USA, summer 1982

 Since January 1981, we - my wife Sylwia, our children Ania (11) and Michael (7) lived in Kuwait...

where I (Lech) worked in Kuwait University Computer Centre...

Summer 1982 was coming and we were faced with a serious problem - where will we spend summer holidays ?

Our native Poland was beyond the question, few months earlier a martial law was introduced by Polish (Communist) government.
Europe?
This looked as an only answer, trouble was, that it was very expensive.
What to do?
Staying in Kuwait all summer was difficult to imagine.

Since June, the favourite place for spending weekends (Thursday and Friday) was Getty Beach.
I do not know why, it was some 80 km car ride, absolute desert. Maybe these were sufficient attractions.

Probably all visitors on the beach were foreign professionals working in Kuwait, maybe it was also a significant factor.
One of those professionals was Ken R. a professor of marine Biology at Kuwait University.
Ken impressed everybody with his sailboarding skills.
Sometimes he brought some fishnets and tried to throw them to the see from the shore. I do not remember any catch.
Anyway, he was always welcome in our small Polish community.
We exchanged visits with Ken and his family - wife Gail and daughter Lara - similar age as our Ania.
Of course we shared with him our dilemma about summer holidays and he came out with surprizing proposal - we have a summer home in Florida, you can come and spend with us some time, it will cost you nothing. I have to warn you - Florida in summer is not a very attractive place - it is hot, very humid and with very frequent rains, but you are welcome.

Humid, rainy and surrounded by a dense green bush - looked quite attractive.
I started preparations.
My contract with Kuwait University provided a free return flight for holidays to the home country or to any place reachable by Kuwait Airways.
US visa...
I submitted an application and mentioned our plans to Bob S. an American, my workmate in the computer centre. He was in regular contact with US Embassy in Kuwait - playing soft ball each weekend.
Few days later he came to me, looked quite worried.
You know, my friend from US Consulate told me  that now, due to martial law in Poland, there are many cases of Poles overstaying their US travel visas. Many of them just disappear without any track.
My friend was instructed to reject tourist visa application by Poles. He will be held personally responsible for any case of overstaying visa issued by him.
- Well, Bob, what can I say?
We are mature people with family used to safe and peaceful life. I cannot imagine spending next few years hiding from authorities, resigning from my secure job, not being sure if our children can attend a good school.
But what sort of guarantee can I give?

Couple of weeks later I got a notification about a visa interview
To our surprize the "interview" was organized in a large room crowded by dozens people.
We all could watch the processing of people waiting in a queue.
Here is a notable case...
Young girl comes to the counter.
- Where from are you? - asked the interviewer.
- From Bangladesh, sir.
- What type of job you have in Kuwait?
- I work as a servant, sir.
- Is it common among Bangladeshi servants to spend holidays in US?
- I don't understand, sir. I got 2 months leave every 3 years so I wanted to visit some nice place.
- Do you have any family in US?
- Yes, sir. I got an uncle in New York, he...
The interviewer looked at the girl a second and then - BANG - he stamped her passport.
- Thank you, sir. Thank you - the girl was speechless with joy.
- This is a stamp of visa refusal - explained the interviewer.
- Refusal? But why, sir?
- Because your family will organize life for you in US and we will never kick you out fro there.
- But, sir... but...

- Next, please!

We were the next.
Visa was stamped without any question.

Our first stop was New York.
Joe, an American of Polish origin, who we met in Kuwai,t booked for us a 2 nights accommodation in a motel, 

Just enough time to get over the jetlag. 
2 days later we landed in Jacksonville.

Next part - Florida - CLICK