Who am I?
This was the question that Glenda kept asking herself when she first immigrated to the US from Costa Rica.
She couldn't speak the language.
It was hard for her to commute.
She didn't know anyone.
She didn't have family, except for her husband.
She had to reinvent herself.
The Glenda that she knew in Spanish.
Doing what she used to do back home was no longer the Glenda that she was.
And she had to start all over again and to build herself in English.
Now, Glenda runs her own business, Training Dogs.
She's teaching her fellow Americans how to work with their dogs.
She hosts conversation groups and book clubs in our community.
And she is the best version of herself.
She is confident.
She is fluent.
She is funny.
She's expressive.
And she is herself.
She no longer asks herself, who am I?
And she's also a proud mom.
And she's able to provide to her daughter the thing that she believes she deserves.
I love Glenda's story because it's a story of transformation.
It's a story of courage.
It's a story of persistence despite the challenges, despite the negativity that she's experienced.
And despite the tendency of letting fear take over.
I cannot wait to share with you this conversation.
Let's listen.
Hi, Glenda.
How are you?
Hi, Hadar.
I'm really, really good right now.
I'm happy to be here with you.
Not as happy as I am.
I'm telling you.
I missed you and I wanted to have this conversation for a long time and I'm glad that we get to have it here and to talk about your beautiful beautiful, beautiful journey in English and in life.
So I cannot wait to hear more about your story.
First of all, Introduce yourself as you would introduce yourself in a conversation group or a new meeting you.
So, well, I'm Grenda and I'm from Costa Rica.
I've been here in the U.S. for about...
I think seven years.
I think this year it will be eight years.
I came here and I basically restarted my life right here.
I didn't speak the language at all, I thought.
I was speaking, but not really.
And so I have to start like learning everything from zero and even how to live here.
And currently I'm living in Arkansas and here with my husband, my dog, and now my daughter.
And yeah, she's 13 months old.
Oh, my God.
She's already 13 months.
Yes.
Wow.
Beautiful.
Yeah.
So the family grew.
And so now we are really happy with this new, like, chapter in our lives as parents.
Yeah.
Amazing.
So there is so much to unpack when it comes to your journey, but tell me what it was like as a young immigrant who has just moved to the US, Thinking that she knows English, but something happened that made you realize that wait, I'm not able to communicate the way I want.
So tell me a little bit about that experience and the key struggles that you had at the beginning.
Yeah.
Well, I want to say first that my dream was always to live abroad.
Always.
So I was always chasing any, like, opportunity for a scholarship to live abroad.
So that was my dream.
And you would have thought that, because it's something that you wish you probably going to be better or going to be easy, just to move another country.
So when I met my husband here from the U.S., And then he stayed there in Costa Rica for a while.
And then he said, hey, what about if we go to the U.S.?
And we start, like, different life, right?
At that moment and I think this is pretty cool.
I was in the end of my career, almost in in the last year in my career.
And so I was about to, you know, start a new like a new like journey in my life, because I was going to earn my title and start my career.
You know, running maybe my, that was my thing.
Maybe running my own like a office, whatever.
So that was back in Costa Rica, where you were succeeding professionally.
Well yes, what was it that you were doing before?
Well, I was like studying.
And so before studying, working at the same time.
So I was working so, so hard all day and at night I was going to college.
And so I was in my last year and I was going to graduate.
I graduated already.
Got it.
And so that meant a lot to me.
So then we got married in the same year, and then we moved in the same year.
That was back in 2017.
So in January, I graduated.
I got married and graduated.
In August later, we moved.
Wow.
That was an intense year.
That was an intense year.
It was a lot, a lot to process.
And when I came here, it was like, Who am I?
So I don't have a work.
I'm not studying.
Yeah, I'm learning English, but I'm terrified being here.
So I don't know how to navigate in this new world.
It was my first time in another country.
And then I found myself that I need to learn how to take the bus, how to speak, how to get the bus ticket.
