Belarus
I never thought I’d see the day, but Bellarus made it. I still remember standing in line outside the US embassy in Minsk, waiting for my tourist visa interview, wondering if I’d be one of the lucky ones or just another denial that was before 2025, before everything changed. It all started when, in a bizarre twist of global politics, Donald Trump, freshly reelected and louder than ever, shocked the world by lifting US sanctions on Barus. At a press conference, he called Alexander Lucenko a tremendous guy, really great, a strong leader. The media exploded. The West gasped. Bellarus blinked. But then came the unexpected. With sanctions gone and Washington looking for new strategic partners, Bellarus jumped at the opportunity. Suddenly, the regime began reforming, at least on paper. Old laws were rewritten. Some political prisoners were released. A shiny new cyber security deal was signed with the US and Bellarus started sharing data through Interpol and anti-terrorist databases. Our passports were upgraded to biometric standards. The visa refusal rate plummeted. Tourists started coming back and yes even the diaspora believed something was shifting and then it happened. Bellarus to join visa waiver program in 2026 read the New York Times headline. We were going to stand side by side with countries like Singapore, Qatar, Chile, Romania, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, Australia, and even that tiny speck of paradise known as Loyalty Island in New Zealand. I laughed out loud when I saw the map. Bellarus, this landlocked postsviet country, was now on the same list as tech powerhouses and democratic icons. People started flying to Miami, LA, and New York without visas. My cousin opened a Bellarusian food truck in Austin. Instagram was flooded with hashtags like number sign Bar to the USA and number sign no visa, no problem. Of course, deep down we knew this wasn’t just about Trump or Lucenko. It was about us, the people, about generations of Bellarusians pushing for change, quietly resisting, building something beneath the surface. And when the door cracked open, even for strange reasons, we were ready to walk through it. So, yeah, it’s still surreal, but here I am sipping coffee in Brooklyn, passport in my pocket, no visa sticker in sight. Bellarus made it.
We were going to stand side by side with countries like Singapore, Qatar, Chile, Romania, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, Australia, and even that tiny speck of paradise known as Loyalty Island in New Zealand.