from something like this =)