This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. As you have heard in previous stories, I love the outdoors. I have been on many hiking and camping trips, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I combined the two and went on my first backpacking adventure. That trek taught me many lessons and today I am sharing those lessons with you. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “mochila” (backpack), “sendero” (trail), “nieve” (snow), “derretida” (melted) and “llevar” (to bring/carry). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-lecciones-de-mochilear/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I have very fond memories of my childhood. I spent a lot of time outside with my friends and family, no matter the time of year. As a child I played, I ran, I rode bikes, I read, and I just had fun. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerdo” (memory), “muñeca” (doll), “afuera” (outside), and “jugábamos” (we used to play). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/24/simple-stories-in-spanish-cuando-era-nina/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I take my son on a lot of hikes. One time he decided to bring two of his stuffed animals on our hike in Grizzly Creek. Their names are Wolfy and Toothclaw. Toothclaw decided to take a swin in the creek and I went after him. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “arroyo” (creek/stream), “sendero” (path/trail), “mochila” (backpack), and “peluche” (stuffed animal). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-toothclaw-y-el-arroyo-grizzly/  ¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher Don’t forget to comment “For John” for this episode!Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. David is one of my listeners and he recently shared his story with me. His adventures started when he joined the US navy at the age of 17 and they continue today. From playing the guitar to building his own house, David has lived a fascinating life. This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “marina de guerra” (navy), “inscribirse” (to sign up/enlist), “avión” (plane) and “cambió” (changed). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-vida-fascinante-de-david/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. This is the second half of my Spring Break adventure in southern Utah. While everything did not go as planned, due to engine trouble, we were still able to have fun and enjoy Bryce Canyon National Park. This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “taller” (shop), “nieve” (snow), “sendero” (trail). “por suerte” (luckily) and “puesto de observación” (lookout/observation point). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/05/02/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-vacaciones-de-primavera-y-el-problema-de-mi-coche-parte-2/  Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. At the end of March, I decided to take my boys on a trip to some national parks in southern Utah. Unfortunately, our trip took a turn for the worse when my check engine light came on. Fortunately, we were still able to have some fun in Zion National Park. This story is told in the first person using the past and conditional tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “la primavera” (Spring), “aceite” (oil), “estrellas” (stars), “estanque” (pool) and “sendero” (trail).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at  https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/04/25/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-vacaciones-de-primavera-y-el-problema-con-mi-coche-parte-1/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Living in Indonesia had a huge impact on my mother. Although she was young, she remembers much of her time there. While most of her time was spent in Kisaren, she also traveled to other places with her family. Her journey home marked a literal journey around the world that changed her forever. This story is told in the first and third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “fueron” (they went), “llegaron” (they arrived), “tuvieron” (they had), “volaron” (they flew) and “se quedaron” (they stayed). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at  https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/04/15/simple-stories-in-spanish-unos-viajes-en-indonesia-parte-4/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Many of my favorite stories of my mom’s life in Indonesia are about animals. I loved seeing pictures and hearing stories of her animal encounters. Today, I am going to share these stories with you. This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “lagarto” (lizard), “techo” (ceiling/roof), “cabra” (goat), “piel” (skin) and “silvestre” (wild). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at  https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/03/30/simple-stories-in-spanish-una-vida-con-animales-en-indonesia-parte-3/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Last episode I shared my mother’s journey from Michigan to Sumatra, Indonesia when she was eight. My mom and her family had a lot to learn when they arrived in Indonesia. Life there was quite different from life in Michigan. From school to food to shopping, nothing was quite the same.This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerda” (she remembers), “nivel” (level/grade), “hacía calor” (it was hot), “llevaban” (they wore), “lluvia” (rain) and “zanjas” (ditches).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/03/22/simple-stories-in-spanish-una-vida-en-indonesia-parte-2/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about my mother and her family. When my mom was eight years old, she moved with her family from Michigan to Sumatra, Indonesia. I always loved hearing her stories and today I am going to share the story of her journey with you. Today’s story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “viaje” (trip), “barco” (boat) “abuelos” (grandparents), “llegó” (arrived), and “holandés” (Dutch).  No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/03/12/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-viaje-a-indonesia-parte-1/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about chickens. Josh and Marya were looking for a change of pace during the pandemic and they found it by becoming the owners of a few backyard chickens. With the help of a local Chicken Guy, Marya and Josh got set up for success in their new urban farming adventure. Today’s story is told in the third person using multiple tenses, including the present, past, and conditional. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “gallinas” (chickens), “gallinero” (chicken coop) “el pollero” (the Chicken Guy), “el jardín” (garden/yard) “alquilar” (to rent), and “poner huevos” (to lay eggs).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/02/28/simple-stories-in-spanish-las-gallinas/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about my own personal Spanish journey. As you are aware, I am not a native Spanish speaker. While you can read a bit about why I’m a Spanish teacher on my blog, a couple of listeners have asked me to share the story of my Spanish journey in Spanish.Today’s story is told in the first person using both the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “viaje” (journey), “idioma” (language), “seguir” (to continue), “tuve” (I had), and “extranjero” (foreign).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/02/21/simple-stories-in-spanish-mi-viaje-espanol/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is about a very talented musical family and their band, Sugar ‘n Sage. Based in Vancouver, Canada, this groups gets audiences on their feet, dancing and singing along to their toe-tapping songs.Today’s story is told in the third person using both the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “juntos” (together), “agrega” (adds), “baterista” (drummer), and “cantante” (singer).Learn more about Sugar 'n Sage on their website: https://www.sugarnsage.ca/ No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/02/14/simple-stories-in-spanish-sugar-n-sage/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s story is one I did not write. It is a very special story of love told by someone I happen to share a name with. Camila is a native of Colombia. Her husband, Stephen, listens to this podcast to practice his Spanish, so Camila decided to write a story especially for him. Today’s story is told in the third person using mostly the past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “hermoso” (beautiful), “conocer” (to meet/to know), “disfrutar” (to enjoy), and “vista” (view/sight).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/02/06/simple-stories-in-spanish-amor-a-primera-vista/ Support the show