I didn't know how to drive.
And so everything, everything was new.
The weather changed.
The time, you know, the daylight, all those changes just came together.
And it was for me like a huge wave that I wasn't sure if I could like handle everything.
Yeah.
How did that impact your mood or your relationship, where you felt lost, so limited and probably dependent on your husband for so many things?
What impact?
Emotionally, it was a lot.
So, you know, I'm happy with my husband.
Of course.
We were excited and everything, but the fact that to move from like being independent working studying, managing everything, arranging everything to like, be like like a baby.
It was like it would be like I need my husband to speak to me, to tell me, to demonstrate how to do everything and what specifically to ask the people, what specifically to look for.
And While he was studying, because at that moment he was at the university getting his master's degree.
So during the day he was studying and I was at home.
Thankfully I had my dog.
But everything was just completely new and I felt like There were moments that I felt like limited, really limited, powerless.
And because I was like there at home, I was taking classes in person.
But every time I went to downtown, it was just a lot like surviving mode, you know?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I just have to say that I think that immigrant experience, like a lot of people talk about it, but when it comes to the language and like learning how to live in a new place
It is a lot.
Like I remember moving to Barcelona two and a half years ago and discovering every single thing.
How do I register in the municipality?
How do I go to the doctor?
What about insurance, right?
Like questions that you're granted in your you know, like where you in your home country, and then all of a sudden, and when there is the language barrier, it's even more debilitating.
And I absolutely relate to that, especially...
One person in the relationship, and it has nothing to do with how good the relationship is, but when one person is more well-versed and speaks the language, there's also like a power shift where you feel very dependent.
And I think it makes you feel like even less dependent.
You know, productive, efficient, even worthy.
And I think that I have definitely experienced that being a very independent woman.
And that is like what it's like when you immigrate.
And thank you for saying that because I think a lot of people would relate to that helplessness.
You know that you feel at the beginning.
Yes.
I mean, it was exciting.
Of course.
People would think like oh, you're leaving another country with Come on, you know yes, there are like great things and very exciting.
But when you face the reality, like to navigate, as you said, like to learn how, even how to go to a doctor, how to make an appointment, but you don't even know how to speak.
You have to take the phone and so and explain why you need an appointment, and all of that is like very simple and very like daily.
I think it's something that you you would do like without problem in your country, but it takes a lot, a lot of effort.
I mean yeah, And you need to build that infrastructure to be able to enjoy the fact that you live, and it takes time right.
Like, and that's something that we need to say.
Yeah, definitely.
So what was it like?
How was your, so you were there, you decided, you took classes, in-person classes.
And how was it for you back then to communicate?
Because your surroundings was mostly English speaking, right?
Yeah, yeah.
Thankfully, it was a small town.
It was a small town.
Small town.
And it was like a student town.
So it was very, like, diverse and really, I think, easy to, like, commute right there.
And I learned a lot.
I took a lot of classes.
I even have to take two classes with a tutor because I need to reinforce other things.
Like, for example, this is funny, but I didn't know how to use the coins you know.
So in every coin here it has a name that is very common to use, like the pennies, you know the dimes, and like yeah, it's like what is a penny?
So i i don't know what is the value of that.
And so if i was using a lot of like cash at that moment and so i need for also for the bus, But if I wanted to go to a store, I didn't know how to use it to check out.
So I took private classes and I asked my tutor like, please explain me the name of the goings, how I can like talk to the the person when they check out, and if they ask me like, is this, is that just rehearse that?
So i well, i i took like multiple classes just for how to manage, how to talk about money, yeah Yeah, and just to be prepared like ah, if she asks me about this, I know what this means.
So I can give two pennies, two dimes, and so all the masks in English.
And that helped me a lot. to understand people.
But what was very tricky for me it was listening and speaking that I couldn't be as good as I wanted.
And it was really hard for me because during that time my husband has a lot of student events and activities.
So it was a student with their family, their wives.
And those events, they were crowded.
