The first time, it was at check-in at the Panamà City airport.

“Only you traveling today?” the agent asked.

“No,” I said, gesturing to my husband, “el es conmigo.”

“It’s okay to speak English.” the agent said, gently.

The second time, it was at the lounge at the Istanbul Airport. I checked in at the desk and scanned my boarding pass.

The woman at the desk looked at Mr. RO and asked, “Is he your guest?”

“Si,” I said. “Mi esposo.”

She looked at me, puzzled. “Oh, sorry…..yes,”, I said.

The third time, it was at the gate at Istanbul. The gate agent scanned our boarding passes and wished us a pleasant flight.

“Gracias,” we both said.

The fourth time, it was at Immigration at Malé. The agent scanned our passports, looked at our health paperwork and asked, “How long will you be visiting the Maldives?”

“Dos semanas“, I said. She looked at me, confused. “Sorry….two weeks.”

The first thing this trip has taught us is that we now have a new set of reflexes. Whenever we are in a customer service situation, our first response is to speak Spanish.

We moved to Panamà in April. Not even six months ago, and I am now in a position where I have to consciously think about which language I’m using.

It’s a mental stretch in the best way. I’m sure that’s a milestone of some kind.

To top it off, I just completed the Spanish course in Duolingo. The only question now is – which language is next?

Graphic credit: Polly Paixao via Dupe