My flight to America was my very first flight, I was scarred to fly for 10 hours and back then I didn't know the difference between 1st class and the rest of the plane. I was just happy to be on it.
After finding my seat, I sat between a family of 8. I thought, this cannot be so bad... until they started eating.
I was surrounded by a polish family whose language skills were not clear to me, their Polish was as horrible as their English and throughout the flight they kept eating pickles! Yes pickles , not one , not even two, I heard them bite on these damn pickles for 10 hours! I was so paranoid about that flight that I didn't even know that you are able to bring food on a plane.I don't think that I had a pickle since.
After we landed, I was expecting Chris to be there to happily welcome me in the greatest America unfortunately, he wasn't. I kept calling his phone but without any result.
Horrified, I sat on my luggage and started crying , while considering purchasing my ticket back home, somebody came to my rescue!
The Pickle Family. Ohh yes, they offered me their home and said that they will help me find a job and start a new life in some small city in Wisconsin. What? Strangers, small city, pickles! Hell, no! I was upset but my mind was still functioning!
I politely thanked them and assured that my friend will come. After 2 lonely hours at the baggage claim Chris came! I have never been so happy to see a familiar face.
"Where have you been?! I was worrying sick here" - where my first words to a friend who I haven't seen for 3 years.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
How did I end up in the greatest USA.
Hey You,
I decided to start a blog in order to share my experiences with people who are interested in leaving their native country for new opportunities.
No, not really, let me take that back, I am writing to see if a person who has never even carried a diary could write an interesting book.
Blogging is something that I have never tried before and why not?
Its new, hip and I want to meet people in a similar to mine situation.
Plus my story is better then Cinderellas !
Opportunities- hmm... we hear that word a lot , especially in America, don't we?
My new life opportunity started like this:
Some time in late November 2001, I received a phone call on my bigger then a brick cell phone:
1. Hallo? M.?
2. Yes, who is this?
1. Chris,
2. Who?
1. Chris, your beach volleyball partner,I am calling from Chicago.
2. Oh, Hi :)
1. Listen, Kasia (Chris's love) and I decided to go back to Poland and I know you have been waiting for an opportunity to come to the States, so here it is. Pack your bags and be here by January.
2. Whaaaat?...OK :)
And there I was, standing with open mouth, excited about a decision that Chris has made for me!
At that time I was 20 years old and my schedule was pretty boring. I was studying English at the University in Poznan, where I got accepted by a miracle! As a former volleyball player and a romance loving girl I never thought I would be that lucky.
I was never home, I either played volleyball or was out partying (just to remind you, in Poland, 18 is the drinking age) nevertheless I somehow managed to be surrounded by smart people, who gave me a lot of inspiration. Once I passed my Matura exam (the biggest step into adulthood) I knew it is a serious business from now on. I started studying day and night, stopped eating, got very skinny but results came!
There were 12 students per 1 spot at my university, they could only take 200 students in -and I was 1 of them. Not only did I get in but got all scholarships available and didn't have to pay for a thing!
My parents got divorced when I was 14 years old and since then, our financial situation was rather tough.
My dad was a brown Judo medalist in the Olympics in Moscow, sounds great, doesn't it?
Well..., not so much for us, he has never stopped celebrating that occasion and I only remember him being drunk, having anger problems and getting into trouble . He couldn't bear the fact that he was getting older and kept fighting people all the time. Usually because of my two cousins who kept calling him at 2 a.m for help ;) but still.
Yeah..., he was a great father, after the divorce I only saw him once in court for my child support money, he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
My mom is a great, beautiful woman, unfortunately with broken heart, she loved that abusing beast! After the split, she has never dated anybody , it has been 14years ! That woman needs to get laid !
I have not yet mention my sister, an 18 year old dating a 28 year old with 2 kids, at that time, his father was a doctor at my mother's hospital (my mom is a EKG nurse) just a great working environment for her, there was no end to the gossips.
Both my sister and her boy toy/man loved hard core metal music, drugs and ... and that's all they really loved.
My sister and I are very different, she loves to focus on the dark side of life and is easily influenced by anything that is bad for her. She needed constant attention, otherwise it was or rather is big trouble, BIG TROUBLE, you will see soon.
There is really nothing abnormal about our family, just regular craziness.
Going back to my education, after I got accepted to the English University, my entire life evolved around it. I was studying all the time, my mom started worrying because I lost my appetite and was a skinny stress ball that she couldn't recognize anymore. From a social, fun loving butterfly I transformed into a moth. I wanted to do well at school and with me not really having a good knowledge base I had to keep up with other students who have been focusing on English their entire life! They also had rich parents who could help, I was by myself. My mom's salary had to pay for bills and the damage that my sister was constantly creating.
I forgot to mention that before the divorce my parents had a big traveling agency, which stood for helping people smuggle illegal cigarettes and other goods to Germany, we used to have a lot of money but the divorce took it all. The divorce also came with the German discovery, German Border Police noticed the issue and made that business impossible :(
After Chris's phone call I panicked, I can't lie, studying English language made me want to come to the USA even more, it was definitely my biggest dream.
In my heart, I knew that something big will come one day and that chance was it!
A year prior to Chris's phone call I applied for a visa to America and as a pretty girl I didn't have hard time getting it, the worst part was waiting outside (nowhere to sit) the Polish Consulate in Warsaw. I was the chosen one again, there were 500 people who applied that day and only 55 got them. Ufff...
I have also been saving money for the past few years, money that I have gotten as presents from my grandparents. In Poland, you get money for birthdays, first name days, Christmas, or really any occasion, it is not $20 like it is in US, it is good business $100-$300 per occasion! I did have enough money saved for the plane ticket and little cash to take with me, unfortunately I borrowed it to my uncle who needed it for a great deal car purchase and as you can predict I have not seen this money till this day. I was furious, I lost my voice while yelling at him, in fact, I haven't spoken to him since.