And the music, I remember, and we have to go to be good. you you you want to meet people you want to also make a good impression you know you you want to socialize that and so sometimes i felt pressure because i didn't want to like let my husband down and or let him alone and my kid when everyone was with their families but i could go but i couldn't speak and and i was like afraid like about what about if someone asked me something i don't understand they speak so fast and the music is too loud and you know it's and even in my own language I'm very like maybe quiet in the beginning.
So social skills was another thing that I had to like learn and to get better.
But they don't teach that in English classes.
No.
How would you say back then?
Like if we're looking at back then, what was it, 2019, something like that?
That was probably, yeah, between 2017 and 2019, yeah.
Okay, so like the first two years.
How would you...
And describe the difference between Spanish Glenda and English Glenda in terms of personality, in terms of how you show up.
Well, I think in personality I went backwards, probably because I'm very quiet, maybe serious in the beginning.
But in my own country it was like Glenda, who worked in the office, who was arranging things, who everyone asked Glenda for help because she knew how to solve things.
Where Brenda was at the university studying psychology, so she was going to become a psychologist.
You know, all these titles in my head.
And then suddenly I was hearing this complaint.
I don't know who I am.
I'm so quiet.
I'm so afraid.
I'm sweating because I don't know how to speak.
I'm sweating.
Someone just come in and talk to me.
And then I would get frozen because...
I don't know what to say, like more than I'm good.
Yeah, I'm from Costa Rica.
And that was the only answers I could say, like great, in fact, and I'm trying to imagine, like what it's like for someone who had this sense of always helping others, people come to her all of a sudden being a person who doesn't want to be approached like.
What does it do to your confidence and your self-worth at that time?
Yeah yeah, definitely my, my team was.
My self-esteem was like on the floor.
It was on the floor.
It was...
I felt like so dependent on my husband, and even for speaking, to explain why I was living in my country and to understand people.
And I felt very discouraged just to get out of the house.
And I didn't want to speak in my face.
I didn't want to speak even in my neighborhood.
I was just afraid everything was completely new.
Learn how to cook even, how to cook my food in a new country.
Even the houses, everything looks just very different.
And so any sound that came out like in the house, it was like what is that?
You know, I was not used to, so everything is different.
What is a moment where you felt like you started building your confidence and started gaining, you know, fluency and opportunities to speak?
Tell me about the moment where things started to shift and how and why that happened.
Yeah, well, I think probably this was between the end of 2018 and 19.
So then we moved to another place.
And we were at that moment in Pennsylvania.
And so we moved to another city in Pennsylvania because my husband had to do the internship for the summer.
So we moved to Pennsylvania and another place.
And then I said, okay, I need to keep going with my English because I need more.
I know where I want to be.
And so I took classes and wrote summer classes in that university.
And that, again, like...
It helped me a lot to feel, like, a little confident.
So because I wasn't at school, you know, taking the bus, being there like taking English classes, but I was with other students.
And so, I was like, okay, back to who Grenda used to be before, but in English.
And I was taking academic English classes.
They were really hard.
And they gave me the tools to like, you know, how to speak in public.
I remember that my confidence is starting to grow a little bit when I
When I took these classes because I wasn't going in person and I knew it was like an hour commuting to go to there.
So it was a little far away.
And I met other people, teachers.
I had more, you know, let's say other type of teachers.
And we have a lot of homework to do right there in the university.
So I think that helped me in some way to gain more confidence.
And so for one of these classes, it was about speaking and listening.
And our final homework, it was to make a presentation, but to make an engaging presentation.
And we had kind of like a jury.
There were other people invited.
And so I remember the final assessment.
It was a presentation in a big place.
It was kind of like a theater, something like that.
And so it was a panel, student panel.
And so in front of... They invited everybody.
It was open for everybody.
So we were preparing for this, like...
I don't know for months.
You know, and part of this, like learning, it was to improve our prosody, something that I never heard before and so the teacher gave us the task to watch a video in YouTube and it was one of your videos.
