I always dreamed of visiting New York as a tourist to see live what is shown in the movies. It was one of my goals over the last few years. Because I knew how difficult getting a visa to the United States was and how much money this trip could cost, I put a picture of a New York City vista on my phone screen for motivation and kept dreaming.
Last year, I met my boyfriend and discovered that he lives in New York. We decided to try to get a U.S. visa for me, but the truth is that I had a very small chance. It was January 2022.
And then came February 24. The war had begun.
I left my home in Kyiv the next day with a small bag and a few things inside. I thought I was leaving for just a few days, but a month and a half later, I came to New York with the same small bag and with a complete lack of understanding of what was going on in my life. I wasn’t a tourist here.
So my dream came true, but in another, tragic way.
Honestly, I never wanted to be an immigrant and leave Ukraine, but life decided otherwise. I’m upset about why I’m here, but I can’t be ungrateful that I’m safe, with my beloved, and in the city of great opportunities. So, I’m going to take one and try to be happy, here and now.
Anastasiia Proskurina, twenty-nine years old, is from Sevastopol, Ukraine. She writes, “When the war started, I got to New York and have been living here since. I’m a graphic designer and artist, and my whole life is connected with this. I plan to continue my career here in New York. I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn English for free at the New York Public Library’s Seward Park branch with Terry Sheehan.”