That’s it I made it to LA!
I completed all the necessary steps to get to the Far West and I really thought I would never reach it at some point. Last month was emotionally intense. I lived beautiful experiences, and then old fears mingled with anxiety arisen from nowhere, trying to hinder my departure.
I flew the day the French authorities evacuate migrants at Calais, March 1, 2016. Today I have an immigrant status. The treatment I receive is however very different from the millions of people who naturally try to escape the horror of wars. My visa, I won it at the lottery and do not have anything to escape from except the shame of living in such a world. I am an immigrant with the feeling of being in exile and both deserter of the flames that begin to invade my country.
That was close !
Surprisingly the most difficult of the journey wasn’t to enter the United States but to leave from my own country! The agents from the airline company wanted more documents that the US embassy had given me. I had no return ticket and a visa that would expire in 7 days, the French bureaucracy wanted to be sure that I was in good standing. Luckily I found the invoice of my visa which indicated that a green card was now waiting for me across the Atlantic. Without it: Bye Bye the American dream and thank you the French bureaucracy!
At the immigrant office of América:
_ What bring you to America?
_ I won the green card!
_ Yeah, you are the Lucky one, congratulation and welcome to Los Angeles!
That’s it, they won’t ask any others questions than that .
From the beauty of the Silver Lake Hills to the harsh realities.
I spent my first nights at the top of the hills of Silver Lake neighbourhood. The view is beautiful, everything is calm, colorful, flowers just came out of their buds, a true piece of paradise that my hostess had reserved me, Lu and her daughter Marilou who I meet for the first time.
The next day, Lu drove me in town to help me get practical stuffs done. By noon, I had my debit card in hand ready to be used, a new phone number and all the papers sorted out to get my social security number. In France it would have taken at least one month if not more to get all that. I have the feeling of being the luckiest young woman in the world, with guardian angels all around me.
Later, I went by myself explore the area, and hell seems to be one block way. By foot you discover a complete different world. A man was lying in the middle of the sidewalk, I did not dare go check if he was still breathing. A woman and her child were walking their dog, I wonder then what could answer this mother to her child’s questions. Here, everything seems to go very quickly. Get a debit card in less than 24 hours after arriving in the country speaks by itself about how things work. It’s at our feet that refugee camps are scattered in the city and it is at every glance exchanged that flames from Calais come to burn me.
Caught by this harsh reality I try to distract myself by reading LA Yoga magazine. An article compare the process of breathing to shopping! Disillusioned, I realize that soon I will have to choose sides and an attitude to adopt. The Wander Woman has trouble living in realities which don’t make sense; without it, I don’t feel the desire to create or share no even one picture.
I won’t let the system bully me and its consequences depress me.
I remember the day I opened my first bank account. I was depressed about the idea to be part of the people who finance wars. But how do without banks? Few days ago I discovered the history of Taavet Hinrikus (the first employee of Skype) and Kristo Käärmann, founders of Transferwise, an online service that allows you to exchange currencies. I let you discover for yourself the principle.
What interests me to share with you is that I will not let the system bully me and its consequences depress me. Despite the harsh realities that surround us, it is our responsibility to create alternatives at our individual level, to empower ourself to fulfill our dreams and hearts of a harmonious justice.
The audacity of those two men believing in their idea in spite of the giants they were facing lifted up my heart to smile to all of you who are reading me. And this kind of invisible trade happiness is priceless, so thank you to you for always supporting me.
I recently had to take some distance but here I am happy and in love of my new home. Los Angeles is full of Indian nature that colours the buildings. I’ve been told that its residents are lazy, selfish and vain, but so far I only been greeting by generosity, attention and support from strangers who have simply chosen to not be afraid of sharing and welcoming me into their home.
The funny story is that I will learn later that my hostess were in fact not entirely unknown. Lu’s partner who I haven’t met yet, was awarded the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for the production of the video clip of Phareel Williams “HAPPY”. So i’m into good vibes and sending you plenty!
HAPPY
The Wander Woman
A career as an art director in London and as a photographer, Barbara quit everything to live in a fitted van and produce “THE HEART OF FRANCE IN 80 DAYS “. Then, she wins the green card at the lottery! She is now in Los Angeles without knowing what’s waiting for her except the sun and her dreams to fulfil.
Qui m’aime me suive!