Belarus in the USA: 'I had a temperature under 40, and my boyfriend said' everything will be ok 'and left'

Moving to a foreign country, thousands of kilometers from home, is hard. Finding your vocation there is doubly difficult. But photographer Dina Averuk succeeded. The girl told the publication LADY.TUT.BY about the features of life in the United States and how to find yourself in a "land of opportunity".

Photos of their personal archive of the author

I came to the US seven years ago on a student program. Work & Travel. Initially it was assumed that my stay in the States will be limited to three summer months. But it turned out that I liked everything at once. And I thought: "Why not? ..".

I had 19, in Belarus nothing kept me apart from studying in a foreign language, which, although I liked it, I vaguely imagined my future in linguistics. So at the end of the summer I just called my parents and said that I was staying.

Photos of their personal archive of the author

For about a year she continued to work in the small resort town of Atlantic City, in a souvenir shop, where she settled upon arrival. Then she worked for a long time in a cleaning company. Considering that for the first few years I was here illegally, I had no chance to find a good job. The seller, the waiter, the cleaner - these are the activities on which a foreigner can count without documents. I was lucky: I managed to get a green card after only three years of life in the USA. This is a very short time. For comparison: there are those who live here in the illegal status of 10 − 15 years.

From the side it may seem that America welcomes visitors with open arms, but this is far from true. Immigrants have to go through a difficult period of adaptation, accompanied by low-paid work, a lack of understanding of the mass of things due to the difference of cultures and mentalities, to finally find themselves. We spend a lot of time on all this. But, on the other hand, having gone this way, you begin to appreciate what you get from living here, and, first of all, these are tremendous opportunities for self-realization. Compared to Belarus, the United States is incomparably more likely to do what you really like, and at the same time have a good income. I have friends who have received higher medical education in Belarus, and then a similar one - in America and, accordingly, now have a prestigious high-paying job.

However, here for your place in the sun you need to fight hard work. For example, I can not afford to hang out during the work week in clubs, bars or go to rest several times a year, like many of my friends in Belarus. Not because I don’t have enough money, but because the mentality of Americans and immigrants who accepted the local rules of the game is: if you want to succeed, you need to plow! And no matter how hard it is sometimes, here you feel protected in terms of confidence in the future and stability, which is not equal to stagnation.

Doing one hundred percent easier when doing what inspires you. I started to do photography for the soul. I rented a reflex camera, and a film later appeared. I haven't left the house for a long time without a huge bag, where both “units” are placed - I don’t want to miss the opportunity to record an interesting moment. At some friendly parties, I also always acted as a photographer. Gradually began to receive more and more good reviews about their shots. However, it was very difficult to overcome self-doubt. In truth, I still do not always succeed. Nevertheless, the number of clients is growing, and good reviews too.

In general, being a photographer in the United States is quite profitable. The cost of an individual hourly photo session with a professional with a good reputation is about 350 $, but for the wedding photography you will have to pay about 3000 − 4000 $.

I did not receive any serious education in the field of photo art. Just went to specialized courses to understand certain technical aspects of shooting. Still, the main secret of success lies in the practice.

Despite the fact that for my type of activity a higher education is not a prerequisite, I would really like to get a diploma of American college or university. Probably affects the fact that I grew up in a country where almost everyone has a higher education. But, first, I have not yet decided on the disciplines that I want to study. And secondly, it is really expensive. As a rule, students take loans for training, and then pay them for a long time. There is another option: study one or two subjects per semester, thereby stretching the educational process for many years.

For the time being, I am only taking the first steps in the field of photography, so I “insure” myself by working in an online optics store. The main reason for which I am not in a hurry to give it up is a flexible schedule. That is, I can do business at night (if it is convenient for me), the main thing is to work a certain number of hours per week.

Now I live in Philadelphia. Together with a friend rented a two-room apartment. Rental price - 1050 $ per month. As for other expenses, this is primarily spending on food (including outside the home), car maintenance, insurance, telephone, internet, cable. All this "eats" seventy percent of my earnings.

I travel a lot around the country. My favorite city is definitely Chicago. Incredibly high due to the many skyscrapers, very clean and beautiful. City-picture. The embodiment of the prosperous America, which we used to see in the movies.

But New York was not particularly impressed. Recently, I have often been there and become more and more convinced that this is not the place where I want to settle down: a huge tourist congestion, mud, a disgusting smell - that's what New York is. Although, if we talk about the saturation of cultural life, then it has no equal. There are a lot of wonderful museums here, interesting events and concerts are constantly held so that it will be fun to spend the weekend with fun. In general, I am attracted not so much by urban tourism, as the American nature is amazing in its diversity.

In particular, national parks. Yosemite Park in California was perhaps the most impressive of all that I saw. These rocks, waterfalls ... I can not believe that such a thing can exist in reality - it is literally a paradise on earth. Smoky Mountain Mountains, which is located in North Carolina and Tennessee, is also a great place. The main feature of the park is low-floating ash-smoky clouds. Interestingly, a bright, sunny day here at any moment can be replaced by a characteristic fog and darkness.

And yet, no matter how I like the United States, I'm not sure that I will stay here forever. Probably, in terms of cultural and ethical values, Europe is closer to me. For example, I am terrified of how American children behave. The way they allow themselves to communicate with their elders is blatant. I live not far from school and often observe how ten-year-olds smoke, swear ... In general, the question of choosing secondary schools is very acute: Americans even look after the district for living, taking into account which schools are nearby. The better they are, the higher the housing prices.

Another important point is relationships with men. Of course, one should not judge a nation by one person, and nevertheless I will talk about a case that, I think, is very indicative. Some time ago, I met with an American. It so happened that I caught the worst cold: with the temperature under 40 and all the ensuing consequences. All I wanted was for the boyfriend to show some kind of care, and he patted me on the shoulder and, saying that everything would be okay, and went about his business. On the other hand, such an egocentric approach allows Americans to realize the importance of personal space. Being among strangers, you can count on the fact that you will be surrounded by a kind of protective sheath (in English. privacy bubble), thanks to which no one will invade "your territory". As for me, this is so lacking in our country!

By the way, the majority of Americans still do not realize the existence of Belarus. Therefore, they often project their (recently negative) attitude towards the Russians on us. I recently visited my parents. Once we were walking through the flea market in search of vinyl records. One of the sellers, having heard the Russian language, asked where we were from. He did not understand anything about Belarus, except that it is located next to Russia. And then he cried out: “Putin is a tyrant! You live next to such a monster! ". I try to refrain from any kind of political discussion, so as not to provoke a conflict. But, in general, I don’t trust either anti-Russian or anti-American propaganda.

But in the notorious "American dream" I believe! And let for most of the locals it is their own home, for me it is an opportunity to do something that brings pleasure and to be established as a professional. I have already found my calling, the rest is a matter of time.

All photos from the personal archive of the author.

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