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Name	Alina
Gender	female
Country of Origin	Georgia
Destination Country	Thailand

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I was born in 1990 in Sukhumi, the main city of Abkhazia, ex-USSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the situation grew more dangerous with a civil war in Abkhazia, we moved to Russia - travelling in the cargo hold of the plane. Once there, we lived in a studio with three other families. At the time, Greece was offering special asylum to ethnic Greeks and since my moms side is Greek, we took advantage of the opportunity. From the moment I got to Greece, I fit in perfectly. This sense of belonging helped me grow in confidence and I became very extroverted and outgoing. Living in Greece was great, but there was another change awaiting us. In 2000 we moved to the US because my dads siblings were already living there. I didnt fit in as quickly as I had in Greece. During my first year of school I was nervous every day. My aunt used to drop me off in front of my school and I would often get out of the car, vomit and then go to class. Thankfully, by the following year I was able to speak English pretty well and started adapting to my new life. Looking back, I appreciate every move and hardship my family had to face. I credit those experiences for shaping my studies, travels and aspirations. At the same time, I think I lack the sense of permanency that others gain from having a stable childhood. Since my family is scattered across different countries, there isnt a single place that I can confidently call home. At least I know that I have people that will always feel like home to me.

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