On this site, that I come from the metallurgical city of Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo region. She grew up and studied in Novokuznetsk. After school, like all my classmates, I entered the university. From the outside, everything looked as usual, but in my soul a storm was seething!

I did not like my city, it was cold, dirty and cloudy there. My mother works as a librarian, she constantly brought colorful magazines with beautiful and vibrant landscapes to read. I looked at these magazines, envied and really wanted to live in a warm and sunny land myself.

I entered the university at the metallurgical faculty, where I did not want to study. Tell me, which girl will be interested in metallurgy? I had no choice, my family is not rich, so I stayed to study on a budgetary basis as an environmental engineer. The study was boring and difficult. It was very difficult for me, but I passed all the exams with excellent marks.

fatal acquaintance

At the university I met Christina. She studied in my group and was the most cheerful and funny. We quickly became friends and, sitting at boring lectures, chatted and dreamed. Christina told me that since childhood she dreams of going to America! She so wanted to see New York, Disneyland and swim in the Atlantic Ocean. I, at that moment, was indifferent to America and more dreamed of going to some island.

One fine day, Christina told me that our university has a student program called Work and Travel. From the title, I realized that it was about a journey and immediately became interested. Christina took me to the office of the firm that organized the program. A girl named Natalia told us everything in detail. The program was quite expensive - $1500.

The bottom line was that, having signed the contract and paid, we are leaving for America for three months to work and travel. Representatives of the company will select an employer for us, arrange air tickets and help with obtaining a J-1 visa for the trip. Christina and I already wanted to agree, but it turned out that you must be of legal age to travel. I was only 16 years old in my first year of university, because I went to school at six with my older sister.

I was so upset, because for the trip I had to wait another 2 years! Arriving home, I told my mother everything, she just laughed and said that as a child she also dreamed of going somewhere. I realized that my mother did not take everything seriously, and just began to study more persistently.

English language learning

In addition to studying at the university, I began to study English. At school, the teacher taught us only the basics of the language, and my knowledge was far from ideal. I downloaded an English learning program from the Internet and started classes.

At first it was hard for me, but I practiced constantly, every day. The program was unusual, you had to read the books in the original, even if you don't understand what it was about. I also sang my favorite foreign songs, peeping the words from a piece of paper. I learned words by associations, learned to type in English blindly. At night, I quietly turned on the recorded disc with English books and listened to it all night through my sleep. Thus, I was completely absorbed in the language, and soon the results were noticeable!

Enrollment in the Work and Travel program

Finally, two years passed, and as soon as I turned 18, Christina and I ran to fill out questionnaires. I kept saving my scholarship in order to save up some money. When I had to pay for the program, I turned to my parents for help. Mom and dad realized that I was seriously going to go and this was not a whim. They listened to me and decided that a trip to America would be a rewarding experience for me. Dad went to the bank and took out a loan so we could pay for the program. I am very grateful to my parents for their support and understanding!

Obtaining a visa to America J-1

Having paid for the program, we began to deal with the issuance of a visa to America. The whole process was complicated, it was necessary to fill out a lot of documents in English. I was very nervous! It was necessary to obtain a visa in Moscow. I had never flown on an airplane before, and the visa was scheduled for the middle of the school year in February. I didn't have time to travel by train, so I had to fly.

To get a visa, it was necessary to inspire the confidence of the consul, who would talk to me. The consul must make sure that you are traveling only according to the program and that you will return to your homeland. I had no intention of staying in the US, so I didn't worry about that. To prepare for the interview, we were given possible questions that the consul would ask. I learned all the answers by heart and the night before the interview I could not sleep from nervous tension.

Thank God, everything went well, and my US visa was approved! My happiness knew no bounds, because it meant that I was really going to America. The rest of the summer flew by. I packed for my summer trip and took my exams and tests early. Not all teachers met halfway, but I did not give up and by the beginning of June I had already closed the session.

Arrival to America

Our employer was located in Myrtle Beach, a resort town in South Carolina on the Atlantic Ocean. It was necessary to solve the issue of housing in advance, not to spend the night at the station! On craigslist.com, I made an appointment with a guy from Myrtle Beach. With him, Christina and I decided to rent a room for $40 per person per week. The flight from Russia to America was very difficult and long, with several transfers. Arriving in Myrtle Beach, Christina and I fell asleep for a day!

We started working the next week. It was necessary to sell Italian ices - frozen popsicles. To do this, we went every day to North Carolina to the city of Ocean Isle Beach, where they sold ice.

