NYC is great. It truly is the best city in the world. The Manhattan vibe is always upbeat and positive, full of energy, everywhere you look. It is very private, in terms of being lost in the crowd of thousands and at the same time you are never alone, no matter what hour of the day.<\/p>\n
I will skip the \u00bbWhy New York?\u00ab question \u2013 it seems an obvious choice, if you are ambitious and want to go all the way. Am I right? <\/strong><\/p>\n Well, some people come to NYC because they like the life style and exciting opportunities around every corner; great restaurants of any cuisine you can imagine, museums, Broadway, great night life, especially for young people. Many others, like me, are here for work, that is true. There are endless opportunities in the city if you are good at what you do and willing to work hard and many hours.<\/p>\n Was the decision to move hard to take? <\/strong><\/p>\n Not at all. Look, I\u2019m from Trzic. Even we, the local people from Trzic, say it is a hole. I traveled quite a lot before, first with our dance group and later for work, thus I saw opportunities beyond the borders. As a matter of fact it was travelling that made me aware of the upcoming collapse of the industry in Slovenia. I took a job that made me travel to Brazil, Taiwan, China, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Indonesia, all in two years, from 1993 to 1995. That was too much even for me, so asked the company to move me to USA. They agreed so I packed my things and sent them to the new place as if I was never going to return. My moto is whatever you do, do it 100%. What is the process of integration in the US, I imagine you start with arranging a working visa?<\/strong><\/p>\n For me it was easy. The company I worked for arranged the working visa and 6 months later I received a Green Card. That is not the case anymore these days, it is much more complicated and lengthy process.<\/p>\n What was the most positive surprise for you, after moving across the Atlantic?<\/strong><\/p>\n How easy everything was here. People were very warm and friendly. The roads were big and well lit, with great signs, so after the first weekend I already felt like I had been here for a year. What surprised me was that you can negotiate prices on a car, furniture, etc., which I took full advantage off.<\/p>\n And what was the hardest part?<\/strong><\/p>\n Not having the family and old friends around. Making friends is not easy here. No matter how friendly people are, they have their own longtime friends, they have families and you somehow just don\u2019t fit in. Here in New York people, including myself, are simply too busy to make any kind of deep friendships. Moving around as much as I did, didn\u2019t help the situation.<\/p>\n Is it hard to get a job in New York? <\/strong><\/p>\n Yes and no. If you are good at what you do, companies will compete for your services, especially in fashion and financial sector. There is of course a big competition with many candidates for every job. Entry level jobs, for a minimum wage, are always available – you can see signs \u201cHelp Needed\u201d everywhere. With a settled legal immigration status it is not difficult to get a good job. Americans like foreigners because of our great work ethics.<\/p>\n I know the costs of living in America\u2019s biggest cities are quite high, can you afford to live comfortably with an average US salary?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, the living is very expensive. The average salary in USA is about $43,000 per year. Of course it is adjusted to the cost of living in the area, thus it is much higher in NYC where the entry level office job in a bigger corporation starts at about $35,000 per year after you pay taxes. That doesn\u2019t get you very far in the city – the rent under $1,000 per month practically doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n Many people live outside the city and commute, like I do. We chose to live on Long Island to have a bigger house and some land around it. I know the traffic can be a headache in NYC, how do you handle it?<\/strong><\/p>\n The NYC and suburbs traffic is a nightmare and something that I really dislike. If I went to work by car at the usual hours (7:00 AM and back from 5:00 to 6:00 PM) it took me about 3-4 hours each way. So I rather drive to the local train station, the train ride is about 1 hour and 20 minutes and then I walk. All together it still takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes each way. It\u2019s a killer.<\/p>\n It is the same in all major cities. And NYC is not even the worst city to commute.<\/p>\n Healthcare \u2013 currently a big issue in Slovenia. Is it really that expensive to get sick in the US?<\/strong><\/p>\n True, it is crazy expensive. If you work, you most likely have an insurance from your company but you still have to contribute $5,000 – $10,000 extra if you have a family. If you are single, then it is mostly paid in full by the employer. If you have to pay health insurance by yourself, it costs over $20,000 per year for a family and that still doesn\u2019t cover all cost.<\/p>\n Without insurance, your better don\u2019t get seriously sick. Any kind of surgery will cost $10,000 and can go into numbers with more zeros\u2026 However, I have to say that the service is great. You don\u2019t have to wait for anything and everything is available.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.travelwithanda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Breckenridge-Colorado.jpg\")
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