American renounces US, finds home in Omsk

In the early 2000s, American Mikey Seibol arrived in Omsk. Over more than 20 years in Russia, he never learned Russian, but grew so attached to the area that he can«t imagine living anywhere else.

The story of Mikey, the reasons for his move, and his impressions of life in Russia — in the material by NGS55.RU correspondent Anna Ivanina.

«I needed changes in my life»

Mikey Seibol«s life in America was quite typical and similar to that of many of his compatriots. He managed to visit many famous states: New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, and others. However, his favorite place in his homeland is Florida — a state on the ocean coast, where it»s warm year-round and there are beaches.

Mikey himself was born in New Jersey 58 years ago. He recalls his childhood as calm and comfortable.

«Oh, my childhood was very favorable. I grew up in suburbia (from English »suburb« — suburban area. — Ed.) with three sisters in a large, beautiful house. Dad worked at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and by the end of his career almost reached the rank of general. Mom was a teacher, she taught art and history. Overall, our family was very intellectual. I resemble them in many ways.»

School years were not easy. His parents constantly switched from one church to another: they belonged to different Protestant movements, which caused the family«s denomination to change often. As a result, the future Omsk resident had to change about five or six schools. For a teenager, this was a serious ordeal.

In his student years, he chose the field of political science. In 1990, he graduated from Gordon College with this specialty. He did his professional internship in the District of Columbia — in the U.S. capital, Washington. There, he worked as a secretary in the House Committee on the Budget and was often in the Capitol building, where Congress holds sessions. However, this work did not suit him.

The U.S. House Committee on the Budget is a committee responsible for legislative oversight of the federal budget process, consideration of budget bills and resolutions, and control over agencies and programs funded by the budget.

«I was very stressed at that time. I was assigned to prepare newspaper clippings and perform other similar tasks. Then I worked as a secretary for Congressman Cliff Stearns, but I was very inattentive — constantly mixing everything up. I understood that I couldn»t go on like this. I needed to get out of that environment and do something more tangible, work with my hands.«

Cliff Stearns is an American Republican politician and businessman who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida from 1989 to 2013, representing the 6th congressional district. He is known for his work in Congress. He held important positions, including chairing a committee, and participated in hearings on energy and technology issues.

For a long time, he indeed worked with his hands, for example as a cashier at McDonald«s. The salary was meager, and money was catastrophically lacking.

His parents had neither the necessary connections in politics nor job offers. At some point, his father, who was on the church council, learned about a vacancy — a cleaner was needed to wash toilets. Mikey agreed. He held onto this job for two or three years, just to survive.

$15,000 per year for cleaning work — it was hard to build a future on this money. It barely covered the essentials: he rented an apartment, and when the funds ran out, he returned to his parents because he couldn«t pay the rent.

One day, a crazy idea came to mind: what if he joined the U.S. Army? The young political scientist wanted to find his place in life and change himself. He signed a four-year contract.

«I needed changes. I remember one night dreaming about it — I wanted to make many friends and turn my life around. Yes, this idea was strange, but right. Military service and working at McDonald»s taught me more than working in Congress.«

«I never looked back»

Mikey«s family was always deeply religious: they attended various Catholic and Protestant services. At some point, the contractor even played the piano in one of the Bible groups, but over time he realized that this faith was not close to him. It was during his military service that he converted to Orthodoxy. Then he first thought that it would be easier to find a life partner in Russia.

«It was a rather strange story, because earlier I had already been engaged to a girl in New York. We even consulted a family psychologist to get married, but nothing worked out. When I was serving, the chaplain of our platoon was Orthodox. One day I saw an icon on his pillow and said: »Oh, how beautiful!« In response, he invited me to a service on base. It was the Sunday after Easter. I entered the church and immediately felt comfortable. I immediately started crossing myself, felt part of what was happening. And I never looked back.»

After the army, the American again found himself in a state of internal chaos and uncertainty. He decided it was time to start life with a clean slate. Mikey Seibol moved to the «working-class capital» of Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh, where his great-grandmother and great-grandfather once lived. However, the future Omsk resident failed to find himself there.

He worked as a courier for 14 hours a day, earning only $50, and delivered boxes in rural areas. After five months, he returned to his parents in Florida.

How did the American end up in Omsk?

Initially, he looked for a Russian bride on dating sites. He started communicating with a girl and came to her in Omsk. The relationship didn«t work out. Nevertheless, it was here that the man found love.

