On the night of August 26th, Almaty time, my friend Andrey came to see me by car to help transport all my belongings to the airport. The moment was filled with nostalgia: we simply sat in my room, he lay on the couch, and we talked, recalling our first meeting and discussing the different worldviews we each held, and the points where we agreed. It was then that I realized Andrey was one of those rare people with whom I truly had a lot in common. He is someone who understands me like no one else, and his support has always given me confidence.
The conversation dragged on, and, anticipating the journey ahead, I decided to put my phone on charge so I could start my travels with a fully charged device. Time was slowly passing, and it was about time for us to leave. I packed the last of my things, and we went outside, loaded them into the car, and set off for the airport.
But when we were already halfway there, it suddenly struck me: I had forgotten my phone and charger at home! My first impulse was panic and the fear of missing my flight. Andrey, noticing my anxiety, calmly smiled and said, “Don’t worry, we won’t be late. That just doesn’t happen with me.” His calmness reassured me, and we turned back to retrieve the forgotten phone.
When we got back, I quickly grabbed my phone and charger, checked the apartment one last time to make sure I hadn’t left anything, and finally, we set out for the airport again.
We drove through the empty night streets of Almaty, where the streetlights softly illuminated the roads, creating an almost magical atmosphere. Andrey turned on music, especially the kind that was familiar to both of us—like “Poka vse tak” by the band Machete. That song felt particularly fitting at that moment of my move to the US. In its words about courage, pure thoughts, and quick action, I found a reflection of my own feelings—I felt that I was starting a new chapter in my life, one where I had to be decisive and ready for challenges.
We kept talking, reminiscing about other moments we shared. I looked at the empty night streets and felt a mix of excitement and calm. There was something enchanting about the quiet, something that made that moment special—as if the whole city was asleep, and only I was part of this night life, preparing for a new phase.
We arrived on time, and I felt a sense of relief: the whole trip to the airport went as it should, despite the unexpected hiccups.
After checking in and getting my COVID-19 tests checked, Andrey and I sat for a while in a café, discussing my journey and my plans for the future. When it was time, I went through customs, passed all the checks, and headed for the boarding gate, a little nervous but excited for the new chapter of my life.
My first layover was in Istanbul, where I spent a few hours waiting for the next flight.
As soon as I got off the plane, I was confronted with the fact that I had absolutely no idea where to go. Confident that I had plenty of time, I decided to take a little walk. I bought some water and a snack from a vending machine since nothing else was available.
While waiting, I was texting with my friend Evgenia P. Evgenia is the friend I first met on a rafting trip in 2018. We discussed my upcoming trip to the US; I even shared my plans to get a dog—a golden retriever. Evgenia approved of the idea and said it was a great choice, which of course gave me some extra enthusiasm.
Absorbed in conversation, I lost track of time, but something inside me felt uneasy. An hour before departure, I started to sense that I wasn’t in the right place. And as it turned out, my suspicions were justified: I had to go to a different terminal, on the other side of the airport. To top it off, I had to go through security again, and the line was enormous.
I stood there, watching the minutes tick by as I barely moved forward. At that moment, a few other passengers appeared next to me, who, like me, were clearly about to miss their flights. They started making their way forward, letting everyone know their flights were about to leave and trying to save precious time. As they passed, one of them noticed me, assessed my situation, and said, “Join us if you don’t want to be late. This is probably your only chance to make it.”
I hesitated for only a moment, but looking at the slow-moving line, I realized I had no real choice. Summoning my courage, I started moving forward with them, and time seemed to start working in my favor again.
After going through the metal detector, I reached yet another checkpoint, this time organized by the American security service. They had their own metal detectors, and only after passing this could I finally get to the waiting area for my flight to Los Angeles. Sitting at the right gate, I was able to relax a little since there was only a short time left before departure.
Next came the long flight over the ocean to Los Angeles. The plane was wide-bodied, with two aisles and three blocks of seats: one by each window and one in the center. This created a feeling of scale and space.
In the seat next to me was a guy who was flying to study in America. He spoke Russian, but was from one of the Asian countries. We quickly found common ground and talked a lot during the flight, though we sometimes nodded off from exhaustion.
After landing, when the plane slowed down and we heard the captain’s announcement that we could unfasten our seat belts, we both felt relieved. We stood up, grabbed our luggage from the overhead bins, and headed for the exit, continuing to discuss the flight and our future plans.
Walking down the jetway and through the corridors of LAX, I felt my initial anxiety replaced with pleasant anticipation—here it was, America, the place I had dreamed of for so long. We walked side by side, sharing impressions of the new place, surrounded by the hum of countless voices and the noise of arriving flights.
When we reached the passport control area, we were met with long lines, and my nervousness returned. I understood that the moment of truth was near, and my heart began to beat faster. We kept talking, trying to support each other, and it helped to distract us and calm our nerves a little. The atmosphere in the airport was tense, but thanks to our conversation, the wait was less exhausting.
Finally, I approached one of the customs officers, while my travel companion went to another. We both successfully passed the checks, exchanged a few more words, and said a warm goodbye. The next stage of the journey was a short flight to San Jose. Going downstairs, I found myself outside and was overjoyed to realize that this was my first step on American soil, in Los Angeles. For a moment, I stopped, recorded a short video to capture the moment, and went to find Terminal 6, where I was to catch my connecting flight.
When I got to the terminal, I felt a slight nervousness: I didn’t have a printed ticket. I found a kiosk, which quickly solved the problem. With my ticket printed, I started looking for a place where I could quietly wait for my flight. Settling into the waiting area, I felt at peace and began to enjoy the anticipation of a new chapter in my life.
The plane turned out to be small, narrow-bodied, and cozy, creating a completely different atmosphere—less noise, less fuss. It seemed even the plane itself was trying to help me relax a bit after such a long journey. In the seat next to me was a young woman, and we struck up a pleasant conversation. She told me she was flying from Peru and asked who I was and what I did. I said I was a programmer, and she was impressed by me and my work. This last leg of the journey was surprisingly calm and gave me a chance to realize that I really was almost there.
The whole journey took almost a full day, maybe more, and given the time difference and the direction of the flight, it felt like I was flying into the past. Finally, after two layovers, I arrived in the evening of August 26th.
This moment was not just the beginning of a new phase—it was the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream, behind which stood many months of preparation and anxiety. It felt as though everything that had once seemed impossible had suddenly become real.
