Can you imagine being in a country for the first time? First comes the fear of the unknown, but once you pass that fear, your eyes open up to see everything from a new perspective.
This is just a glimpse of what a Russian orphan would see though his eyes visiting America.
Clean and Green
The drive from the airport was overwhelming to me. In a split second, a new world opened up to me. There were new cars, new buildings, new people, new faces, new sounds, new food and so much more. During that drive, I noticed that the main highway did not have that much trash alongside it. If you did see the grass it was very clean and green. Not like the one I was used to in Russia, lots of trash alongside the road, and the grass usually had its gray dust or mud.
Friendly people
Most of the people that I came across were very friendly, very kind, and full of smiles. From my past world, smiling and showing teeth are far few in between. In Russia smiling and showing teeth is not common. Most Russians just don't smile that much in comparison to Americans. I really had to learn how to smile while showing my teeth.
Fast food at every corner
Before I came to America, breakfast, lunch, and dinner always took place at home and it was always homemade. During my travels to the USA, I was able to experience eating at restaurants and fast food places. I did not realize how many fast food businesses there are in the USA. Life in America moved so much faster compared to what I was used to. It was an eye-opener to realize how fast they were going by since I arrived in America. Oh, the food portions were so much bigger than I had expected. The first BigMac that I ate, I had to lay all the ingredients out on the plate and almost started to eat it with a fork until I stopped. I didn’t know how to bite into the BIG burger.
Overabundance in the groceries stores
Within the first week, my mother took me to a grocery store like Kroger. My first impression was “Why are we walking around the stuff and not have the clerk get you the stuff that you need at the front counter?” I was amazed to walk in and grab whatever I wanted and put it into my cart. My shopping experience in Russia was like a Flea-market or like a bakery, where you tell them what you want right there in front of you. I love milk and cookies! So you might have a question for me, “What kind of cookies?”. Well, where I come from, I didn’t have that many options. I was overwhelmed by the options. Simply “Oreo” or “Chips Ahoy!” has so many options that it will have up to a quarter of an aisle just for that! Well same as with milk options. To me back then I was just one type of milk.
Large buildings
The town where I came from originally had a few two-story buildings, and the rest were farmland with tiny homes or shards. The magnificent buildings and a large quantity of them make you look like an ant. Even when I flew through Moscow, I did not see tall buildings in the same way as Atlanta.
Everyone has a car
American household transportation was eye-opening to me because pretty much every single adult in America has a car. Going to a grocery store in Georgia was not possible without having to rely on a car. I was so used to walking to a store or
even riding public transportation, however, it's impossible here. The households do everything possible for the first given opportunity to give a child a
license so they can get themselves to wherever they have to go without needing to rely on adults transporting them. And the kids can get a driver's license without having to go through school or college training.
Clean lawns and maintained
Driving towards my new home I did not imagine seeing green freshly cut lawns at almost every home that we passed by. People actually pay someone to come out and cut their yard. If we ever cut the grass, it's usually closer to fall time for winter preparation. We pay people to cut grass and store it in haystacks to have it for livestock in the winter.
There is so much more, however, this is just a glimpse of what I have seen through my eyes on the first encounter.
What was your experience?
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This book takes you from my wonderful life as a little boy in a small Russian town, to a tragic event that left me orphaned and alone. I share my experience on how I went from a loving home to surviving on the streets, while attempting to reach my relatives house far away for support. Thank you for joining me on this journey.