Catching a Dream: Life in the USA through the Eyes of a Russian Woman Who Dreamed of Emigration from Childhood

Albina moved to New York from Astrakhan, following her dream. In the USA, she is happy and tries to help everyone who has just moved and does not yet know how to live in a big city. The story of her life in the USA was told by the publication Lenta.Ru.

Photo: Shutterstock

“I have been planning to move since I was 14 years old. Then I began to study English intensively and eventually was able to enter the Faculty of Foreign Languages. For me, the USA has always been a place where stars, famous actors, talented performers are born - all this can be described in one word: Hollywood,” says Albina. “I’m a musical person; throughout my childhood I sang, danced, acted in plays, and set myself the goal of getting into the casting of America’s Got Talent. But this is the positive part of my dream. As a child, I faced discrimination because of my nationality (my parents are from Kazakhstan) and I really dreamed of going to live where everyone was equal.”

“I went to the USA for the first time under the Work and Travel program. We arrived in Maryland where we had a job waiting for us at an amusement park, but the park was closed and we were told to wait until it opened. Three weeks passed and nothing changed. My friends and I decided that we wouldn’t wait any longer, and we left for New York. At that moment, my aunt lived there, with whom we stayed. Therefore, we can say that we did not work under the WaT program. We found work in New York ourselves,” the girl continues her story.

Upon returning to her homeland, the girl tried to return to the United States, but she did not immediately succeed.

“Then I returned, graduated from university, tried to get a tourist visa, but they refused. “I had a bad visa history and other unfavorable factors, which I corrected over the course of four years,” says Albina. — Getting a visa is very difficult: first of all, you need to prepare well, then try to “catch” a place for an interview in Russia, otherwise you will have to go to neighboring countries. Now, due to the coronavirus, the US embassy in Russia has suspended the issuance of tourist visas, so for now it is completely impossible to enter the country.”

“Having received a visa, I immediately started planning my move, bought tickets six months before departure, so that I knew for sure that I was leaving, there was no turning back. I left everything in Russia: family, friends, real estate, quit a good job and flew on the wings of happiness to look for adventure,” says the girl.

Adaptation

The girl says that since she was previously in the United States, she was not particularly surprised by anything.

“Since I have already been to the States, I was not particularly surprised by anything. I already had friends in New York with whom I kept in touch from Russia, and therefore I always knew what was happening there. But still, every time I come to Manhattan, the skyscrapers fascinate me, I look at all the buildings with my mouth open.

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But you need to understand that the USA is not only Manhattan. Having moved here, you need to be prepared for various difficulties,” says Albina. — I found my first job in about 10 days: I got a full-time job in a kindergarten, and also found a part-time job as a photographer in a restaurant. Getting a job in a kindergarten in the States is much easier than in Russia. If you have friends, or you’re lucky enough to come across an ad and you win the employer’s favor, the job is yours.”

“Of course, some minimal teaching experience is needed, but if you learn quickly and are not afraid of children, learning goes much faster. Americans treat their children very differently. They don’t shake like in Russia, so there are far fewer problems,” the girl recalls. — It was probably a little easier for me than for those who came alone, since I know English and I have friends here. I think it is very important to try to make friends with someone before immigrating, or at least find someone who will answer the questions that inevitably arise when living in a new country.”

Albina says that life will be much easier if there is someone who can explain how and what to do here, and it is desirable that it be someone local, not an immigrant.

“Everything is different here, and it’s good when someone can help with everyday problems: explain where to pay for travel, how to get health insurance and get a driver’s license, which apartment is better to rent, where to find a job,” the girl says. “Unfortunately, the communities of Russians who have moved are quite toxic, and you shouldn’t count on help there. When you go to social networks and read comments in Russian-speaking groups, you immediately get a lot of negativity. Therefore, it is better not to write or read anything there, or try not to let it pass through yourself. I don’t know what this is connected with, but often compatriots want to profit from you, to use you. It is sad".

A special city

“It’s hard to compare New York with the rest of the country: there are no one-story houses with flags in the yards, and neighbors don’t bring cake to housewarming parties. But there are a lot of people of different nationalities here: there are about 600 thousand Russian-speaking New Yorkers alone. Therefore, it is almost impossible to create a generalized portrait of a city resident,” says Albina. — New York is a very good city to start life in the USA. There is always a lot of work here: those who are not afraid to work will not go hungry here.”

The girl says that New Yorkers are very different, but they have one thing in common - they are almost always in a hurry somewhere and drink coffee on the go.

