Hello, Spanish learners! My name is Anais and I’m so happy to join the Spanish bloggers team and help you learn more about Latin American culture and the language we speak in this culturally rich part of the world.

I was born and raised in Caracas, the noisy and vibrant capital city of Venezuela, a country located right on the north of South America sharing borders with Colombia and Brazil.

Caracas. Photo taken by Angel Lovera; available on Freeimages.com

Looking for new life experiences and to find out how life is in the southern part of the continent, I recently moved to la Ciudad de la Furia (the City of Fury), better known as Buenos Aires in Argentina.

I have always heard that Buenos Aires was one of the greatest cultural hubs in South America and that encouraged me to choose this city to reside in. So far, I’m enjoying every corner of this amazing city and its massive offer of great food and cultural events.

Ever since I was a child, I have felt a great curiosity and passion about the customs, languages and flavors of the world. Guided by that passion, I chose to study modern languages at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where I learned Italian and improved the English I learned during high school. I majored in Translation and I have been working as a translator since 2012.

As a language enthusiast, I’m also learning French; I’m now an intermediate learner.

I like to describe myself as an adventurous person. A few years ago, I packed my back and took a mochilero (backpacker) trip to Italy and France. The best decision I’ve ever made! I met amazing people in those countries and I have unforgettable memories of that wonderful trip. It also helped me a lot to improve my language skills.

Recently, I visited the Island of Spices, officially known as Grenada. I happily swam in its warm turquoise beaches and tasted its flavorful food. What an amazing place!

My goal is to keep exploring other regions. My next destination will be the opposite end of the American continent, Canada.

Besides being a culture and language freak, I’m also a big foodie. I love eating and cooking international delights. I’m always trying traditional recipes from different countries, which I enjoy sharing with my family and friends. My specialties are Asian-style stir-fry and Italian cookies.

In my next posts I’ll be happy to teach you more about our traditions, lifestyles and culture in South America, while sharing expressions and vocabulary (and even some recipes) that will be useful in your Spanish learning adventure. ¡Sigamos aprendiendo!

Have you visited any Spanish-speaking country? Let me know in the comments below 🙂