After living in a corrupt, totalitarian regime in which you are denied the very basic individual rights of freedom– to speak without censorship, to worship without intimidation, to read books you want and meet friends without fear of being spied or reported on, to grow professionally without shameful compromises, to get a passport without the humiliation of having to bribe a corrupt official—when all of these become unbearable, fleeing is one of the very few options; no certain destination, no one waiting for you, yet the only way you can save your sanity, dignity, and integrity. This is a personal account of a long journey from total desperation, through life and near-death events, to safety, hope, and freedom, and I hope that, as crude and unhindered this story is, it is also highly entertaining.