Hi Nyororin !
Wow, がんばった ! What you have done is admirable.
Also your second japanese mother is admirable.
And eventually you've even found a happy life.
Thank you for your suggestion, to "learn grammar first", I will definitely go forth this direction.
I'm from Switzerland and going to move to Japan in January with my wife and I think I will have an intense time learning japanese as fast as I can...and working too (as farmer).
I agree, to learn a language, one must be immersed in the local language experience.
Happy to have read your life.