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Today’s personal experience comes from Skipper. Skipper was an amazing volunteer in his community, but he didn’t work alone. Skipper trained therapy dogs. His leonberger Ransom visited people from all walks of life, bringing them love and comfort.  Today’s story is told in the third person using both the present and the past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “dueño” (owner), “entrenamiento” (training), “equipo” (team), “consuelo” (comfort), “discapacidad” (disability), “entrenar” (to train) and “entretener” (to entertain).No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/01/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-skipper-y-ransom/ Support the show

Today marks a new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I am kicking off the season with one of my favorite travel stories. When I went to Ecuador ten years ago, I had the opportunity to snorkel twice with blowfish, sea turtles and sea lions, which in Spanish are called sea wolves. The first day was amazing, but the second was a little scary.  This story is mostly in the first-person plural (pronoun “we”) and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “barco” (boat), “fuimos” (we went), “tortuga” (tortoise), “tiburón” (shark), and “lobo marino” (literally sea wolf, although we call it a sealion). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/01/23/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-viaje-a-las-islas-galapagos/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 3, episode 13: La Leyenda del Carruaje de la Muerte. According to the legend, a “carruaje” or carriage appears in the night to carry souls to the afterlife. The carriage with its big, black horses is not meant to be seen. If you do see it, it can mean…death. This story is told in the past tense. Repeated words and phrases include “carruaje” (carriage), “muerte” (death), “oyó” (heard), “espantoso” (scary), “tenía miedo” (was afraid), “ruido” (noise), and “jalar” (tu pull). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/01/09/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-carruaje-de-la-muerte/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 2, episode 10: ¿Cómo es mi familia? If you have been following me for a while, you know that my family dynamics changed last year. So, I felt I should start this new year by celebrating the wonderful people I am related to. This story is told in the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include “mayor” (older), “menor” (younger), “hijo” (child/son), “hermanos” (siblings), “sobrinos” (nieces and nephews), “tíos” (aunts and uncles), and “abuelos” (grandparents). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/01/04/simple-stories-in-spanish-como-es-mi-familia-2/  Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 6, episode 21. Juan is a little cat. Every day he explores the world with his family, but one day everything changed. When he woke up, his family was gone, and he was in the middle of a construction site. Would he be able to make his way through the heavy equipment to find his family? This story is written in the past tense. Repeated words and phrases include “viga” (beam), “tierra” (dirt/earth/ground), “borde” (edge), “grúa” (crane), “volquete” (dump truck), “cargadora” (front loader), “montacargas” (forklift), and “buscó” (looked for). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2022/12/20/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-gatito-valiente-2/ Support the show

This seventh season of Simple Stories in Spanish is updating some of my favorite episodes. Today’s remake is from Season 6, episode 1. Luisa loves snow. She loves making snow angels and snowmen. She loves building snow forts and throwing snowballs. She likes skating and skiing and hockey. There is only one problem. It hasn’t snowed yet! This story is written in the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include “invierno” (winter), “nieve” (snow), “copos de nieve” (snowflakes), “muñeco de nieve” (snowman), “bolas de nieve” (snowballs), “escarcha” (frost), and “cae” (falls). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2022/12/12/simple-stories-in-spanish-un-cuento-de-invierno-2/ Support the show