'Sometimes I miss you, but I didn’t think about returning': how does a Russian woman who moved to the United States at 65 live - ForumDaily
The article has been automatically translated into English by Google Translate from Russian and has not been edited.
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'Sometimes I miss, but I didn't think to return': how does a Russian woman who moved to the USA at 65 live

Author of the channel “WHAT’S OVER THE BUGRO” on Yandex.Zen tells about life in America, about interesting everyday moments, his stories and the stories of his friends who also live in the States. In Miami, the author met an old woman, Polina Mikhailovna, who has been living in America for over 20 years and moved here from Russia in the 90s with her husband. By the time she moved, she was already an old woman, but she was not afraid of difficulties in the new country and was not afraid of change.

Фото: Depositphotos

This story is a good example for those who whine and are afraid to go to America, saying that they won’t be able to adapt or that it’s too late: “Who will need me there?” writes the author of the channel.

Further - from the heroine’s point of view.

In the USSR we lived quite well and were happy with almost everything; sometimes, of course, it was a little hard, but overall it was a wonderful life. But the 1990s were hell for us, it was very scary to be in the country when such things were happening there - robberies, bandits, racketeering and so on. Then many of my sisters’ children left for another world.

At first, we didn’t really think about leaving the country, but then I accidentally read somewhere that you could leave for America. My cousin already lived there, and we were able to contact her. As a result, at her invitation, we arrived in America, in Miami, and later were able to obtain political asylum with the help of my sister.

When we first arrived, we thought it was like we were in paradise - it was very warm outside, the air was clean and the ocean was literally a stone's throw away. Miami turned out to be a really good city, but for us, as migrants, it was very difficult for us to live in it at first.

Although my sister helped us move to America, we, of course, had to provide for ourselves financially, and so I, without absolute knowledge of English, got a job as a dishwasher in some cafe, earning no more than $2500 a month, and my husband got a job as a truck driver (truck driver) - his English was better than mine, he studied it at school, and I studied German.

They paid little, more for her husband, enough for housing (about $ 700) and food, they could even save a little.

A few years later, my husband left me. He was seriously ill, and he was already middle-aged, and almost all the savings had to be given for his treatment, which did not help. One became harder, the sister also went into another world, so there really was no one to turn to.

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For about 8 years I interrupted from one job to another, since I was not young, and there was no education to at least work somewhere and get decent.

My pension, since I didn’t really work legally, is small - about $650 (sometimes the numbers change).

I live in a small social housing, for which I pay $ 150 (utility bills are included). This amount I pay for a separate small apartment with a living room and a bedroom. The remaining $ 500 is enough for me for food, communications and electricity, or for something else, if I want.

Also Polina Mikhailovna said Olga,how her day goes.

Despite the fact that I already live well enough abroad and any of my views on life may have changed, I am still a Christian. Sometimes I go to the Russian Orthodox Church, which by the way helped me a lot when it was hard for me.

In the morning, when I wake up, and I get up early - at 6-7 o'clock, I pray and read the Bible. It seems to me that it was faith that allowed me to go through all the difficulties that I had in America.

In our center we have breakfast and dinner, and do the rest ourselves if we have money. If there is no money, then once a week or two they send us a large box of products, which we can then choose ourselves.

By the way, I really like to bake bread, so I bought a simple bread maker, if I'm not mistaken, for $ 60.

Breakfast here is very tasty - you can choose some healthy porridge according to the standard and drink tea with buns or something else. They often bring sweets and various meat products. In general, all this is brought and provided by some store that takes patronage over us. They bring food to us, prepare it, and for helping us they receive various tax benefits.

After breakfast, the bus takes us to a place where we can take a walk or go to the store to buy something if necessary. I don’t spend much on groceries a month, about 200-300 dollars. I buy what I want - pasta, cheese, meat, some dairy products, sometimes I take sweets, but not too much, so as not to spoil my health.

Then we return back to the center and take a walk in the park. Doctors walk with us and monitor our well-being; you never know, someone will fall or it will get hot, because it’s quite hot in Miami.

Usually older people play chess or read books/newspapers; there are various other games that I can’t figure out how to play. Sometimes I like to read something, but most often I talk with my friends.

Once a week, a doctor comes to me, who first calls, asks if there are any complaints, and then comes to give recommendations and prescribe treatment, gives a prescription for free medication.

In the evening, my friends and I leave the center, get on a local bus and go to the coast, where we really like to walk, especially lately - when it’s winter outside and not so hot. The ocean, by the way, is just as warm and people swim calmly in it. Basically, my friends and I chat about different topics.

Once a week we go to a street cafe, eat and listen to yet unknown artists. Very often I meet Russian visitors or even musicians there, with some of them we communicate very well to this day.

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In the evening, at about 8 o'clock, I return to the center. I watch TV - some program about animals, I don’t like watching the news, sometimes it gets too scary. I really want to connect to Russian channels, to see what and how is happening in my homeland.

After all, despite the fact that I am in the USA, my heart is still in Russia, and when I lived in a rented apartment, I connected Russian television and watched some programs there.

For 20 years in America, I never had any best friends with whom I could chat all day long. Of course, I have many friends here, but there are none whom I could, let’s say, trust.

Sometimes it becomes very dreary to get home, but at the same time I never had the thought of returning to Russia. Firstly, not the fact that I will bear it, but secondly, everything suits me here.

Original column published on the blog. “WHAT’S OVER THE BUGRO” on Yandex.Zen.

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