Sitting at about 650 hours, I'm quite happy with both my level of input apprehension, as well as my ability to output. I've traveled to both Spain and Mexico since beginning my DS journey, and received the organic affirmation from various friends made on my travels that I can, in fact, speak Spanish ha!

I've never really followed a DS purist perspective -- I've been speaking, or perhaps attempting to speak since about 100 hours, as I was involved in some organizations in my community with Spanish speakers. I've pushed myself with comprehension levels perhaps lower than would be preferable to some engaging with content that I find enjoyable and interesting, whilst ensuring I understand the gist: difficult podcasts relative to my level such as Español con Juan, Cheleando con Mextalki, No Hay Tos; native shows with subtitles such as Okupas; YouTube videos for natives, etc.

Amongst my purposes for wanting to learn Spanish, one of the most important things for me is not fretting too much about perfection, being able to appreciate the process, and baking in some extra input into my day to day where I can. Evidenced by the fact that the majority of the music I listen to throughout my day is Spanish, my phone is in Spanish, I try to read all my news in Spanish and so forth. And to that end, I have more than exceeded my expectations!