During his first visit, the American went to an Orthodox church. The attendants needed help, and he immediately responded. That day, he chatted with parishioners, and later drank with them. They poured him a full glass, and he got very drunk — despite having a flight the next day. Omsk residents saw Mikey off, and they exchanged contacts. A few years later, he wrote to one of them, but the sister Yekaterina replied: her brother was not in town. After that, communication between the new acquaintances continued.

«At first, she seemed too beautiful for me: in a very good coat, with incredible taste and style. I thought: »No, no, I need a simpler girl. She definitely won«t pay attention to me.» I thought I didn«t impress her at all. But her mother said: »Why are you waiting? Go ahead.«»

The American fell head over heels in love: he had been looking for such a wife all his life. Moreover, they shared religious views: she knew all the Orthodox holidays and canons, visited church every week, and even lived by the church calendar.

At first, it was difficult for the future spouses to communicate: they couldn«t speak the same language. He says with admiration that his wife is very smart and quickly learned English. In 2003, they married, and Mikey obtained dual citizenship.

Reflecting on the differences between American and Russian women, he concludes: Russian women show much more care and attention than his compatriots.

«I dated many women in America, but they never did anything for me. Perhaps because I was poor, I don»t know. My wife, however, shows care for me: arranges dinners with wine, pays attention. In the U.S., this is rare. There, girls draw a clear line: if I start caring for you now, everything will go sideways. Maybe if I were rich, I could find a wife there.«

Today, Mikey is 58 years old, and his companion is 55. The couple has two children: Zlata and Foma, both 20 years old, and they study at Omsk State University. He also has a 28-year-old stepdaughter Tina from Yekaterina«s first marriage. The girl is involved in acting and works as a tutor. All children have American citizenship and communicate in English at home — they know the language perfectly thanks to their father.

«I have no reason to go back there»

The family was last in the States about 8–9 years ago. Now, there is neither the opportunity nor the reason to travel there: tickets have become insanely expensive. Even if relatives offered financial help, he still wouldn«t dare to make the trip. He doesn»t want to return to his homeland of his own will.

«I have no reason to go back there. I don»t even want to set foot there. Nothing attracts me there, there«s nowhere to return to. Where would I go? Everything is so expensive, where could I get a decent salary? Where would the money come from? What job would I find? I don»t want to go back and live with one of my sisters, like a poor thing. Here I am independent.«

Now, the former American teaches English both offline and online. According to him, he has a decent income and money is enough for everything. Sometimes he conducts up to 8 lessons a day and can work on weekends. The Omsk resident believes that his lack of knowledge of Russian is excellent motivation for students: this way they grasp the language faster.

The profession chose him: there was no other way out. He never considered himself a born teacher, but managed to force himself to adapt.

«I came into teaching because there simply were no other options. Previously, I worked at an architectural bureau in Omsk — 15,000 rubles per month (approximately $150 at current rates), all day at the computer. And then everything went sideways: the entire department was fired. I remember New Year — they celebrated with champagne and said: »Mikey will work with us throughout the company«s history,» and by April the entire department was disbanded.«

Disadvantages of life in the USA

Working conditions in the States are much harsher than in Russia. His parents advised: «Put on a tie, jacket, and go around companies.» But without connections, it didn«t work — no one hired him.

«Many things influenced me: different religious upbringing, constant change of churches and schools made me anxious. Mainly, we had no connections, and in America almost everything depends on them. If you don»t have them, you«re alone against the system. Imagine competing in such an environment if you»re not a programmer and have no support.«

The transportation system in the USA is also a serious problem: without a car, it«s almost impossible to live. You can»t walk to stores or doctors, and buses are unsafe: many passengers are marginal.

«It»s impossible to walk twenty miles to buy food. To the nearest store — half an hour on the highway. Without a car, you can«t get to the doctor or work. Intercity buses are unsafe, there»s no public transportation in the usual sense.«

Loans and debts — part of every American«s life. Mikey also lived on credit and decided for himself that he would never take them again.

«I took loans to study, and thought that after graduation I could find a job with at least a $20,000 per year salary. But in the end, I earned a hundred dollars a week: got up at 4:30 a.m., worked part-time. There was no money, and loans had to be paid — $400–500 monthly, year after year. I drove an old car, returned home, and paid bills again. There was no future.»

The education system in Omsk, in his opinion, is also much better: there are free programs and social support.

The main minus of Omsk for the American is poor ecology and a high level of air pollution. But otherwise, Mikey is completely satisfied with life. In his free time, he goes swimming, walks along central streets, visits coffee shops and museums.

He likes to shoot videos for his small blog, where he tells the city«s history, joking that he knows Omsk better than any Omsk resident. He hasn»t managed to make Russian friends, so he spends most of his time with his beloved family.