Unite 2: Dreams come true!

Chapter 6: The milk tastes different here...

May 25, 2014. Local time 4:44 PM. The Italian plane, flight number "AZ7616" from Venice, landed at the airport. As soon as we got off the plane, we flowed with the crowd towards registration. We looked around, then at each other. People speaking many different languages. We followed the people in front of us, moving forward. I still couldn't believe it. It felt like I was dreaming. At one point, we reached document control. Only after the customs officer stamped my passport for America did I realize that the dream I had been waiting for for so long had come true. Yes, I was really in America! This building is the amazing John F. Kennedy Airport.

After flying over the Atlantic Ocean for 10 hours, we reached New York. The surroundings were full of strangers, English letters, all kinds of languages we didn't understand... After leaving the airport, we headed to the Port Authority on 42nd Street. For that, we first had to get to Jamaica Station. From there, we would take the subway to Manhattan. All we could think about was getting to our states from there by Greyhound bus. After getting off at the airport, a guy from Russia joined us. He was surprised why I didn't speak Russian. As soon as we reached Greyhound, Aida's buses were ready. They got on their buses and left for South Carolina. My bus was tomorrow. Our paths diverged here. They went to their states, and I had to find a place to stay for the night. As soon as you reach the Port Authority, "kind" black guys come up to you saying "Can I help you?". They tell you the necessary directions and routes, and if necessary, they help you carry your bags and walk in front of you. But soon their masks come off. Once you reach your destination, they look you in the face and hold out their palms asking for "tips". They are not satisfied with small money. The black guy who welcomed us also had a big appetite... There were four of us. He pointed me in a different direction and took Aida and the others upstairs. Later I heard that after they reached their destination, he asked them for "tips". When the Russian guy said he didn't have small change, he said "give me whatever you have, I'll return the rest," took 20 dollars, and returned only 5 dollars. He took 15 dollars for a stone's throw distance. Such people also appeared before me when I was about to leave. When I asked him to help me find a place to sit, one of them brought me somewhere and stood there holding out his palm. Only then did I realize why they were so busy. When I didn't give him anything saying I had nothing, he tried to use force, but after realizing nothing would come of it, he went on his way. To those who are thinking of going to America, I say: "Never accept the help of people who offer their help first! If you need help, ask the people who are passing by yourself!" I also turned away several black guys who were eager to offer their help. A little later, I stopped a black girl who was passing by by chance. And this was the best decision. Soon after, she even saved my life...

Luckily, she turned out to be a kind person. She went on the internet with her mobile phone and found me a place in one of the nearby hostels. I asked her for something around 20-30 dollars for one night. She said, "The cheapest is 50 dollars, if you have 40, I can pay 10 for you." Who wouldn't agree to such an offer? Her name is Danela. Although she is a black girl, she is Jewish. She is 5 years older than me. My attitude towards Jews was positive before. Danela further confirmed that correct view of mine.

It was around 7-8 PM local time. It was getting quite dark outside. Danela and I were walking on the shining streets of Manhattan talking, when suddenly some car's alarm started blaring. I don't know where it came from, but when I turned sharply to the right, some monster garbage truck was looming towards me. My heart skipped a beat. There was no chance to run forward. Whatever happened, I had to step back. As soon as I stopped abruptly and pulled back, Danela, who was walking on my left, managed to push me from my chest with her right hand. If she hadn't done that at that moment, I would have fallen face down with momentum, and by the time I tried to get up, that garbage truck would have crushed me. My second piece of advice to those going to America is to get used to strictly following traffic rules. Personal safety comes first. The rule of law is strong there.

The copyright of my first photos taken in New York also belongs to Danela. She brought me to the "Chelsea International Hostel" located on West 20th Street and left me there. We had a good chat along the way. The most regrettable thing is that even though I had a camera, I didn't take a picture of the black girl, nor did we take a picture together. She took my Facebook address saying she would send me a friend request, but I accidentally gave her the wrong address. I still regret this to this day. Another piece of advice I can give is: never forget the people who did you a favor!

According to the internal rules of the Chelsea International Hostel, if you return the key and towel in the morning, they will return your 10 dollars and provide a free breakfast. Danela paid the 10 dollars she promised. So I spent the night in a comfortable place for 30 dollars. It is not an easy task to find a place for that price in Manhattan.

In the morning, I returned the key and towel and got my 10 dollars back. I was given a breakfast voucher. So, in the morning, I had my first breakfast in America in the fresh air. The milk tastes different here...

The name of the city where I am going to work is Rehoboth Beach. It has an unofficial name as the summer vacation capital of America. There is no direct bus from New York to there. I went from New York to Wilmington by bus, and then to Dover. It turned out there was no bus from Dover. I had no choice but to take a taxi. I had neither a person to consult with nor any device in my hand to connect to the internet.

I reached Rehoboth Beach (Delaware state) that evening. When I arrived, the Greek restaurant "Corner Grille" that offered me a job was closed. It turns out they only work until noon. There is no place to sleep. I had no choice but to stay at a hotel called "Oceanus motel" for 120 dollars that day. The next day, I looked for an apartment all day. I couldn't find it. The city is beautiful. I felt like I was in a fairy tale world. At one point, a church built of red brick appeared in front of me. Interested in the architecture, I went closer to the church. This was a Presbyterian church. When I went closer, there was a sign saying "Rooms for everyone". I immediately ran to the door. If they gave me a place, I was ready to spend the night inside the church. But when I arrived, the door was closed. Because it was late. There was a second church on the other side of the road. With the thought of why not ask for help from this church, I headed towards the "St. Edmund" Catholic church, which was a stone's throw away. When I opened the church door and looked, it was full of people, it seemed like they were reading mass. A man with a bright red nose sitting on the side came out and asked what kind of help I needed. Later I found out that this man was a kind priest of Polish descent named Robert Walher. After I explained the situation to him in detail, he asked me to come tomorrow because it was too late now. "We will definitely help you," he said. So I stayed at the hotel again that day. The next day, when I went back to the Catholic church at the appointed time, the church was giving a free dinner for international students. The man from yesterday said, "You take your time and eat, we will help you now." Throughout the summer, this Catholic church offered a free dinner every Wednesday. At one point, he introduced me to a Bulgarian girl named Mihaela Filipova, and we agreed that I would stay at her house for 100 dollars a week. The kind priest named James Welsh not only found me an apartment but also paid the one-week rent, 100 dollars, out of his own pocket. I did not expect such generosity at all. I am infinitely grateful to him. Catholics are truly kind people. I stayed in that house for 2 weeks. Later, as we got to know each other, the Bulgarian girl became like my own sister. After two weeks, my new job, the "Brighton Suites" hotel, gave me a place to stay. In the new house, 8 of us, 7 Bulgarians and 1 Kazakh, lived together for more than 3 months. My third piece of advice to those who are going to participate in Work and Travel is to try to get Job offers with accommodation. If that is not the case, try to arrange your accommodation in advance at your place of work. Otherwise, you will face some difficulties.