In 2011, I sold everything I owned and bought a one-way plane ticket to Barcelona. 

I needed a change of, well, everything--and I planned to fulfill my longtime dream of learning Spanish. 

Just three days after my plane landed, I squeezed behind a desk, the edges slightly worn, with small nicks and scratches that told of years of use, at a school specializing in Spanish immersion for adults.

But here’s what they don’t tell you when you enroll in a Spanish immersion program: those first few months aren’t easy. 

I often felt like a kid, unable to hold a real conversation. And I have many embarrassing Spanish memories from those first months in Barcelona.

So, I worked harder and put in extra practice after class while other adults were out hitting the bars. And it helped--to a point.

Back in Barcelona, my understanding of verb tenses and vocabulary exploded in just a few months. But I still struggled to strike up conversations with Spanish speakers. 

If you’re an introverted language learner like me, you know that striking up those first real conversations with Spanish speakers is not as easy as everyone says. 

In fact, I didn’t have my first real exchange with a native speaker until I stumbled into it by accident--at a hair salon.  

Read on to learn how to take baby steps out of your comfort zone (or language school)  and into seven everyday, authentic situations that can lead you to authentic conversations--wherever you travel on your immersion experience.  

These are the kinds of conversations you can’t have in the classroom. And when they happen?

You’ll notice a serotonin boost literally kicks in. Because you realize you can do it. And because you’re not on the outside looking in. 

You’re a part of the local culture. 

Ready to push open that door to your first real conversation in Spanish? 

1. Maybe It’s Time to Walk into a Hair Salon.

During my first Spanish immersion trip in Barcelona, I was so focused on grammar, classes, and extra practice for the first three months that I didn’t realize my hair was full of split ends. 

It took weeks to build up the courage to book an appointment. Do you know what made it easier? Walking in with a few expressions to get started. 

Here’s what I went in with: 

Me gustaría cortar solo las puntas. - I just want to trim the ends.
Me gusta lo largo que es. - I like how long it is / I like the length.
No lo quiero muy corto. - I don’t want it to too short.
Capas largas por favor. - Long layers please.

But when I sank into the leather salon chair, these bits of conversation rolled out quickly, and they were gone! I had to figure out to say for another 45 minutes while she cut my hair. 

And that’s when I found myself in an unscripted one-to-one conversation with my hairdresser.  

And you know what? That’s when all the Spanish-speaking foundation I laid in your immersion program paid off. 

So go into new conversations with your memorized expressions anyway. Go in with all of those grammar rules and verb tenses you’ve been studying at the back of your head. 

They’ll help you get the conversation rolling, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Back in the hair salon in Barcelona, I felt the familiar panic I usually felt when speaking Spanish dissolve. As I sat there wrapped up in a salon cape and answered the hairdresser’s questions about life, nothing seemed more natural than our conversation. 

There were even moments when la peluquera taught me a new vocabulary word or phrase as she clipped my split ends. 

An hour later, I walked out of that salon with new-found conversational confidence. 

You know that moment when you realize you can do it? 

After everything else you’ve been through: the Spanish teacher who thinks you have the worst accent, the times you say the wrong word, and it means something…suggestive. (Ok, maybe those are just my experiences--but you’ve probably had your own).  

That first great conversation: that’s the moment you need to have in Spanish. Be sure to step out of your immersion program and find it.

Then, keep looking for more situations you can get yourself into for authentic, confidence-boosting conversations.  

2. You Can Also Learn Spanish in Barber Shops

For the men out there thinking that there’s no space for them to bond over a haircut, you’re in luck - the barber shop guys are just as chatty as the hairdressers 😉

Maybe you show up with “Solo cortarlo un poco.” or “Just cut it a little.” You know, just to get you started.

But soon, the conversation will move on to:
"¿Qué te trae a Costa Rica?" or “What brings you to Costa Rica?”

And you move on from there.

As a bonus, for the men out there, you probably won’t be able to wait six weeks or a few months before you need to go back for a trim. 

So, you may even be able to repeat the conversation a few times and create an authentic bond while you’re in a Spanish-speaking country.

Getting out into the real world and getting a haircut or just taking care of real-life situations is a great way to remind yourself of your real language capabilities--and how fast you can become autonomous in Spanish.

3. Or You Could Exchange Greetings at Dog Parks.

As the proud owner of an (adorable) Cavapoo named Luna, I can’t tell you how often conversations start because someone wants to greet her. 

So, if you want to strike up a great conversation in a Spanish-speaking country and have your four-legged buddy in tow, head for your local dog park. 

If you stay for a while in Mexico City, for example, you’ll find plenty of official and unofficial dog and owner hangouts.

And if you’re wondering how to speak to locals and immerse yourself in Spanish at the dog park, you can’t go wrong with one of these conversation starters.

"¡Qué perro tan lindo! ¿Cómo se llama?" (What a cute dog! What is his/her name?)

"¡Me encanta tu perro! ¿Qué raza es?" (I love your dog! What breed is it?)

"Parece muy joven, ¿qué edad tiene?" (He/She looks very young, how old is he/she?)

"Parece muy juguetón, ¿Le gusta jugar con otros perros?" (He/She seems very playful, does he/she like playing with other dogs?)

