Learning to Speak (Again): The Quiet Wins of Language, Courage, and Growth 🌱✨

I still remember the first time I hired a live French tutor. My hands trembled, voice unsteady, heart racing. Speaking a new word out loud felt like standing on stage without a script. 🎭😬

Which is ironic, given this is my fourth language. You’d think I’d be used to starting from scratch.

But learning this time felt different. More vulnerable.

Because this time, I was doing it in the middle of everything else: parenting , working , healing , surviving.

Still, I kept going. Duolingo streaks 🟢, quick lessons squeezed between life’s chaos, the occasional discouraging moment. Small steps that didn’t feel like much at the time.

Fast forward to this summer, in a French village 🇫🇷. I told my husband at the start of the trip: "Please don’t order for me. Let me try."

He listened. He stopped ordering for me — even gave me a nudge by not stepping in. And when I was tired or overwhelmed (read: very little sleep or sensory overload), he supported me. 💞

By the end of the trip, I was ordering not just my own food and drinks 🍷🥖, but also meals for my family — in full interactions en français. Not perfect, but I didn’t panic. I didn’t freeze. I actually enjoyed it.

The kind of proud that doesn’t need applause, just a quiet smile to yourself.

This is what progress can look like. Not loud or linear. But real.

We keep going. We show up anyway.

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✨ Coaching doesn’t have to start with big breakthroughs. Sometimes, it's about recognising the subtle wins that show you're moving forward. This is one of mine.

If you’re building something quietly, I see you. Keep going. 💪❤️