u/Imaginary-Soil-8661

I feel like I’m kind of at a disadvantage sometimes because my boyfriend is fluent in both Spanish and English and comes from such a diverse background, while I didn’t grow up around that at all. I’m from suburban Idaho, raised Christian, and I was honestly never around Spanish speakers until I moved to Florida and met him and his family. They all speak Spanish to each other, and even though I love them so much, I can’t help but feel left out sometimes because I don’t understand what’s being said. I really want to be able to communicate with his mom without needing him to translate, especially because I can tell it gets a little awkward when we try.I’ve tried teaching myself Spanish a few times, but I keep getting stuck especially because everyone here seems to speak it a little differently depending on where they’re from.
I genuinely just want to connect with his family better. What’s the easiest and most effective way to actually learn and understand Spanish in real life?