By the way, if you learn a few of these dog park conversation starters in Spanish, you can probably find ways to weave them in when you speak Spanish in your own community as well. 

4. Hit the Playground for Spanish Language Immersion for the Whole Family.

It can be easy to assume that traveling to a Spanish-speaking country with kids in tow would be challenging. But families take Spanish immersion gap years with kids all the time.

Whether you spend a few weeks or a few months with your family in a Spanish-speaking country, you’ll want to hit the parks.

Playgrounds are great places to have extended one-to-one Spanish discussions--just the kind that can really help you evolve as a Spanish speaker. 

You can strike up great conversations in Spanish with the other adults while your kids run, play, and make friends of their own. And if you make a habit of it, you may even get to know a few locals and feel more at home in your city--whether you're there for a few weeks or longer.

If you’ve been laying the foundation for your Spanish with a high-quality intermediate course, you’ve got the basics covered. 

Once again, consider learning a few expressions to get the conversation rolling at the park. For example: 

"¿Has ido a otros parques infantiles por aquí? ¿Cuál recomendarías?" (Have you visited other children’s parks around here? Which would you recommend?)

"Este parque es muy lindo, ¿sabes si tienen eventos especiales para niños?" (This park is very beautiful, do you know if they have special events for kids?)

"¿Hace cuánto vienes a este parque?" (How long have you been coming to this park?)

And if you’re worried you won’t know how to keep the conversation rolling, you could bridge your conversation gap by watching a few YouTube playlists in Spanish to get ideas on how people deal with lulls in the conversation. 

5. Take an Art or Craft Class to Improve Your Spanish 

Imagine yourself sitting for an hour or two, your hands covered in clay, while you form a new vase for your dining room that will remind you of your stay for years to come. The best part? You’re doing it while speaking Spanish the entire time.

You’ll learn specialized Spanish words and reap the benefits of interest-based Spanish learning. 

By showing up each week for cultural activities such as art classes, the extended period of time with locals will take you through all kinds of authentic conversations--from introductions and getting-to-know-each-other questions. 

You’ll see the same people each week and ask what they’ve been up to. "¿Qué hay de nuevo?" (What's new?)

Or maybe strike up some small talk. "Ha estado haciendo mucho calor últimamente, ¿verdad?" (It's been very hot lately, hasn't it?)

When the locals talk amongst themselves, you’ll learn all kinds of authentic Spanish vocabulary and perspectives. 

If you’re lucky enough to spend several months in a Spanish-speaking country, you can enroll in a weekly arts or crafts course--and see how you improve in unstructured conversations over time.

6. Combine Cooking, New Friends and Great Conversation

I love food and never say no to a home-cooked meal. 

As a foodie, learning to make some of my favorite dishes, like chilaquiles, has helped me feel connected to the local culture of Mexico City, which has become like a second home for me. 

As you strike up authentic conversations in whatever Spanish-speaking country you call home for the weeks or months of your immersion, you’re bound to make a few connections with locals. 

And when you do, you’ll often find that people love doing cooking exchanges. 

Let’s say you’ve always wanted to know how to get chile rellenos just right. Maybe you know all the tricks on how to make kolaches from living in Texas.

Find someone who would love to exchange platillos típicos with you. Connect over great food, and the words tend to flow on their own.

7. See How Far Your Spanish Skills Have Come in a Nail Salon.

Last year, while enjoying my yearly trip to Mexico City, I popped into a small nail salon to get my nails done. I was the only client and the girl working on nails, and I just chatted away for what felt like hours.

I wasn’t the shy Spanish beginner who walked in with a list of phrases like I had for that haircut in Barcelona over a decade ago. No, not anymore.

I was a confident, self-assured Spanish speaker who had a 100% natural, very normal conversation with a nail salon tech – just like so many other women in the city do every day.

I left feeling like I’d just done an amazing workout after a great night’s sleep, gliding past the coffee shops and wandering conversations around me. 

I’ve finally learned to have meaningful Spanish conversations that help me feel like I belong. When people tell me they can hear a Mexico City accent when I speak, my heart swells. 

I even planned my own wedding in Spanish and discovered my authentic—and autonomous—self in the language. 

So why did that conversation in a nail salon in Mexico feel so magical to me?

When you have spontaneous, real-life discussions that last for hours and create genuine connections with locals in Spanish, it just feels like you're a part of it all. And the feeling never gets old.

You’re not an outsider peering timidly into the art gallery or wondering if it would be awkward to start a conversation at the coffee shop at the foot of your building or at the dog park. 

You’re just at home--in the language and the country.

And that’s what I hope will happen for you.

Takeaway:

Whether you work up the courage to get your first haircut, strike up a conversation at the playground--or come up with your authentic real-life places to really speak with people in Spanish, I hope you remember one thing:

Spanish immersion for adults means more than just sitting in a classroom and laying the foundation for grammar and conversations that you hope will happen--someday. 

You won’t feel a part of it all until you step out of your comfort zone and start interacting with locals in everyday environments. 

I know more than anyone that it’s a little scary when you’re first starting out--but that’s why I also know that you can do it!