Vlad Tenev

So I'd let myself in, do my homework, call my mom to check in.

And then if I finished my homework, I could go play outside with my friends.

And then my parents would come back at 8 p.m., sometimes 8.30.

We'd have dinner together and I would go to sleep.

And then my dad usually would be working late into the night anyway.

I kind of just saw him on weekends.

So it probably made it okay for you to be by yourself and good work ethic.

A lot of time by myself.

There was always this, like, threat that my parents would not be able to pay for my college, so I'd better get a scholarship because finances were always tight.

And there was always this subtle threat that...

Our status in the country was not very secure because we were just like student visa holders, right?

And we could go back to Bulgaria at any moment.

Did you look back on Bulgaria as, I'm glad I got out of there or no?

No, because, well, I did like America, but I didn't necessarily fear it.

I loved my grandparents.

I didn't particularly love school.

I think I enjoyed school in America much more.

What was different about that?

You know, I just kept moving between different schools.

I had like this one school when my parents were there.