“Do you say that living in Russia is catastrophically bad, literally impossible?” Bashny.Net

Maria Kirillova has been living in Chicago for more than 7 years, during which time she managed to get married, divorce, and citizenship to obtain and even buy her own housing. It seems like the real American dream. Alas, statehood For the Russian from the hinterland was not as fabulous as dreamed.





"Site" I came across the story of an emigrant from Russia, who openly described all the charms of our man’s life behind the hill. This is how the girl managed to get a high-paying job, find love and why a financial consultant is an indispensable person.

I graduated from high school with a degree in social anthropology. But the last two years before moving to the United States, she worked in Moscow at the airport. Once in America, I planned to pursue my career in aviation. But it took me two years to get what I wanted! The problem was that in this area, as in many others, almost no vacancies are published in the public domain. Staff are often looking for acquaintances.





Before I could settle down, I had to iron my underwear, put ice cream in the cafe, clean the hotel, that is, engage in unskilled work. They paid $8 an hour. Of course, it was very difficult, but I pulled myself together and decided that I had to fight to the end, although I will not hide it: return to RussiaI've been visited, too.

When all the problems were settled, I found the vacancy I wanted. At first, she worked in the passenger registration service and planned to move up the career ladder in this direction, but three years ago she became a flight attendant.





I spend about $100 a week on food. For a three-bedroom apartment I give $ 800. I have my own house, I took out a mortgage for 30 years at 4% per annum, because the costs of rent and payment of the loan are almost the same. To this amount, you can safely add $ 200-300 - expenses for maintenance of the territory, utility payments, the Internet.

In order to feel normal in the United States, $2,000. Of course, you won’t get the money, but you won’t go hungry either. Americans earn about that: $15 an hour is the standard wage.





The first time I missed our food, American products taste very different, some fake. You cut a cucumber, it smells, you shink onions, and you get tears from it. Of course you can buy. organicBut they will be very expensive.

For breakfast, locals usually eat eggs, toast or sandwiches. During the day they prefer to eat in different places. It's cheap here. The same dinner is easier to take a takeaway than to cook at home yourself. I have already adapted to this way of eating and almost do not cook. Even at airports where I often eat, food is available.





Free medical care in this country is available only to undocumented migrants, people without a certain place of residence or those who receive a minimum wage and can not afford to buy insurance. As for other categories of citizens, insurance is usually provided by the company in which the person works.

At the same time, you can choose the necessary type of insurance, and an expanded range of medical services will cost more. Fortunately, I don't see doctors very often. I treat my teeth in RussiaWhen I had to have an eye surgery, I went home again.





If you have a slight ailment, a sore throat, runny nose, you can not go to the pharmacy and buy yourself some potent drugs. The most you can count on in such a situation is cough syrup or lollipops. For more serious things, a doctor’s permission is required.

The scheme is simple: sick - go to a specialist who will prescribe you a medicine. And it doesn't matter if the doctor just looks at your throat and gives you a prescription, you have to pay for that visit. But the clinics here are beautiful, and everything works clearly, without queues.

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The fake smile is another hallmark of Americans. They will smile, even if They don't like you.. That's what they do. You won’t find a bushy waiter in America. You can complain about things like that.

For a long time I could not understand how I prefer to smile, but hide their true feelings, or rude, but with a soul. Of course, at first our Russian approach was closer. But now I think I should smile, even if it's insincere.





As for friendship, it is not like in Russia. Yes, you can be called a friend, but that doesn’t stop a person from going about his business when you need his help. I have no close friends among the Americans, although they are quite open and quick to make contact. If something happens, I will call my friends from Russia.





Americans can not boast of a broad outlook, because their education system at school is built with a view to ensuring that children learn. country. They don’t care what’s happening in Russia, Australia, Africa or anywhere else.

This trend persists in the media: if we are not talking about the United States, then what is the point of telling the population about it? Of course, most people have very vague ideas about other countries. For example, I am constantly asked the same question: “How do you live there, you are very cold ...”





It bothers me that in American culture there is nothing wrong. gentlemanly. If you go on a date at a restaurant or a bar for a cocktail, it does not mean that your companion will pay for you, even if he initiated your meeting. The locals will not care the way our men do.

For example, you went outside after a restaurant, you went to your car, and he went to his. An American wouldn't even think of seeing you off! I would still like to be a woman in a relationship. My boyfriend is from Canada, and his mentality, oddly enough, is very similar to that of Russia. He knows how to court and can easily talk to me about politics.





I don’t live in America because I don't want to live in Russia.. When I left, I didn’t pursue a better life, because I was doing well in my homeland: a great job, friends. It's just the circumstances.

Now I see myself in Chicago in large part because I do what I love. Maybe when I don’t have to work so much, I’ll move somewhere, but that’s the prospect of a distant future.





Oddly enough, but the advantages of living in the States are greater than in Russia, and the disadvantages of the United States are much less serious than the disadvantages of living in Russia. And if the pleasure of living is success, then emigrantism It can be considered a success.

How do you feel about such drastic changes in your life? Be sure to share with us in the comments.