The work turned out to be hard, it was necessary to roll a heavy cart with ice on the sand, in which the wheels of the cart got stuck. But I was still extremely happy! For the first time in my life I saw the ocean and began to live separately from my parents! I really liked the state of freedom and independence, I did not want to go back to Russia at all.

Three summer months flew by, Christina and I managed to go to Disneyland and New York.

It was necessary to return home. I bought equipment for myself and my family, some clothes and souvenirs. Over the summer, I made good money, several thousand dollars, but I had to give the bulk of it to my dad so that he could pay off the loan.

Homecoming

In America, I was tanned and happy! But as soon as we landed on Russian soil, my mood soured. I wanted to speak English, live by the ocean, and not return to gray and cold Novokuznetsk to study engineering.

I switched to the 4th year of university and immediately applied for a trip to America for the second time. I knew that it was very difficult to get a visa twice, but staying in Novokuznetsk was unbearable for me. A boring study began, and all my thoughts were far beyond the ocean. All year I dreamed about America, I watched all the films only in English, so as not to forget the language.

Trip to America for the second time

My sister also decided to participate in the program. We completed the documents together, the parents had to take out a loan to pay for the program again. This time, it was necessary to obtain a visa to the United States in Yekaterinburg. First they called me, my sister was only the next group on the list.

I was very nervous, couldn't eat, and lost quite a bit of weight. Then I told myself that if they approve my visa, I will go to America forever. I immediately felt better, and I decided to trust fate. The consul I spoke to was a serious woman. I was smiling and truthful, and I was lucky - the J-1 visa was in my pocket for the second time!

However, there was an overlay with her sister - she was refused, citing her poor knowledge of the language. I was dumbfounded, because it meant that I would go to America alone.

I tried not to get upset and be strong. I carefully prepared for the trip, took all the most expensive things for me and flew to the USA. Mom did not believe that I would not return, however, I was adamant.

I decided that I was leaving because:

• • Studying at the university always made me sick;
• • I didn't see the future in Novokuznetsk;
• • The climate and ecology were bad;
• • I didn't want to live in the outback.

Saying goodbye to my family was hard, but I knew that I would definitely come to visit.

Arriving in Myrtle Beach, I tried to get a job as a waitress, but all the places were filled. My boss I worked for last summer turned out to be a kind uncle. For the first time, he took me in and helped me find a job. I began to sell all the same popsicles, only this time in the water park.

How to make documents?

This question haunted me. And the summer was not as fun as the previous one. I could not afford to rest, because I needed money to do paperwork in America.

The options were:

• • Marry an American;
• • Go to college;
• • Political refuge.

I immediately ruled out the first option, I did not want to depend on some American. I didn't come to America for this. I also could not afford to study, one semester cost about 2 thousand dollars. I didn’t have that kind of money, I paid $ 60 a week for housing, and I needed at least something to eat. I earned a little, about $500 a month plus tips.

The need for a second job

On America's Independence Day, July 4, I met Yulia. She turned out to be a pleasant and kind girl from Odessa. We became friends and started renting a house together. Julia was not going to stay in the USA, she did not really want to go to America at all. The trip was my mother's idea. Yulia also earned little, and we decided to find a second job.

A lot of students come to Myrtle Beach for the summer on Work and Travel, because almost all jobs are filled. We managed through acquaintances to get a job as waitresses in a nightclub. The work was not easy, even at night. I worked during the day in the water park, and at night in the club. I was very tired, but the money was very necessary.

By the end of the summer, Julia decided not to return home, but to stay in America with me. We began to discuss options for how we can make documents. While nothing sensible came to mind, we submitted an application to change the status of J-1 to B-2 (tourist). For six months we were allowed to stay in America to travel.

Moving to San Francisco

With work in the winter in Myrtle Beach is very stressful, because it is a resort town. We decided to visit friends in New York. There we traveled a little and, after long conversations and thoughts, we decided to make a political asylum. Yulia's mother called us on Skype and said that a girl she knew named Masha was now in San Francisco. She just successfully made a political asylum. Yulia and I, without hesitation, rushed to San Francisco.

Masha turned out to be a sweet and kind person, and for the first time we lived with her boyfriend in the garage for free. We had little money, and housing in San Francisco costs $600-800 per person per month. There was no work yet, plus funds were needed for paperwork.

Masha gave us her lawyer's number and we started the process. Yulia and I got a job as housekeepers - cleaning houses, we had no choice, and the money ran away like water.

