How I moved to live from Russia to America. Useful Tips for Emigrants

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

I did not love my city, I was cold there, dirty and overcast. My mom works a librarian, she constantly brought to read colorful magazines with beautiful and bright landscapes. I watched these magazines, envied and really wanted to live in a warm and sunny edge herself.

I entered the metallurgical faculty at the University, to learn from which I did not want. Tell me, what girl will be interesting metallurgy? I did not have a choice, my family is poor, so I remained learning on a budget basis on an ecologist engineer. The study was boring and challenging. I had to be very hard, but I passed all exams on perfectly.

Fat 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 on boring lectures, chatted and dreamed. Christina told me that since childhood dreams to go to America! She so wanted to watch New York, Disneyland and swim in the Atlantic Ocean. I, at that moment, to America was indifferent and more dreamed of going to some island.

One day, Christina, I reported to me that our university has a student program called Work and Travel. From the title, I realized that we were talking about the journey and immediately became interested. Christina led me to the office of the company, which was engaged in the organization of the program. The girl named Natalia has told us in detail. The program cost quite expensive - $ 1500.

The essence was that by signing the contract and paying, we are leaving for three months to work in America and travel. Representatives of the company will select the employer to us, make air tickets and will help with the design of the J-1 visa for a trip. Christina and I have already wanted to agree, but it turned out that you need to be adult to the trip. I had only 16 years old at the first year of the university, because I went to school at six with an older sister.

I was so upset, because for the trip it was necessary to wait for another 2 years! Having come home, I told all my mother, she just laughed and said that in childhood, I also dreamed of going somewhere. I realized that my mother does not perceive everything seriously, and just began to study more insistently.

English language learning

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

At first I was hard, but I was doing constantly, every day. The program was unusual, it was necessary to read books in the original, even if you do not understand what we were talking about. I also sang my favorite foreign songs, spying words with a leaflet. He taught the words of associations, learned to print in English blindly. For the night, I quietly included a recorded disc with English books and listened to him all night through the dream. Thus, I completely absorbed in the tongue, and the results were noticeable soon!

Recording on the Work and Travel program

Finally, two years have passed, and as soon as I was 18 years old, and Christina and I ran to fill in the questionnaires. I all the time postponed my scholarship in order to accumulate at least some money. When it was necessary to pay for the program, I turned for help to my parents. Mom and dad realized that I was seriously going to go and this is not a whim. They listened to me and decided that the trip to America would be useful for me. Dad went to the bank and took a loan to pay for the program. I am very grateful to my parents for support and understanding!

Obtaining a visa to America J-1

By paying for the program, we began to make a visa to America. The whole process was difficult, it was necessary to fill a lot of documents in English. I was very nervous! It was necessary to get a visa in Moscow. I have never flown on the plane, and the receipt of a visa was scheduled for the middle of the school year in February. I did not have time to go on the train, so you need to fly.

To get a visa, it was necessary to call the credibility of the consul, which will talk to me. The consul must make sure that you only go on the program and back to your homeland. I was not going to stay in the USA, so I didn't worry about this. To prepare for an interview, we were given possible issues that will ask the consul. I learned all the answers by heart and in front of the interview could not sleep from the nervous tension.

Thank God, everything went well, and I approved the visa in the US! My happiness was not limit, because it meant that I am really going to America. The remaining time before the summer flew unnoticed. I collected things for the summer journey and handed over the early exams and standings. Not all teachers went to meet, but I did not give up and closed the session by the beginning of June.

Arrival in America

Our employer was located in Merll-Beach - a resort town in South Carolina on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It was necessary to solve the issue with housing in advance, not to spend the night at the station! On the site craigslist.com, I agreed in advance with a guy from Merll-Beach. He and I decided to take a room for $ 40 per week per person. Flight from Russia to America was very heavy and long, with several transfers. Arriving in Merll Beach, and I walked to bed for a day with Christina!

