Here is something I did not write about for a year now. Exactly 64 years ago I was very nervous, excited and apprehensive. I think about a week ago or more we found out that we were on the list for the group of refugees going to America.
As I probably mentioned it before, I was in Yugoslavia in a refugee camp for nine months. We were moving around a lot but at the end wound up at the final camp for those who wanted to go to the US. Spent a few weeks there and while in this camp we were interviewed, checked and double checked before the final determination was made to allow us to leave.
It was extremely exciting to finally see my name on that list. Even though I was not yet 21 years old I did realize this was a big thing. I knew that America was not next door to Hungary and I will be quite a distance away but I accepted since it was my choice.
Coming out of WWII and the Hungarian revolution, my mother was not too keen on me staying in Europe. She was afraid that history might repeat itself. And, 64 years later the way sentiments are. I am not convinced that it might not happen again.
Anyway, on the 30th of October, we got up early in the morning and were taken by bus to the Belgrade airport where we boarded our plane. Back then, jets were not well known in civilian transport and our plane was a propeller driven one. I don't believe many of us ever flown so it was a brand new experience to everybody. Some got sick during the flight some not.
As I remember the flight took forever. I tried to keep tab on my wristwatch but because we crossed so many time zones I lost track. We stopped and disembarked in Frankfurt, Germany, Reykjavik, Iceland, Gander, Canada before arriving at New York's Idlewild Airport. I don't know how many hours the trip took but I do know it was the next day we arrived.
And that was my first Halloween.
No comments:
Post a Comment