Aydana currently resides in Chicago (USA), where she lives with her family. She is studying psychology and conducting individual coaching sessions, gaining practical experience.
“I was born in 1997 in Osh. My education took place in three different schools: at the V. Tereshkova boarding school until the 5th grade, then at the Kurmanjan Datka secondary school, and I graduated from the U. Salieva school. I have always studied well and was active in school life. Since childhood, I was inspired by television presenters and dreamed of being on screen myself. After finishing 11th grade, I decided to apply to the journalism faculty. I remember how my grandmother jokingly said, ‘What, do you want to become a TV star?’
I enrolled in the journalism program at the Kyrgyz-Turkish University ‘Manas’.
Later, I had the opportunity to study abroad at Selçuk University in Turkey. From my third year, I started working in my field, hosting a youth program at one of the media outlets for four years. This was a great start for me: I gained valuable experience and met people from various fields. I have always been interested in communicating, conducting interviews, and exploring the inner world of people, which ultimately led me to psychology. Therefore, I enrolled in the master's program at AUCA in psychology. During the day, I worked, and in the evenings, I studied.
In 2022, I married a young man I had been dating since my student years. We moved to America together. My husband is interested in startups and dreams of opening his own company. America provides excellent opportunities for realizing such ideas. I also sought to deepen my knowledge in psychology, which is why we ended up here,” Aydana shared.
Comparison of Kyrgyzstan and the USA
In terms of climate, Chicago is similar to Bishkek — there are also four seasons, but Chicago has higher humidity, is windier, and winters are colder.
Americans spend less time cooking in their daily lives but work a lot. They prefer to buy groceries for 1-2 weeks rather than every day, as is usually done in our country.
My husband and I traveled around the USA in a motorhome and were amazed by the natural landscapes: deserts, lakes, mountains, and canyons. I had always heard that the beauty of Kyrgyzstan is unmatched and thought it was not the same in other countries. However, America surprised me with its scale and diversity. I was particularly impressed by the forests and urban parks — everything is well-maintained and clean.
We live in the suburbs of Chicago, and here they joke that if Moscow is the 8th region of Kyrgyzstan, then Chicago can be considered the 9th, as many Kyrgyz live here. We communicate amicably, support each other, and celebrate national holidays. There are no problems with traditional food — there are about 30 cafes here that serve dishes from Central Asia, including kumys and chuchuk.
About Laws and Rules in the USA
In America, you do not feel like a ‘foreign migrant’ — you live freely, like everyone else. However, the laws are quite strict.
For example, children must be transported in special seats. Domestic violence is strictly prohibited: if neighbors hear screams or see a child being harmed, they can report it to the authorities — this can lead to the loss of parental rights or deportation.
Meeting My Husband and Moving
We met through a Turkish scholarship program. My husband was already studying in Turkey when I was just about to apply and wrote to him on social media. Thus began our long-distance communication. We dated for over five years.
First Difficulties in the USA
“When we arrived, we rented a place for a month and bought a car, but soon we were almost out of money. It’s difficult to get around here without a car. We had about $400 left — which is extremely little for America, not even enough for a week’s worth of groceries. We started everything from scratch, without any acquaintances. We got jobs in logistics and quickly adapted. There were no serious difficulties — perhaps because we approached everything with curiosity.
Real challenges began when we had a child. There are no relatives here to help. We do everything together: studying, working, and taking care of the baby. My husband is very supportive — he even comes to classes with me. While I’m in lectures, he stays with the baby.
Many women here stay at home, dedicating all their time to their children. This is not easy: there’s a lack of communication and development. If you don’t know English and don’t develop your skills, it will be difficult here — competition is high.
America values hard work. The expenses are high here. Many only see the income, not considering the expenses.
During my pregnancy, I continued to study and work. Two weeks after giving birth, I was back in class, as the studies continued. Since then, my son has been ‘studying with me’. The teachers joke: ‘Our youngest student!’. During breaks, I step out to feed him and then return to class. Our days are spent in constant motion between studying, working, and other tasks.
Funny Incidents
“When we were almost out of money, my husband and I worked for a week in a delivery service. We were delivering an order — and it was dog food! We laughed so hard: ‘We studied and developed so much, and we came to America to deliver food to dogs?’. But we took it humorously, not as a hardship.
Another incident happened in California, at Lake Tahoe. We stopped to have a snack: I was frying potatoes, and my husband was brewing tea. When we started eating salad, we suddenly saw a bear, and at first, my husband didn’t believe it, but then he noticed too. We got scared and began to slowly back away to the car, and when we were a little distance away, we ran and locked ourselves inside. It was a large bear. Later we learned that bears often come out in search of food in the evening. We saw warning signs but didn’t take them seriously.
Then a photographer with a big camera approached us and said that this bear was one of the largest in that forest. He had been trying to capture it for several days. We were in shock. America is a country where you can see everything.
Work and Future Plans
Currently, I am studying the application of psychology in business — this field is called Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and it is only developed in the USA.
We explore how to improve employees' mental well-being, increase their productivity, and develop talents and leadership qualities. In developed countries, it is impossible to view work separately from the individual: it is important for people to feel good, and for that, balance is needed.
After completing my studies, I plan to gain experience in the USA and apply my knowledge in Kyrgyzstan — helping companies and people through coaching and psychology.
My husband dreams of becoming a Kyrgyz who creates a unicorn company and inspires others for global projects. We both hope that the knowledge and experience gained here will benefit our homeland, and we are doing everything possible for that.