It was about rhythm prosody, and I remember that day I was just really impressed and surprised.
Like, what is this?
This is, it wasn't a new language to me, but I could like, feel like so related to that.
Like, oh my God, is that what I'm missing?
And, We have to watch one of your videos, but I keep scrolling and scrolling and watching more.
And I remember also the videos about introverts.
And so I was just fascinated about your work.
And it just caught me like, this is what I need.
Jesus speaking what...
I'm lacking of, and this is what I want to also to achieve.
And so one thing, you know, took me to another thing.
And after the classes, they were done.
We finished everything.
And yeah, I earned, I got more confidence.
And after that, like, huge presentation that were a lot of people right there.
How was it?
I was terrified.
I watched it.
So nervous.
But everybody said that we did great and we didn't look like afraid.
We looked so confident.
But that was a huge thing for us, for all of us.
Yeah.
To speak about... Amazing thing you did it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We did.
And so And it was, I love the, the experience, but that moment I thought that academic English for me, it was a lot at that moment.
I thought okay yes, I've learned a lot, but I feel like I need to work on other things, keep working on my speaking, keep working on my confidence.
And when I found you, you were at that moment with one of your courses and And I remember that I didn't mind to go back to those classes because it was a lot of commuting.
So it was an hour and I didn't know how to drive and I didn't want to spend like an hour in the bus.
And so I said, I need something maybe online.
And because my husband was working, so again, I was annoying.
And so I need to find other ways to do it by myself.
You're... with your courses, it was perfect.
It just fits perfectly for me.
Like, okay, this is what I want to learn.
And I showed my husband one of your videos and he was like, Is she American?
She sounds like an American.
So he was impressed by your English.
And I said, she's good.
And she's great.
And it was not only your English, it was everything about you.
That was very engaging and fascinating.
And it spoke what I needed, like the things nobody taught me in those other classes.
So maybe a little bit in the last classes, but it was, I needed more.
And then I just started to follow you.
I started with your courses.
But even though I gained confidence, I remember in your courses, I was not participating.
Yeah.
Why?
Why do you think that is?
Because, again, I didn't want to speak and other people listen to me.
And then, you know, and then they were like, watch me because I didn't know how to express myself.
I didn't know what to say.
And so I felt like I was not smart. when I was speaking English and I was so afraid making mistakes.
And so make a video.
Oh no, everyone is going to see all my mistakes and I don't want anybody to see that from me.
And so I remember I went little by little, even in the conversation groups, I was very quiet.
And I always said this, I was with my camera off and I was always, yes, so nervous.
And when I was turning my camera on, I was just sweating like, like that.
And panic because I didn't know what to say or what to say, something that would sound really smart.
Or like... or to understand people or how to have a conversation with someone.
Small talk, you know.
I didn't want it to go blank in front of people.
And I just want to say, because this was a few years ago five, six years ago, and your reality now is so different.
We're going to get to it.
But you know, knowing that, not only that, you're hosting groups and you live a full, rich life in English and you run a business in English, training and teaching in English yeah, like I think it almost feels like it's two different people, but it's you, yeah has gone from that experience to where you are today, which you're going to share with us in a minute.
But I
It was important for me to say that right now, also you being able to talk about it so fluently and confidently now.
Because I'm sure that there are a lot of people who are listening to this saying, this is me.
I'm the one who's sweating.
I'm the one who keeps their camera off.
I'm the one who avoids, even though I know how to speak, I've done the work, I'm confident.
But you're like, you know, this was your reality.
Yeah.
So tell us, how did you go from there to here to today?
I think I was able to, to become who I am right now, with all the support I found in your community.
So because, even though I was quiet yeah, I was in the world behind.
You were always encouraging us like to you know, to speak, to open up, to like take the challenge, the challenge like making a video and making mistakes there.