In that case, what does a girl do?
She goes to her ex boyfriend to ask for help, my ex Pawel was a sweetheart but he was also totally broke, luckily he had a wealthy boss, who trusted him and gave him all the money I needed. I was in heaven and forever grateful.
During Christmas diner I announced my plans to my family. It was a very quiet Christmas diner, nobody was happy but me, after listening to the list of all the horrible things that will happen to me I packed and left.
On January 2nd 2002 I landed in Chicago !!!!
I decided to start a blog in order to share my experiences with people who are interested in leaving their native country for new opportunities.
No, not really, let me take that back, I am writing to see if a person who has never even carried a diary could write an interesting book.
Blogging is something that I have never tried before and why not?
Its new, hip and I want to meet people in a similar to mine situation.
Plus my story is better then Cinderellas !
Opportunities- hmm... we hear that word a lot , especially in America, don't we?
My new life opportunity started like this:
Some time in late November 2001, I received a phone call on my bigger then a brick cell phone:
1. Hallo? M.?
2. Yes, who is this?
1. Chris,
2. Who?
1. Chris, your beach volleyball partner,I am calling from Chicago.
2. Oh, Hi :)
1. Listen, Kasia (Chris's love) and I decided to go back to Poland and I know you have been waiting for an opportunity to come to the States, so here it is. Pack your bags and be here by January.
2. Whaaaat?...OK :)
And there I was, standing with open mouth, excited about a decision that Chris has made for me!
At that time I was 20 years old and my schedule was pretty boring. I was studying English at the University in Poznan, where I got accepted by a miracle! As a former volleyball player and a romance loving girl I never thought I would be that lucky.
I was never home, I either played volleyball or was out partying (just to remind you, in Poland, 18 is the drinking age) nevertheless I somehow managed to be surrounded by smart people, who gave me a lot of inspiration. Once I passed my Matura exam (the biggest step into adulthood) I knew it is a serious business from now on. I started studying day and night, stopped eating, got very skinny but results came!
There were 12 students per 1 spot at my university, they could only take 200 students in -and I was 1 of them. Not only did I get in but got all scholarships available and didn't have to pay for a thing!
My parents got divorced when I was 14 years old and since then, our financial situation was rather tough.
My dad was a brown Judo medalist in the Olympics in Moscow, sounds great, doesn't it?
Well..., not so much for us, he has never stopped celebrating that occasion and I only remember him being drunk, having anger problems and getting into trouble . He couldn't bear the fact that he was getting older and kept fighting people all the time. Usually because of my two cousins who kept calling him at 2 a.m for help ;) but still.
Yeah..., he was a great father, after the divorce I only saw him once in court for my child support money, he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
My mom is a great, beautiful woman, unfortunately with broken heart, she loved that abusing beast! After the split, she has never dated anybody , it has been 14years ! That woman needs to get laid !
I have not yet mention my sister, an 18 year old dating a 28 year old with 2 kids, at that time, his father was a doctor at my mother's hospital (my mom is a EKG nurse) just a great working environment for her, there was no end to the gossips.
Both my sister and her boy toy/man loved hard core metal music, drugs and ... and that's all they really loved.
My sister and I are very different, she loves to focus on the dark side of life and is easily influenced by anything that is bad for her. She needed constant attention, otherwise it was or rather is big trouble, BIG TROUBLE, you will see soon.
There is really nothing abnormal about our family, just regular craziness.
Going back to my education, after I got accepted to the English University, my entire life evolved around it. I was studying all the time, my mom started worrying because I lost my appetite and was a skinny stress ball that she couldn't recognize anymore. From a social, fun loving butterfly I transformed into a moth. I wanted to do well at school and with me not really having a good knowledge base I had to keep up with other students who have been focusing on English their entire life! They also had rich parents who could help, I was by myself. My mom's salary had to pay for bills and the damage that my sister was constantly creating.
I forgot to mention that before the divorce my parents had a big traveling agency, which stood for helping people smuggle illegal cigarettes and other goods to Germany, we used to have a lot of money but the divorce took it all. The divorce also came with the German discovery, German Border Police noticed the issue and made that business impossible :(
After Chris's phone call I panicked, I can't lie, studying English language made me want to come to the USA even more, it was definitely my biggest dream.
In my heart, I knew that something big will come one day and that chance was it!
A year prior to Chris's phone call I applied for a visa to America and as a pretty girl I didn't have hard time getting it, the worst part was waiting outside (nowhere to sit) the Polish Consulate in Warsaw. I was the chosen one again, there were 500 people who applied that day and only 55 got them. Ufff...
I have also been saving money for the past few years, money that I have gotten as presents from my grandparents. In Poland, you get money for birthdays, first name days, Christmas, or really any occasion, it is not $20 like it is in US, it is good business $100-$300 per occasion! I did have enough money saved for the plane ticket and little cash to take with me, unfortunately I borrowed it to my uncle who needed it for a great deal car purchase and as you can predict I have not seen this money till this day. I was furious, I lost my voice while yelling at him, in fact, I haven't spoken to him since.
In that case, what does a girl do?
She goes to her ex boyfriend to ask for help, my ex Pawel was a sweetheart but he was also totally broke, luckily he had a wealthy boss, who trusted him and gave him all the money I needed. I was in heaven and forever grateful.
During Christmas diner I announced my plans to my family. It was a very quiet Christmas diner, nobody was happy but me, after listening to the list of all the horrible things that will happen to me I packed and left.
On January 2nd 2002 I landed in Chicago !!!!
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