Learn Spanish and Go

¡Aguas! Mexican Spanish is well-known for its peculiar slang and unique sayings. In this episode, we go beyond “chido” and explain fifteen of the most common Mexican words and phrases.  Links: 021 - Español Callejero | Street Spanish 086 - Las Groserias Mexicanas con Mextalki | Mexican Swear Words with Mextalki La video con “el cholo” Spanish Immersion Retreats Level up your Spanish with our Podca...

Have you ever caught yourself saying “I’d love to… I just don’t have the time”? I know I have. But the truth is, it’s likely not true at all. We have time for the things that are important to us. Or put another way, we make time for the things that are important to us. In this episode, we dive deep into how to find and make time for what’s important to us. Links: 044 - Esto Sabotea Tu Motivación |...

Spanish is a diverse language, so it’s no surprise that Guatemala would have its own unique vocabulary and phrases. Located just south of Mexico, we expected to hear a lot of similarities with Mexican Spanish, but I wasn’t expecting to learn about a whole different way of addressing people. Vos tenés ? Find out about some of the most popular Guatemalan Spanish words and phrases, or chapinismos , i...

Doing 100 of just about anything non-stop is a lot, which is why this week we’re celebrating 100 episodes of the Learn Spanish and Go podcast! We’ve crossed a number of major milestones since we’ve started, and it’s all thanks to you. So in this episode, we let you guys choose your favorite episodes from the past couple of years. Special thanks to Adrian, Rob, Linda, and Kavan for your submissions...

Guatemala is a country in Central America known as the “Land of the Eternal Spring.” Join us for our third episode in our Country Spotlight series as we take a look at this incredible country full of culture, volcanos, coffee, and so much more. Links: 007 - COVID-19 y el Futuro del Turismo | COVID-19 and the Future of Travel 019 - Reflexiones del Confinamiento | Reflections on Confinement 069 - So...

1¢ per year of college?! Register early or get stuck with night school? In this episode, we explore what the Mexican education system, and what May and our Membership Manager Natalia’s experience was like going through it. Links: 080 - La Ciudad Más Bonita de México con Laura Barrón | The Most Beautiful City in Mexico with Laura Barron Spanish Immersion Retreats Level up your Spanish with our Podc...

There’s a lot more going on with the Mexican flag than meets the eye. In this episode, we talk about some curious facts about Mexico’s flag, its evaluation, and what’s going on with the eagle eating a snake at the center of it all.  Find out more in this episode. Links: 023 - La Independencia de México | Mexico's Independence 034 - La Revolución Mexicana | The Mexican Revolution 056 - Cinco d...

France, Italy, Argentina… These are some of the countries most people tend to think of when they think of a romantic getaway. But why not Mexico? We always say there’s something for everyone in Mexico, and there’s no shortage of romantic locations to visit just south of the U.S. border. In this episode, we explore Mexico’s top romantic locations, as well as a few of our personal favorites. Links:...

Feeling stuck? No matter what the skill you try to master, there comes a point for everyone where they plateau. It’s normal. But unless you’re determined to take action, you’ll probably just stay there. So if you want to get unstuck and overcome the dreaded plateau, this episode is for you. Links: Get $10 off your first month  month of Baselang 065 - Ser Autodidacta | To Be an Autodidact 076 - Hac...

It was bound to happen. We got COVID-19. After two years of avoiding getting ill from the pandemic that has affected everyone’s lives, we too caught the bug. In this episode, we share our experience getting COVID-19 and overcoming the illness. Links: 007 - COVID-19 y el Futuro del Turismo | COVID-19 and the Future of Travel 019 - Reflexiones del Confinamiento | Reflections on Confinement 047 - Via...

Mexico has a long standing reputation of being extremely welcoming to tourists. After all, how many other countries do you know of that will let you stay for up to 180 days without submitting any prior paperwork? Well, it appears that those days may be coming to an end. Mexico has begun cracking down on people who routinely take advantage of the FMM entry pass into Mexico by limiting the days some...

After the holidays, many people who live in Spain and Latin America have to deal with the “January Slope” or “January Struggle.” This cultural phenomenon in Spanish-speaking countries is an interesting difference that many people in the U.S., myself included, don’t have to deal with. But what’s the deal? Why is this notorious month of financial overwhelm a thing? Listen as we explore La Cuesta de...

