I tend to take topics too far! Blame the academic in me.

I'd say that's a really good personality trait generally but especially good, academically thinking. Studying and careerwise.

It really makes it hard to hold a normal conversation as I tend to go over things for too long.

Well, if a normal conversation is just talking about light topics, not going too deep, changing the topic often, then, I guess so, but I've never been a fan of "normal" conversation because small talk isn't easy for me but then again going really deep with those topics that I'm passionate or just curious about, is really easy. So in my point of view, I'd call that, really properly talking about things, a normal conversation.

Then again I am also a fan of talking about nothing or off topic chit-chat (which I don't consider to be small talk), getting stuck on words, not picking on someone but just thinking how funny things are. So no normal conversation there either. At least, what I assume, from a normal persons point of view. But who want's normal? Not that it's a bad thing at all but the definition should be discarded completely or it should be wider.

And before I take this conversation deeper in to the uncharted territory, let me just say that Afrikaans is wonderful because you already understand a little bit few other languages only knowing your own mother tongue. Finnish speakers don't. No-one understands us and we understand no-one. :D Not even Estonians. Or perhaps few words but you can never be quite sure if that word you recognize has the same meaning. It's like: "Haha, you said a funny thing... or did you just insult me?"