And so I went to like making a video recording probably the videos, of course and then, little by little, I was like okay, now in this new program I'm young, I think everything is starting to like thrive even more, Because now the challenge about becoming a host and hosting a session and preparing a session and sharing with people, other students, your practice, that little by little, were like improving my confidence.
And so I started to do that, even though I was afraid, because I was so nervous.
Every time I was really, really nervous, I was with self-doubt and I didn't know what to do.
But I was there just showing up, like Here I am.
I'm so afraid.
I'm trying to do this.
And so every time it was less fear.
So like, okay, this is easy.
This is getting more comfortable with myself, you know, with my voice, with...
Being there with people, encouraging people also, like, hey, don't worry.
I'm like you.
Like, I'm afraid.
So hosting helped me a lot.
And I started to, like, pursue other opportunities out of, you know, here in my world.
And then I decided, okay, I'm going to start, like, working with dogs.
And so I want to just interact more with people.
And so my husband said how are you going to interact more with people if you're going to take care of dogs?
And so I said, I don't know, but I wanted to do something like I can be more independent.
Because I worked before at the stores in the first years.
And then I realized, like, ah, I can do this work.
And they even hired me when I didn't even speak really well English.
And sometimes I didn't even understand instructions.
And they hired me, like, what?
And so, because I didn't, like, trust myself.
It didn't matter what, even people hired me, I feel like, I just said, this is a mistake, right?
So they saw the value in you and the value that you can provide, before you were able to see it in yourself.
Yes.
And also, like you thought that the fact that your English is not up to par, or you had an idea about how English should be, you thought that the professional knowledge that you had yeah matter, but but what happened is proof that it's not true.
Like when you have value to give and when you have knowledge yeah, you can do it, even if your english is not a c2 level, you know.
Yes yeah, you can do now, because i have proof.
I can tell people like you can.
You can get a job Right there.
If you want, they're going to give you a job.
I know.
And because you have value in what you are doing.
But I didn't want to do those type of jobs because I didn't.
You're walking through because I think it's not super clear listening to this.
I know what you're doing, but for people listening.
So...
Back then, what was the job?
You were working at like the... Yeah, I was working like a clothing store.
Clothing store.
Yeah, I was like folding clothes, putting everything in stacks, you know, being there tidying things up in the store, you know, but I was
Again, so afraid if a customer would come in and ask me any questions because it was really hard.
So I worked in two different stores, the clothing and the other one was with crabs.
And the crabs.
It was even more challenging because there is like a big vocabulary, a wide range of vocabulary about crabs.
And sometimes I have to use my phone to communicate with them because I didn't know what they were looking for.
And people come with a lot of questions.
It's not like clothes.
Do you have this size, that size?
Here's like, how do I use this?
Or what do you think we can do with that?
Right?
Yeah.
And all the time they were like, let me just find my boss and so he can help you.
I was always trying to hide when the door of the business opened, because I didn't want people to come right to me and ask me questions.
So I did that for six months, half-time, working in both stores.
And it was a great experience, just to prove that I could get a job yeah, but i didn't want to do that.
I it helped me, but really deep in myself, i uh, i was not happy doing that, yeah.
And so i i didn't feel like happy and and i said okay, i'm gonna keep working on my english.
And then we, like I, started to learn like, how to drive.
That was during the pandemic.
And then the pandemic started in like, Everything was shut down.
No driving classes.
And so I was like, just with you, practicing.
And I was desperate.
To find myself desperate to feel like independent, desperate to, like you know, empower in some way in a new idea and wanted to go back to a schedule working.
And what about if I do my own business?
And so and so and because I like dogs, I said, I'm like, he will try.
And and then, because I just thought, if I could just find something that made me feel fulfilling happy, I think it's going to be enough.
Because I wanted to do other things but it didn't work, because there were other people also who didn't help me, and so they were curious about my English and so they discouraged me to do that.
So...
That was good in some way because it took me where I am right now.
And I remember I sat down with the dogs and I found that I was not spending a lot of time also with the dogs.