“New Yorkers are always running somewhere and drinking coffee on the go. Not all of them, of course, but if you find yourself in the center of Manhattan in the morning, you can see crowds of people running with cups of coffee in their hands. Many of them are dressed according to the latest fashion trends. But there are also plenty of people who don’t care what they wear,” says the girl. — In New York, everything is good with transport, there is a 16-hour subway, and there are many buses. But nevertheless, many people drive cars, preferring comfort. You can get a driver’s license at the age of XNUMX.”

“It is not necessary to study at a driving school. Even if someone taught you, you can calmly go and take your license. And if you have moved and already have a driver’s license from another country, in some states you can simply exchange them for American ones,” says Albina. — There are many beauty salons in New York, but the best ones employ Russian-speaking specialists. American craftsmen do everything very poorly; the Internet is full of photographic evidence. I haven’t gone to such people myself; I have no desire to check on myself.”

Holidays and signs

Americans are very fond of Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving. All holidays are celebrated in the United States quite brightly.

“I really like how Christmas is celebrated here. Everything is beautifully decorated, everyone is running for gifts, buying Christmas trees. Fabulous atmosphere,” says the girl.

“Residents of the USA are quite superstitious; they have many signs that are unusual for us. For example, they can break a bone to fulfill a wish. Whoever has the largest part left in his hands will have it come true. Many people play baseball, and everyone knows that before playing at random you have to spit on the bat. If an American finds one cent, he must pick it up to attract good luck,” says Albina.

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But some of our signs coincide.

“You can’t break a mirror in any way - it means seven years of misfortune. Like spilling pepper, this means a quarrel with your best friend. Many people are so afraid of the number 13 that some buildings don't even have a 13th floor designation. To be sure to protect themselves from witchcraft and the evil eye, superstitious Americans wear blue clothes or at least keep a blue amulet with them,” the girl notes.

Prices

Many people say that prices are much higher than at home, but salaries are consistent.

“Products here are much more expensive than in Russia, but salaries are also quite high, so it feels about the same. All the same products are sold here, even buckwheat. True, you will have to go to a specialized Russian store to get it. So I only miss my mother's cooking. By the way, there is a lot of ready-made food in stores; I always see huge queues in these departments, because people usually don’t have time for culinary delights. I try to cook at home myself, I have time. But sometimes I can buy or order something exotic,” says Albina.

“But there are big difficulties with housing: to rent alone, you need to earn very well. A one-room apartment (room + hall) in a relatively decent area can be rented for about one and a half thousand dollars. You can, of course, find something cheaper at your own risk,” says the girl. — It’s better, of course, to live with a friend, relative or partner. It’s much easier to overcome all difficulties if you divide them in half.”

“Medicine here is terribly expensive, but everyone has probably heard about it. This, of course, is a huge minus for the United States. If you don't have insurance, calling an ambulance can cost upwards of $500. The cost of insurance per month depends on income: the more a person earns, the more expensive the insurance. Low-income people have free insurance. Until recently, having health insurance was mandatory, and violators of this rule were fined, but now this is no longer the case,” says Albina. — Many go to their homeland and undergo treatment or examination there, if possible. But if something is urgent, you have to leave a lot of money with the doctors. Especially for dentists: if you don't have insurance, installing a crown on one tooth can cost two thousand dollars. Fun fact: childbirth is always free for New Yorkers.”

Plans

Albina does not think about returning to her homeland yet.

“Returning home is not even discussed. In this country, I see much more opportunities for myself than in my homeland, unfortunately. Although someone says that if a person has not achieved anything at home, then he has nothing to do in another country, I can prove the opposite using my example,” the girl says. — In Russia, with my education as a translator, I couldn’t find a job, so I ended up working as a secretary. Here I was hired into a dental office without education or experience. I was lucky: I responded to the ad on time and won over the employer. There were people with experience, but he said that he liked me as a person.”

“So sometimes it doesn’t matter what kind of specialist you are, because you can learn everything, but it’s always more pleasant to work with adequate people. At work, I don’t do anything super complicated that would require me to go to college,” notes Albina. “I’m just an assistant who helps the dentist.” So anything is possible in New York.”

Despite this, the girl still misses her homeland and loved ones.

“I really miss my parents and friends. There are times when I want to take a walk around Moscow and go to my favorite places. But then I remember that I was there a year ago, and I’m sure that nothing has changed there. And sometimes I miss the metro, how clean and beautiful it is. I really hope that soon at least friends will be able to come visit,” says Albina.

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