For the love of language: Local couple encourages others to learn Spanish and travel the world

That dream was realized in late 2016, when the two packed up their bags and set out to travel the Spanish-speaking world. For the past couple years since, García and Fricker have been making trips to various destinations — from Puerto Rico To Mexico — and producing blogs and videos for a language-learning service they launched called Spanish and Go.

Their content focuses on teaching practical Spanish for travelers. For example, some of their more popular videos have been on “How to Make Small Talk in Spanish” and “Beginner Spanish Phrases Every Traveler Needs to Know.” So far, they have created more than 60 videos while amassing over 30,000 subscribers and 1 million total views on YouTube.

“We know that speaking the language of the places you go to makes a huge difference in the way you get to experience that place,” García told us via email. “So, we want to help people explore and experience the world the same way we’ve been able to by speaking the language of the locals.”

To generate revenue and support their travels, the couple has signed on to be part of the YouTube Partner Program. They also just released an online course, “Travel Spanish Confidence,” which is specifically designed to prepare travelers who plan to visit Spanish-speaking countries.

We recently caught up with Fricker and García, who are spending part of the winter in Puerto Rico. Here are some excerpts from our conversation.

For the past couple of years, the two of you have been doing quite a bit of traveling. What have you learned from the experience so far?

May: We have learned that the world isn’t as dangerous as people tend to think it is. You do have to be careful, aware of your surroundings, and trust your instincts. But in general, people are good. Strangers will often help you if you are in need. They will offer to give you a ride if they see you walking in the middle of nowhere, and they may even invite you to their home to drink mezcal. All of these things have actually happened to us. We’re not saying that you should follow any stranger you encounter while traveling, but putting yourself in places that not many other travelers tend to go to will show you what people in these places are really like. 

There’s so much to discover off the beaten path, and while there’s something to be said for major travel destinations, they often don’t reflect the true colors of the culture throughout the rest of any given country. And to be able to experience the culture you have to be able to communicate with the locals. 

And you’re making videos along the way, so others can go on adventures of their own, right?

Jim: Yes. We want all of the amazing things that we have experienced to be available for others too. We want them to become friends with the waiter of the restaurant they love. We want them to be able to compliment the shoes of the person sitting next to them on the bus, anything that will get the conversation started and lets them interact with the locals. After all, the most important part of any country is its people.