I was spending a lot of time speaking with the customers.
And so they didn't speak Spanish.
And so...
And so in some way, that pushed me to be more like outgoing, more confident.
You know, to show my best like listen to them and asking the right questions.
And then they would start speaking and speaking.
So I was like, Oh, okay.
Now, if you're like, I was back again and that was we are talking about, like probably four years later.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
And then everything is starting to grow.
The customers were growing and growing.
And then I found myself really busy.
And just to summarize everything, I decided like okay, they think about the dark as far, but they want to do something else.
I really like to be my own boss.
You know, manage schedules everything talking, texting with people, writing to people.
It took me like a while just to like find the right words to communicate with them.
And so just for one thing, I started to grow other things.
But in the meantime I was practicing my English in the community and trying to gain the confidence to speak, and to speak on my feet.
That was another thing.
And to be confident there and rehearsing thing and doing teach and learn about dogs.
And so just to like gain, have all the tools to like rehearse and use them in my real life.
And then I said, I want to do dog training.
So I didn't know anything about it.
And so I just started to like everything from scratch.
And I started telling people, sometimes telling people that I was interesting on that.
And they were like, because we have a good relationship.
They trust me.
And so I started working with the dogs.
I started taking other classes with my own dog and learning, studying, everything.
And so...
And this is how right now I'm doing.
And I'm really happy that everything worked out so well, because this is something that I can keep doing now with, even with my daughter wow, and and.
So I think sometimes I feel like okay, this is, this is what is happening right now.
To be at home with her and to and feel like also independent, and.
And now the story is different, because now I can speak better, I can take the phone, I can write messages, I can drive.
And if someone comes here, I'm not getting afraid to speak with them like oh, what I'm going to ask.
Because, before I remember, I wrote down all the questions I need to do.
Just to practice and practice.
It was super hard.
Now I don't even think about that.
It's like ah okay, I'm gonna call them and I'm gonna talk with them and I'm gonna see what they want.
I'm gonna explain what I do.
And so over all this time I just developed like my, my method and what I like, how I like to do it, and And doing little by little.
So now it's different having a baby.
But it allows me to have a life, be independent and be with my baby.
So you've really created your dream life, one that you never thought would be possible, where you are your own boss.
You create your own schedule.
You have clients that respect you and want to work with you.
You make money independently, right?
Yeah.
You are communicating and providing value.
Going back to the beginning, it was like, who was, you know, Glenda in Costa Rica?
And you're like, people asked for help.
I was, you know, the person people go to.
And here you are.
Yeah.
Being that person now, but expanded, right?
Not changed, not limited, just expanded, right?
And I think this transformation is like I told you before we started this call is like one of the most beautiful, inspiring transformations that I've seen.
And I want to ask you what do you think are the one or two key characteristics or qualities that you have that got you to where you are today?
It was courage, probably.
Yeah.
Courage, it was one of the things that it helped me to, like, step, you know, and dare to do things.
And so I'm, even though I was really afraid, literally like nervous my voice would be shaking, you know, and Because I remember every time I was in the camera I was just shaking or talking to people.
My voice was always shaking.
But this value that just to show up, to be there and be brave and have courage to do it is something that
I started to like okay yeah, to embrace, and just you know, it's like you, you.
You cover your eyes and then you jump.
Something like that.
Yeah, it's a trust.
You're going to figure it out.
So that is the key to figure it out.
And that was something that it took me time to understand that I didn't need to know everything.
And I didn't need to be afraid because...
Um, for everything in my life, it was like, I'm not ready.
I don't know how to do it.
I don't know how to come on and do it.
So how are you going to like um like, host a conversation group?
How are you gonna host a book club?
I didn't know how to do it, I'm gonna, and so I, and then I, I just I found this like butter in my mind, like to those negative thoughts, thinking like you don't know how to do, you know what, like You have no idea what you're doing.
They're going to notice.
They're going to see that you have no clue what you're doing.
