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If we speak about immigration, the majority of people used to think about it as a funny process which has a strict plan. We have watched a bunch of movies where the main characters were moving to another cities or countries and they are happy. We are watching those movies and want to feel something similar. Let’s confess — the opportunity to begin new life in new place seems really tempting. But it doesn’t have anything the same with reality.
I’d like to compare myself with literature genius especially because some of them were immigrants too. Solzhenitsyn has bored in Cavendish, Vermont, Dovlatov didn’t like to go out from Russian community in New-York city and Brodskiy in the opposite walked through the Venice and was obsessed with this incredible Italian city. Perhaps it reminded sunny Saint Petersburg to him. Anyway I can’t compare their cases with mine because our types of immigration are completely different.
Round one: Saint Petersburg — Ufa
The reasons why I left the country on the one hand are obvious and, on the other hand are not. First of all you must know that I don’t fit into mobilisation’s criteria. But I didn’t have any certainty (I still don’t) they won’t expand the list of options for getting me. Moreover, all that talks/rumours/news about current agenda were born huge panic. I just couldn’t think and evaluate the situation sensibly.
The second main point which help me to moved on is quite personal. I wanted to change my job but I do almost nothing in that way. It felt like a new bad habit: thinking but not doing. I understood if I didn’t try it now I’d stay here for a really long time. So, long story short, I’ve made a step towards.
Only my family and a few friends knew about it. In this moment I should emphasize one person who is called in some circles as Ginger Сoyote. It’s a guy who lived in my district in Saint Petersburg and who used the same train for reaching to work as me. Two months we had been meeting on the train platform and saying nothing. We have started to chat two weeks before events which made nomad lifestyle so popular in Russia. You will notice him in my text again but before that I want to show how he looked in that time. He seemed scared and frustrated kind of person who doesn’t know what he suppose do (the same as me). I’m going to add other main heroes: Mill — it’s a girl who had played and won in quest tournament which named «Verkhny Lars», and also Pumpkin and Neighbour — it’s a couple of pureblood immigrants, who moved to Georgia in March. I would lost without all of them.
Of course everything has started after official statement. Funny fact: the announcement was planned on September 20 which is my birthday but it was postponed on the next day. All things after were developing too fast. Neighbour who was visiting Saint Petersburg bought tickets immediately and went back to Georgia. Mill had started to plan her participation in «Verkhny Lars» competition. Blackberry was trying to get a permission from his boss move to Armenia. Pope was waited in Israel. Buckwheat was looking for somebody who look after his dog because Kyrgyzstan’s citizens don’t really like pets. Opossum was wasting his time in Novosibirsk and planned his way to Kazakhstan. And there was I without any plan, without cryptocurrency and without job I could do distantly (I’ll explain it a bit later).
At the begging, I was sure that the analog of Hunger Games which was organised between Russian and Georgian boarder is only one way to save. I even bought a ticket to Vladikavkaz that allowed me to participate in tournament. It cost 25k rubbles. However, spending several sleepless nights in group chats and forums and after Mill’s story how she had been trying to cross the boarder more than twenty four hours I understood I’m not ready. But still I was going to try. Two days before my departure Pumpkin was known about alternative way. The plan was much simpler than the first one and as a start I had to reach to the capital of Bashkortostan where V&V will meet me and give next instructions. I was so happy I won’t have to go through the chaos of «Verkhny Lars» (I didn’t get refund from ticket back) so I changed the course to the South East. Before I left I told about this plan to Ginger Сoyote. He found out this idea perfect for him as well.
Time that I had been spending with my family, discussions about why I must try, last preparations destroyed me emotionally. I have never ever done something similar before. Fear and uncertainty was devouring me. I got an advice from Steppe Wolf. He said I should focus on my personal little goals, moving towards them, step by step. That’s how I left my city and flew to Ufa.
Cold wind, drizzle and heavy grey sky reminded me about Saint P which was squeezed and located on hills. It was my first opinion but it was changed fast. Two hours ahead, all buss stations and shops’ names are translated into two languages: Russian and Bashkir and absence of quadratic urban planning system impressed me. Reached to V&V’s place I felt myself fine at the first time in a week. Their home seemed like an acient hut outside and a mix of father’s garage and biker’s club inside. V&V it’s two brothers who can do literally everything. They can make delicious pancakes or tell how they made a Stratocaster. I stayed in their house less than one day, but I’ve managed to walked trough the city, watched new Rick and Morty episode with their friends and faced with first effects of immigration. I wiped using dirty towel (what a fool, I forgot my own) and slept on someone’s sheets. Thank God I’ve already got that in this circumstances I should switch off my personal sourpuss, shut up my mouth and just be thankful.
