Translating for my and my boyfriend's mothers

Since I am in a relationship with someone from another country, I have the constant blessing of participating in new experiences. Today I translated a live conversation between my mother and my boyfriend’s mother—yet another first. My boyfriend and I are staying the week at his parents’ home in Antofagasta, Chile—my second time visiting. I was skyping with my mom when my boyfriend’s mom, Nori, pops her head in my room with a huge grin and sings in her sweet way, “Hola Wendy!”

“Mom, Nori says ‘hi’ to you,” I tell her. Nori takes a few steps closer and hunches over my laptop and into my webcam’s frame. “Hi Nori! How are you?”

“Te dice ‘hola’ Nori, y te pregunta cómo estás,” I tell Nori. Translating a brief greeting turned into a brief conversation, thanking the other for a 38 different things, and talking about pictures and how excited my mom is for my boyfriend to move to my city in December.

It was a beautiful time and although brief, it was just enough to wet my palate for the day they get to meet. That day, I will be able to translate full conversations, and let the laughter and smiles translate on its own.