And so I was always finding that, like, I know I don't know.
I'm going to do it anyway.
I'm going to do it anyway.
And so that was my approach with everything.
And so you and also my husband, they were there.
And my son was like, you can do it.
You can do it.
Like no, I can't, and so you can do it, and so always like helping me to how to figure out.
And so then I learned that uh, this was a skill, like you could figure out things, and so by your own and and And I know, if I don't do it, I don't have proof.
And so once you have the proof that you were able I don't know to speak to that person and to explain things, If you were able to do it once, that is the proof enough.
And so that is something that I will try not to remember.
Like I have the proof.
I have to make this proof just to tell myself.
I can do it.
And so this is now my approach.
Even now as a new mom, it's the same thing.
All the things I had to learn to do, and you know, now with a baby, it's hard to plan.
So, everything I just learned is out in the world.
And even with English.
And so, if I wouldn't have started a business, for example, I would, like, have friends.
Like maybe not to communicate with people, maybe to text to know other places I can go now with the dogs.
Now I'm doing the competitions.
And so the world is changing, with a lot of opportunities that they are there, but you have to just be brave to take it, because otherwise you're going to stay there in the corner.
One billion percent.
And I want to acknowledge the mindset that maybe you are like, this is me, this is what I...
But this is a very healthy mindset of looking at the things that you are able to do, even if it's not perfect, as you can do it.
And a lot of times, people who do things and it's not perfect, they use it as proof that they can't do it.
And that takes you into two different directions, right?
Because if you use that as proof, it was not great.
I was sweating.
I got stuck.
I couldn't understand.
Okay, proof that I can't do it.
And then it ends up being...
You know, staying stuck, staying limited, having the life that you want versus I can do it.
This is, you know, and you keep on doing it.
And I know, you know, I've known you for years and I know that you've had a lot of.
Situations where you did get like, you shared, like criticism or responses from the surroundings, and you didn't let that stop you.
So I think it's incredible.
Yeah.
And remember, I'm perfectionist.
A recovering one though.
And rehab.
Yeah.
In rehab.
Right.
You know I got to.
I'm going to tell you that I got to meet Glenda twice, once in 2022 and once in 2024 in two meetups, one in New York and one in Barcelona.
And I remember when he told the story, I remembered the message that I got from you after the 2022 New York meetup.
And how you shared that it was the first time that you traveled on your own, that you had to do everything on your own.
And even though the meetup was great and amazing to meet the community, for you the biggest win was to proving to yourself that you can travel on your own, that you can be in charge of it, that you don't have to be dependent on.
Yeah,
I thought that it was such a beautiful way to look at that experience.
Yeah.
The courage that it must have given you to do more and bigger things later on.
Yeah, definitely.
Those experiences helped me to like do that.
I remember that for the first meetup.
And I had the crazy idea to go.
And then my husband, he didn't hesitate.
And he said, go.
I love your husband.
He's like, I don't know if I can do it.
He said, you can do it.
And so it was like, okay.
If you say so, this is just crazy.
And so it was my first time traveling alone.
And so even though I had more confidence, I knew how to speak, everything changed.
I everything I'm every time I travel.
My husband is in charge, so I don't like do all this like mapping things or like where we have to get, how to get this.
Nothing, because I just trust him and just follow, Because I like it too.
I also like it.
Yeah, of course.
If you have to do it, then you will do it.
You have to do the work.
Yeah, work.
And so I remember just to go quickly, and so I remember in the airplane when we took off I was just crying.
Because for me, it meant a lot.
They were like, oh my God, I'm here alone.
I really, I was so happy there.
I was writing down a letter for you, I remember.
And so I was just in tears.
And I got to the airport.
I didn't have problems there. how to take the taxi, tell the taxi driver how to get my hotel.
And once I checked in on the hotel and then I asked him if I could leave my luggage there.
I just went out, and I remember I was walking there in my head.
I think it was in New York.
It was in this huge, like, surrounded by huge buildings, and I felt like, So fulfilled.
