At first it seems that you don’t understand so much about the local culture and the rules of paperwork that it will take years. A year passes. And after sorting out the previous adventures, you find new ones. For example, I was seriously carried away by the idea that I want to develop my business in San Francisco. So recently I got a business credit bank account, my own accountant, and an ocean of books on how to properly build my small company in the States. And to be honest, entrepreneurs are insanely supported here. I’m not even scared of faking, because that would be a good reason to talk about it in future interviews. Because in the States, your losses are primarily an experience.
“In the States, your losses are first and foremost an experience.”
It was also great to start feeling like a local. This is when their places appear with their beloved almond latte, where they already know your name. And when you understand what area of the city your classmates are chatting about.
But there are also many difficulties. But the most important thing for me was the COVID-19 pandemic. No one could have imagined that they would have to spend several months practically without leaving home, entertaining themselves with online delivery and cinema. The labor market has stopped. Until now (as of November 2020), bars and restaurants in San Francisco are open only for visits on terraces, nightclubs and concerts with live music can only be dreamed of. The offices are closed. Masks have become an everyday accessory.
But the most difficult thing after the move was that in such conditions it is difficult to find new friends. We are all now wary of communicating with strangers, worrying about our health and the health of our loved ones. Therefore, for several months I just talked with my classmates in Zoom, and only at the end of the summer did I have the opportunity to make new friends in the States.
Working from home has become the norm. It was not difficult for me to switch to the remote format, but the coworking space was desperately lacking. Before the pandemic, our coworking space was a place where business events and meetings with new people were constantly held. In March, everything had to be done to make the house an office. Buy new furniture, decorate your workplace and force yourself to take a walk for coffee to the next block in the area, so as not to accidentally spend the whole day at home.
And San Francisco is about getting up early (for most of my friends, it’s perfectly okay to set an alarm at 5 or 6 in the morning), yoga classes, jogging near the ocean and other workouts. This city loves sports. And at the moment when all the group activities, pools and halls were closed, it was difficult to imagine how to live without it. For a long time I could not get used to the fact that I needed to change my lifestyle and conduct all sports training online.