The work was hard, we worked with chemicals, however, there was no turning back. Life in the garage was terrible. There was one small light bulb, a mattress on the floor, and that was it. We took turns sleeping on the mattress, one person in the garage, the other on the couch in the kitchen. Masha's boyfriend turned out to be a good Mexican guy, he helped us a lot.

Transport San Francisco

San Francisco is a beautiful and specific city. The transportation system is one of the most developed in America.

You can use:

• Muni bus, which for $ 2 will take you almost anywhere in the city.

• The BART system is something like a subway. Fast transport, only more expensive. The cost depends on the distance, pay at the exit through the machine.

• Muni trailers are like a bus, only it travels both underground and on the ground. The fare also costs $2, regardless of the distance.

We mostly traveled by buses that ran every five minutes. In general, it is inconvenient to have a car in San Francisco. There are very few places for parking, and there are a lot of cars and people in the city. So it's hard to park, you have to wander the streets for several minutes before you find a free place.

Climate

San Francisco is a city by the bay, the weather is almost always +10 degrees Celsius. In winter, we went without hats, in gloves, scarves, ordinary jackets and jeans without tights. In summer, however, it is not hot, it is almost impossible to get a tan, and there is nowhere to go. The Pacific Ocean is cold, even in summer it is impossible to swim there because of the cold current. The sun almost does not burn, basically, we walked in pants or shorts.

You should always take a sweater with you to put on, because the weather changes quickly. If it is hot in one area, it may be cold in another.

The shops

We mostly shopped at the Farmer's Market - this place is very similar to our bazaars. Farmers markets are located throughout the city on the street, where locals sell vegetables and fruits grown by their own hands. We bought delicious juicy tomatoes for $0.90 per 1 lb.

You can also buy groceries in supermarkets like Safeway, but the prices there are a little high.

Safeway gives you a free card with a small discount.

In addition to American stores, there are Chinese, Mexican and, attention, Russian stores in San Francisco!

On Geary Street there are several shops with dumplings, dumplings, sausage and Alenka chocolate. It was a great happiness for Yulia and me to sit on a bench and gnaw black bread, washing it down with kefir!

In America, food is not as tasty as in Russia, something natural is hard to find. Americans love burgers, steak, Mexican food and beer. They will not prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for anything. Put the pizza in the microwave, warm it up - and breakfast is ready! So we really missed normal food.

Population

There are a lot of Mexicans living in San Francisco. Once this part was Mexico, many Mexicans live happily ever after. Nobody asks them for documents, because the Mexicans work at dirty jobs: they clean pipes, build houses, wash floors. Americans disdain such jobs.

The Chinese are also everywhere in San Francisco, they have their own area, not far from the Russian. There are Chinese cafes, shops, all the inscriptions in Chinese.

There are a lot of blacks in San Francisco. They are mostly lounging around, but they are almost all harmless and polite. They say hello, open doors and smile. Black people smoke a lot of weed, and they are not the only ones. Almost everyone in San Francisco smokes marijuana. It's legal there. It's enough to go to your doctor and say that you can't sleep. Marijuana may be prescribed as a sedative.

There are a lot of homeless people in downtown San Francisco. Meetings with them should be avoided. Sometimes homeless people, angry and nervous, can rob you to the skin. Yulia and I avoided the homeless and didn't talk to them.

Medicine

There are no pharmacies, as we are used to seeing in Russia, in America. They have a Walgreens store that sells some medical supplies. In addition, Walgreens sells chips, candy and soda.

It is impossible to buy Citramon or Streptocid just like that in America. You need to go to the doctor for a prescription. In order for the doctor to see you, you must have medical insurance, and only residents with documents have it. That is, while you do not have documents, you will not wait for any medical assistance! Our mothers sent us parcels with Russian medicines.

At the end of my story, I want to say that emigration to another country is a very difficult and expensive process. Everything is not as easy as it seems.

Ask yourself these questions. Can you:

1. Living away from your family? Perhaps you haven’t seen each other for several years (5-10 years)?
2. Constantly speaking in a foreign language? Most of it you won't understand for a long time.
3. Have a favorite food?
4. Live in other people's traditions? Americans, for example, celebrate Christmas on December 25, and on New Year's Eve everyone throws out Christmas trees.
5. Is it possible to rent a house for the rest of your life? After all, buying an apartment abroad is very expensive.
6. Give a third of your salary to taxes?
7. Raising your kids without grandparents?

If you answered yes to most of the questions, then you can do it! If your answer is no, then weigh everything again and think carefully.