Really fulfilled.
Like, this is my dream.
I can do it.
It was like... Yeah, it was like those happy ends in a movie.
Like... That is how I felt.
New York was there.
And it was just a huge accomplishment for me.
I was so happy, i could like just be i remember it was just with a big smile walking there, wow.
So, so happy, just the fact that i got there by myself, i did everything.
My husband didn't do anything, he didn't book the flight, he didn't book the hotel anything, and so I was just really happy because it wasn't only traveling by my own, it was what it meant for me in this new country and for me for my English like finally, like I'm, I'm able, I'm able to do all these things by myself.
So I saw more opportunities for me.
And it was an amazing experience.
And I think that you know the cherry on the cake it was meeting you and being there with everyone in the community community and meeting them in person.
It was like it's my award, Glenda.
Wow, thank you.
First of all, thank you so much for sharing your story and your You're the lowest moments, but also the highest moments of your life as an immigrant, but also as someone who is making English her home as well.
You know, we immigrate to a new country, but we also immigrate to a new language, right?
And make that our home.
And I'm so grateful, pleased to say that you were able to do that and now it feels like it is.
It is an expansion of you and I loved seeing every minute of it.
What would you say to someone who is where you were five years ago, seven years ago, Someone who is afraid of their own voice, who sweats when they're afraid of not understanding and therefore they're hiding?
What would you say to those hiding because they're afraid?
Well, I would say first, I think surround yourself with the right people, you know.
I think the community makes a lot of difference.
It had a huge impact on me.
So I didn't have friends in this country.
I had only my husband and my daughter.
And I met...
People, you know.
But when I was in the knee with you I met other people.
Like it was, they were like me.
So they were like me. trying to find a way to improve their English.
They have the same struggles like communicating another language, also living in another country.
So, when you are surrounded by the right people, who makes you feel like, let's say, supported and also loved, And they see you with love, you know, with compassion.
Like, yes, I know what you're doing.
I know why you are right now, but...
There's the same people, like, they are walking the same path that you are.
They're going to take you and they're going to encourage you like, and they're going to cheer you up with every step.
So I think the community has a great, amazing value and a huge impact and all of us we need, we need people with us.
Even if we are shy, we need people.
Even if you are introvert, you need, you like to be with people.
So I think community and I would say also like Yeah again, being brave is something that you have to like, embrace it.
And you can't start with just a small thing.
Like, I don't know, speaking one-on-one with a new person.
Or maybe turning on your camera.
Or maybe, like, start that crazy idea about turning on a business.
But you have to try it.
Because it could work, but if it doesn't work, you're never going to know.
So I think, yeah, I think I would say that would be the key.
And...
And lastly, I would say just trust the practice, but do it consistently.
So that is something that even with dogs, I've learned that they don't know how to do it and they have never learned how to do that.
But if you keep repeating and repeating, and repeating, it's going to get in their brains and even in your brain.
And one day we're going to just do it like I think that is something that it has me a lot.
So, even though you feel like I'm doing nothing, I'm just here like answering questions, I'm just here like repeating myself.
That is gonna pay off.
Don't move on until you nail it, until you get it, because it's just going to create more frustration.
I love every single piece of advice that you share here, and I'm behind it 1,000%.
Glenda, thank you so, so much for sharing your story and your insights.
And you're so generous, not just here today, but also inside our community.
You've done so much for other people.
You've inspired other people.
You got them to practice.
You instilled courage in them.
Simply by being courageous, but also for saying the words that mattered at the time that it mattered.
So thank you so much.
I love you very much.
And I love your family.
And I hope to see you soon again.
Very soon.
And that's it.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
It was an honor to be here.
And thank you so much for giving me this space to share my story.
And thank you because you were one of those people who like was right there by my side.
And so thankfully, I found you.
And so thank you for like helping me to get it out of my shelf.
We are all winning from that.
Thank you so much, Glenda.
Thank you.