Next week we started working. It was necessary to sell ITALIAN ICES - frozen fruit ice. To do this, we went to North Carolina every day to the city of Ocean Isle Beach, where the ice was sold.

The work was hard, it was necessary to roll a heavy ice trolley on the sand in which the wheels of the carts were tied up. But I still had madly happy! I first saw the ocean in my life and began to live separately from my parents! I liked the state of freedom and independence, I didn't want to go back to Russia at all.

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

It was necessary to return home. I bought the equipment to yourself and your family, some clothes and souvenirs. Over the summer, I worked well, several thousand dollars, but I needed the bulk to give dad so that he could repay the loan.

Homecoming

In America, I was tanned and happy! But as soon as we landed in Russian Earth, my mood was spoiled. I wanted to talk in English, to live by the ocean, and not to go back to the gray and cold Novokuznetsk to study the engineer.

I switched to the 4th year of the university and immediately filed documents for a trip to America a second time. I knew that it was very difficult to get a visa twice, but to stay in Novokuznetsk was unbearable for me. There was a boring study, and all my thoughts were far beyond the ocean. I dragged the whole year about America, all the films looked only in English, so as not to forget the language.

Trip to America a second time

My sister also decided to participate in the program. We issued together documents, parents had to take a loan to pay for the program. This time it was necessary to receive a visa in the US in Yekaterinburg. At first, called me, the sister went on the list only by the next group.

I was very nervous, I could not eat and rather lost. Then I told myself that if I approve a visa - I will leave for America forever. I immediately became easier, and I decided to trust fate. The consul with which I spoke was a serious woman. I was a smiling and truthful, and I was lucky - the visa J-1 was in my pocket for the second time!

However, a lining occurred with his sister - she was refused, referring to bad knowledge of the language. I was dumbfounded, because it meant that I would go to America alone.

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

I decided that I was leaving because:

• • from studying at the university I always nauseous;
• • I have not seen the future in Novokuznetsk;
• • climate and ecology were bad;
• • I did not want to live in the outback.

Farewell to the family was hard, but I knew that I would definitely come to visit.

Arriving in Mell-Beach, I tried to get a job as a waitress, but all the places were busy. My boss, which I worked last summer turned out to be a good uncle. Upon first shelted me to himself and helped find a job. I began to sell all the same fruit ice, only this time in the water park.

How to make documents?

This question did not give me peace. Yes, and the summer was not so funny as the previous one. I could not afford to relax, because I needed money to make documents in America.

Options were such:

• • marry the American;
• • go to learn from college;
• • Political refuge.

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

The need for the second job

For America's Independence Day, I met Julia on July 4th. She was a pleasant and kind girl from Odessa. We made friends and began to rent housing together. Julia was not going to stay in the United States, she didn't really want to go to America at all. The trip was my mother's idea. Julia also earned a little, and we decided to find the second job.

A lot of students for the summer on Work and Travel arrives in Merll Beach, because almost all jobs are busy. We managed through friends to get a nightcloth in the nightcloth. The work was not the lungs, also on the night. I worked in the afternoon in the water park, and at night in the club. Tired strongly, but money was very necessary.

By the end of the summer, Julia decided not to return home, but staying in America with me. We began to discuss options how to make documents. So far nothing has happened in the head, we filed a questionnaire to replace the status of J-1 on 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 Merll-Beach very tense, because this is a resort town. We decided to go to familiar to New York. There we traveled a little and, after long conversations and pondays, decided to make political asylum. Julina Mom called us on Skype and said that one familiar girl named Masha is now located in San Francisco. She just successfully made political asylum. Julia, I have not thought for a long time, rushed to San Francisco.

Masha was a cute and good man, and at first we lived at her guy in the garage for free. We had a little money, and housing in San Francisco costs 600-800 $ per person per month. There was no work yet, plus we needed funds for issues of documents.

Masha gave us the number of her lawyer, and we started the process. Julia and I got to work at the Housiny - to clean at home, we did not have exit, and the money was run away like water.

