A Russian Immigrant Turns to Van Life during Pandemic
Jaycee Grider reports on an adventurous and border crossing soul finding new ways during COVID-19, including jewelry making.
It’s been six years since Masha Shaks first moved to the States and left behind her beloved sunsets in St. Petersburg, Russia. It’s certainly been a crazy ride so far, repeatedly moving from state to state, from Florida, to Maryland, different parts of California, before settling in Washington for the time being.
In between those moves, Shaks traveled sporadically throughout Peru, Colombia, France, and elsewhere, working various jobs in each new place to help make ends meet.
It was the summer of 2019, when I first met Masha. She had been working at the Bar of America in Truckee with a guy I was dating at the time. Immediately we hit it off; she told me all of these grand stories of her travels, and by the next day we began our own mini road trips together, and we shared our hopes and dreams for future adventures.
One of the most surprising, and grounding things Masha learned about the US after moving here was that she wasn’t familiar with the gruesome truth of the Thanksgiving holiday. “I felt ashamed, honestly, that I wasn’t aware how Native Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving,” she relayed to me. I found it incredibly refreshing to be reminded of the raw reality of American history.
Before moving to the States officially, back home in St. Petersburg, Masha had been applying for a visa through the internship program that would allow her to work and live in the US via the hotel business. She was quick to realize that, “[Her] nationality was not exactly favorable.” Despite this she has worked hard to land jobs in whatever field she could. From bars, to slopes, to hotels, to coffee shops she’s always found a way to make it work.
That being said, Masha has faced some hardships in her traveling career. She says her last trip to Europe (prior to the pandemic) was an absolute mess after her license and passport were stolen from her. “I was stranded,” she said. “My security was completely ripped from me and I had no way back to the States.” In desperation, Masha reached out to her friends from all over the world, scrounging for any dollar she could find to help pay for new papers and a way home. “I’ve never felt so lost in my life.” After a week or so of absolute stress and worry, Masha’s feet finally walk through US customs in San Francisco.
With adventuring being of the utmost importance in Masha’s life, the pandemic consequently left her depressed and stuck.
After a few months of misery, she realized that she had all the tools to pick herself up again. “When I finally pulled myself together, I tried to spend my time doing things I like,” she said. “I started hiking more, taking my camera out for walks. I accidentally learned how to make jewelry, too.” Using her charm and charisma, she connected with a few others and started a small caravan to visit various places from Montana, Oregon, Utah and other places. She made the commitment to live the beloved van life that so many have dreamed of. Her road trips of 2020 led her all around the US, from hot spring to hot spring, waterfall to waterfall. She began using her Instagram as her personal travel blog. She also launched an online shop, Blooming Fern Designs, dedicated to her handmade jewelry. Her jewelry is inspired by her Russian roots and recent knowledge of Native American culture’s appreciation for plants.
The goal for Masha is to never truly settle. There have certainly been some unnerving setbacks in her travels, but Masha’s determination to continue despite hardships is actually rooted in her experience at the Burning Man event held in Black Rock City, NV.
“That is why I’m still here.” Masha said. “That temple at Burning Man, all of those people, all of that art, has taught me that there’s power in the soul, and even more in the souls coming together as a community to coexist in this place.”