We couldn’t be more ready for a new year. 2021 left us with so many gifts that left us feeling freer than ever to pursue our dreams and to accomplish our mission of sharing every Spanish-speaking country with you.  And now with 2022 here, it’s the perfect time to put the pedal to the metal. It’s the perfect time to pursue your own dreams and take steps for a happier and healthy you. In this episod...

2021 has been a year of incredible growth. It was an opportunity for us to get out and start exploring again, and it was a massive year for the podcast. This week, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our favorite episodes and accomplishments of the year. Don’t miss our favorites and a chance to share yours for episode 100! Links: 049 - Mexicanas Chigonas | Badass Mexican Women 051 - La Vida y...

Piñatas are without a doubt one of Mexico’s most well known traditions. They are present in many of the most common celebrations in the country like birthdays, posadas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and even baptisms and baby showers. Although most people in the world immediately associate piñatas with Mexico, they likely came from a rather unexpected place. Find out more in this episode. Links:...

Platforms such as Airbnb have revolutionized travel, making it more affordable than ever to stay awhile in exotic locations around the world. But it’s not all sunshine and roses. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up staying at a dump with cockroaches and bed bugs. Believe us. We’ve stayed at dozens of Airbnbs, and our first experience turned out to be one of our worst experiences....

Is the Virgin of Guadalupe the same person as the Virgin Mary? This is a question that I’ve had for years, but it wasn’t until May and I sat down to record this episode of the podcast that it all made sense. Religion plays such an important role in Mexican culture, so even if you’re not Catholic or even religious for that matter, it’s helpful to understand the significance of this important Mexica...

Swearing. Cursing. Slang. These are common elements of language that don’t get a lot of attention in academia for being “improper,” “overly casual,” or just plain old rude. But this is the type of language you’ll likely encounter on the streets, in movies, and on social media. While you don’t need to use these words to be fluent in Spanish, it’s certainly still useful to know what they mean. Vulga...

This is a free audio of the Breakdown Section for episode 086 of the podcast. If you'd live to get access to the PDF document that accompanies this audio and all the other materials for this episode, check out our Podcast Membership here: https://spanishandgo.com/membership   ✈️ Join La Escala , our online Spanish and Go community for Spanish learners who want more practice, structure, and co...

Learning a new language can be intimidating. The journey is full of twists and turns. Some days you feel like you’re making progress, and others feel like you’ve forgotten everything you’ve been studying. I’ve been there. I’ve never considered myself a “language guy,” but through hard work and persistence, I became fluent in Spanish. In this episode we go over a brief history of how I learned Span...

Tacos: The definitive Mexican food. And we’re not talking about the hard-shell with shredded cheese variety. We’re talking about the authentic Mexican soft tortilla with all the fixings kind. But where do they come from? What are the most popular ones? How much does a typical taco cost in Mexico? Which ones are our favorites? Find all that out and more in this episode. Links: 013 - La Comida Mexic...

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it’s possible to travel for $50 a day or less in most countries. May and I regularly travel around Mexico for as little as $40 a day. How is this possible? Over the years we’ve discovered a number of resources and methods for lowering our costs while maximizing our experiences around the world. In this episode, we share four of our best tips for travel...

Who knew bread could have such a colorful and creepy history? In this episode we talk about pan de muerto or “bread of the dead.” Where does it come from? What does it mean? Where can I get the chocolate filled kind? We answer all these questions and more. Links: 028 - Día de Muertos: Lo Que Tienes Que Saber | Day of the Dead: What You Need to Know 029 - Calaveritas de Azúcar: Origen y Tradición |...

Have you heard about the Llorona (The Weeping Lady)? Legend has it that if you listen carefully, you might just hear her crying in the distance for her deceased children. Latin American culture is full of stories that are passed down from generation to generation. All of these tales were new to me when I first visited Mexico, and if you’re a believer, some are enough to make your hair stand on end...

Mexico is a big country with a variety of foods, cultures, and climates. But what do we think is the most beautiful city in the country? For us, it’s Guanajuato! A UNESCO World Heritage city located in the heart of the country with the best of everything Mexico has to offer. Learn a bit about this incredible part of Mexico, what makes it so special, and how you can experience it yourself. In this...