We moved to Spain this summer. After a long period of preparing all the documents, fighting constantly over stupid little things (dotted i’s and crossed t’s, literally), submitting and waiting for approvals, stressing out about new home and whatnot, 5 months in I started taking Spanish classes.
One night after the class I got invited to go to a salsa night where I met a gilr from Russia. Having lived in many different places for many years I noticed a pattern amongst the majority of Russians who moved abroad — they can’t help themselves but feel superior because they are now abroad, “behind the border” as goes the literal translation. However, with this girl it was different. She showed such an innocent and pure interest in me. I was a bit scared even. We got to talking and it appeared she was of my ethnicity as well — Tatar (from Siberia).
As the night went on, I wasn’t getting more confident or comfortable. I did not know those people well, the bar was crowded and it was too loud inside to try to hold any conversations. Eventually we all decided to call it a night. She and her husband happened to share the walk with me. We clicked. Her and I hung out one weekend. She’s now waiting for me after each class (hers ends a bit before mine) and every time we see each other we share a good warm hug.
It feels good. It feel like home. I have no idea what it is: maybe I am lonely, maybe she is just a good person, maybe I’m seeing something in her I need but it makes me feel good about yet another zip code change of my life.
We do not know each other well and who knows whether we’ll become closer friends but I want to keep these feelings here to remind me one day that someone made me feel like home in a new place full of strangers and I can’t describe how much it means to me.
