"Home is where
your heart is", I totally agree with these words. Now I live in America
and I am not complaining about this fact, I am falling in love with states. I
left my motherland about five years ago and I still miss my city, family and
friends. If somebody asks me: "Where is your home?", I answer
without thinking: "Seattle,
WA".
Let's look at the past: huge airport, crowds of people,
thousands of foreign languages and one young shy lady with a heavy suitcase. I arrived to John F. Kennedy International
Airport at 2 p.m. on October 31, 2011. The airport was for me like a monster, I
couldn't find exit and couldn't ask anybody about direction, because my
vocabulary consisted of two phrases: “hi! how are you?” and “nice to meet you!” After running around the terminal about an
hour, I finally got out outside and breathed warm autumn fresh air. It was the
first time, when I felt myself a little bit happy. 
I took the cab, thank you
God, the driver was Ukrainian and we spoke in Russian. I told him that I needed to go to the Penn
Station, because New York was only a transit point in my journey. When we
passed streets, skyscrapers and other buildings, everything for me looked like
in movies, that I loved to watch in Russia. Everything looked like in "Sex
and the city", but without Carrie Bradshaw. With each new second I fell in
love with the Big Apple.
I sat in the evening train, which was travelling to the
South. I listened the music on my phone and tried to sleep, but I couldn't, I
was too excited. My last destination was Charleston, SC. We arrived in a deep
night, outside there was too dark. My friend from Russia was waiting for me on
the platform. He helped me with accommodation and work. At the next day, I woke up late, because I had jet lag. The
difference between my city in Russia and Charleston is 12 hours. I was so tired
and sleepy, but we went to look around. Charleston is a small city with
beautiful European architecture, warm Atlantic Ocean and friendly, nice people.
They call this Southern hospitality. I fell in love with Mr. Charleston and
still miss this beautiful charmed place.
Now, I want to tell about some difficulties, that I met face
to face. For two weeks I couldn't ate American food, I just drunk water, ate
some eggs and candies. I caught flu, I think it happened because I changed
climate zone. In Charleston weather is always hot and humidity, but I am from
cold Siberia. I missed a lot of my family and my language. I cried every night
and called my Mom. After one week I got my first job in USA and it was for me
like going to hell. I started to work at the hotel, small beautiful 5 stars hotel.
I was a housekeeper and it was hard and nervous job. My working day was about
15-18 hours, I worked double shifts. For the first time, I was tired and
depressed. One year later, everything has changed. I found a new job (waitress
in small french cafe), made new friends and met my future husband.
After years, we married and moved to Seattle! I am so happy
right now, I have everything for better life and now I can make better life for
my family in Russia. I want to tell thanks God and United States, which gave me
new opportunities, new experience, made me stronger and present to me
LOVE. My heart is here now, across the
ocean from my country.
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