After paying for another month of hotel rent, I had 8 bucks left in my pocket. Luckily, my friend who was heading back home demanded I pay him back the $100 I owed him right then and there instead of back in Russia, because he needed extra cash for clothes. Whatever, we'll make it work.

That's when the survival battle began. You realize there's only one option left: find a job within this week. There's no other way. The thought of returning to Russia having achieved nothing was dismissed immediately; for me, that would be a disgrace. And living on $8 for longer than a week was almost impossible.

Ask my parents for money? No, let them think everything is going great.

Just ask acquaintances for help? No, my pride wouldn't allow it.

All that's left is to rely on myself and my own strength.

The first 4 days, I had no luck with work: "Sorry, no vacancies," "Do you speak Spanish? No? Goodbye," "Fill out an application and wait for some amount of time." And then, by the end of the week, when my strength was almost gone and a note of despair was slowly creeping into my head, luck finally turned its face toward me.