A month and a half ago, I landed in the city of Medellin, Colombia, with only my backpack for company. There I was, a little lost, but ready for the greatest adventure of my life: a solo tour of South America. But first, I absolutely had to learn Spanish!

Because clearly, I didn't really have a notion, zero, nada. Oh yes, I had just learned "dónde está el baño?", in case of absolute necessity. And I took a year's Spanish course in Belgium a few years ago, in vain. After explaining my slightly complicated background with this beautiful language, I'm now going to share with you my biggest secrets for learning Spanish fast. Have a seat, grab a coconut lemonade, vamos!