My Nostalgia in Spain.

                            

Pose near university

Mondragon University.

It was 16:00 hours when I arrived in Spain (Mondragon University, MU) on 1st September. Miss Adrune, the international coordinator of the Interweave Project, guided me to reach my residence. There were two female students from MU who took me to my room and explained everything available in it: how to use the items in the room, where the toilet and bathroom were, where the sitting area was, and how to cook, all with their limited English.

I was alone in the room, as my three roommates—one from Slovakia and two from Italy—were yet to arrive on 3rd and 4th September, respectively. My friends from Bhutan and Nepal were living in different residences. The deepest sorrow of being alone in Spain, after traveling all the way from Asia (Bhutan), was something I could only describe as “My Nostalgia in Spain.” Tension after tension kept flowing nonstop. The language I speak was not understood by them, and the language they spoke was incomprehensible to me, creating a significant language barrier. The food they ate felt tasteless to me, and the food I was used to could not be found here. My nostalgia in Spain became even more intense as I deeply missed my loving parents. No matter how kind the people of Spain were or how hospitable they showed themselves to me, it could not replace the love and care my parents give me.

Although my mind was overwhelmed by “my nostalgia of Spain,” I still had deep faith in God Almighty, my only root teacher (Tsa-Wai-Lam), and gratitude toward my parents. I continued to follow my daily routine of praying in the morning and evening before bed.

To ease my nostalgia, I decided to visit my friends’ residences, where Keshav from Nepal and Anup Thapa, my friend from Bhutan, were staying. They were lucky enough to have a Spanish roommate named Joseba, who is pursuing a Master’s in Electrical Engineering. He helped us a lot. Thank you, Joseba—you are the first Spanish friend I added to my friend list after arriving here.