The work was hard, we worked with chemicals, however, there were no roads. Life in the garage was terrible. There was one little light bulb, the mattress on the floor and that's it. We slept in turn on the mattress, one person in the garage, the other - on the sofa in the kitchen. Masha's guy turned out to be a good Mexican guy, he greatly helped us.

Transportation San Francisco

San Francisco - Beautiful and specific city. Transportation system is one of the most developed in America.

You can use:

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

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

• MUNI trailers are like a bus, only goes underground, and on Earth. The fare is also worth $ 2, regardless of distance.

We mostly traveled on buses that went every five minutes. In general, in San Francisco there is inconvenient car. There are very few parking spaces, and a lot of cars and residents in the city. So it is difficult to park, you will have to join the streets for a few minutes before you find a free place.

Climate

San Francisco - the city at the bay, the weather is almost always +10 degrees Celsius. In winter, we went without hats, in gloves, scarves, ordinary jackets and jeans without a panty. In the summer, however, not hot, it is almost unrealistic, and there's no place. The Pacific Ocean is cold, even in the summer there is impossible to bathe because of cold flow. The sun almost does not take up, mostly we went in pants or shorts.

You always need to take a shift with you to throw on yourself, because the weather changes quickly. If in one area is hot, then in the other it can be cold.

The shops

Mostly we purchased in the farmer market - this place is very similar to our bazaars. Farmer markets are located throughout the city on the street, there are local residents selling vegetables and fruits grown with their own hands. We bought delicious juicy tomatoes at $ 0.90 for 1 LB.

Also, products can be bought in Safeway Supermarkets, only prices are high there.

Safeway is given a card for which a small discount is coming.

In addition to American stores, San Francisco has Chinese, Mexican and, attention, Russians!

On Geary Street there are several shops with dumplings, dumplings, sausage and chocolate "Alenka". For us from Yulya, it was a huge happiness to sit on a bench and gnawing black bread, drinking it with kefir!

In America, food is not so tasty as in Russia, something natural is difficult to find. Americans love hamburgers, steak, Mexican food and beer. Prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner they will never. Put the pizza to the microwave, heated - and the breakfast is ready! So we missed normal food.

Population

A lot of Mexicans live in San Francisco. Once this part was Mexico, many Mexicans live here. Nobody asks these documents, because Mexicans work on dirty work: cleaning the pipes, build houses, the floors wash. Americans are afraid of such work.

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

In San Francisco a lot of black. Basically, they are idle, but they are almost all harmless and polite. Hello, open the doors and smile. Black smoke a lot of herbs, and not only they are alone. Almost everything in San Francisco smoke marijuang. It is legalized there. It is enough to go to your doctor and say that you can't fall asleep. As a sedative can register marijuan.

In the center of San Francisco a lot of homeless. Meetings with them should be avoided. Sometimes homeless, evil and nervous, can do you to thread. Julia and I went to the homeless side and did not speak with them.

Medicine

Pharmacies, as we used to see in Russia, there is no in America. They have a Walgreens store, which sells some medicines. In addition, in Walgreens they sell chips, candy and carbonated water.

Buy citramon or streptocid just so in America can not. You need to go to the doctor for the recipe. In order for the doctor to take you, there should be medical insurance, and it is only in residents with documents. That is, while you do not have any documents, you will not wait for any medical care! 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 you such questions. Can you:

1. Live away from your family? Maybe not seen for several years (5-10 years)?
2. Constantly speak in someone else's language? Most of you will not be understood for a long time.
3. Is there an unloved food?
4. Live in other people's traditions? Americans, for example, celebrate Christmas on December 25, and for the new year, all the Christmas trees are already thrown out.
5. Perhaps all your life to rent housing? After all, to buy an apartment abroad is very expensive.
6. A third of salary to give taxes?
7. Raise your children without grandparents?

If you answer most questions, you will handle it! If your answer is not, then we are still weighing and thinking well.