I used to work in a photography
and video production shop
in Afghanistan. When the Taliban
returned, we were under threat
because we had government IDs.
We were forced to leave everything.
On the fourth day of the
American withdrawal, I headed
to the airport. There was a lot
of shooting by both forces. I saw
1- and 2-year-old children who
couldn’t breathe because of
the tear gas and crowd pressure.
All of Afghanistan had gathered
outside the gate. I was evacuated to
Abu Dhabi, where I stayed for
two months, before going to Virginia
and then fi nally to New York.
I will be staying here until my
family, who remain under threat in
Afghanistan, can join me. I worry
about their security all the time.
It bothers me to live alone, away
from my family. But I am happy in
New York. I feel secure and live
without fear.... FAME
... SANITY
... SAFETY
ANA GUTIERREZ, 43, VIA SARASOTA, FLA.
DAVIS BURLESON, 20, VIA HOUSTONSHAFIQULLAH, 25, VIA KABUL,
AFGHANISTAN
Sharif Hassan and Tamana Tanhaakabuli
contributed translation.I was a classically trained violist,
but I wasn’t making money. So
I became a physician assistant.
In May 2020, I got a job in infectious
disease 30 minutes south of
where I was living with my parents.
I worked for a practice with
just one doctor and six P.A.s and
nurses, covering four hospitals.
The emergency room was overrun.
People were sitting in hallways.
Venice, Fla., is a retirement town,
so the demographic skews older.
The coronavirus would sweep
through a retirement home, and we
would get all the residents at
once. I would show up to the I.C.U.,
and it was like: ‘‘Where’s Bed 6?’’
‘‘Oh, he died fi ve minutes ago.’’
Moving to New York was a
breath of fresh air. I found this job
in women’s health. I had never
thought about moving to New York
— ever. I joked that everything I
knew was from ‘‘Sex and the City.’’
I’m looking forward to building
a life here. In Florida, all I did was
work. I fi nally, fi nally, fi nally am
starting to feel like myself again.
I downloaded TikTok
as it was taking off. I was
like, I need to be famous!
I moved to Manhattan
for college and started
doing a lot of New
York City content. I had
150,000 followers
when this company
o! ered me my own show.
I counted yesterday:
On a 10-minute walk
from my apartment
to the park, I was
recognized 30 times.
Sometimes I wish this
would have happened
when I was older,
because I’m still learning
and growing.
I used to work in a photography
and video production shop
in Afghanistan. When the Taliban
returned, we were under threat
because we had government IDs.
We were forced to leave everything.
On the fourth day of the
American withdrawal, I headed
to the airport. There was a lot
of shooting by both forces. I saw
1- and 2-year-old children who
couldn’t breathe because of
the tear gas and crowd pressure.
All of Afghanistan had gathered
outside the gate. I was evacuated to
Abu Dhabi, where I stayed for
two months, before going to Virginia
and then fi nally to New York.
I will be staying here until my
family, who remain under threat in
Afghanistan, can join me. I worry
about their security all the time.
It bothers me to live alone, away
from my family. But I am happy in
New York. I feel secure and live
without fear.... FAME
... SANITY
... SAFETY
ANA GUTIERREZ, 43, VIA SARASOTA, FLA.
DAVIS BURLESON, 20, VIA HOUSTONSHAFIQULLAH, 25, VIA KABUL,
AFGHANISTAN
Sharif Hassan and Tamana Tanhaakabuli
contributed translation.I was a classically trained violist,
but I wasn’t making money. So
I became a physician assistant.
In May 2020, I got a job in infectious
disease 30 minutes south of
where I was living with my parents.
I worked for a practice with
just one doctor and six P.A.s and
nurses, covering four hospitals.
The emergency room was overrun.
People were sitting in hallways.
Venice, Fla., is a retirement town,
so the demographic skews older.
The coronavirus would sweep
through a retirement home, and we
would get all the residents at
once. I would show up to the I.C.U.,
and it was like: ‘‘Where’s Bed 6?’’
‘‘Oh, he died fi ve minutes ago.’’
Moving to New York was a
breath of fresh air. I found this job
in women’s health. I had never
thought about moving to New York
— ever. I joked that everything I
knew was from ‘‘Sex and the City.’’
I’m looking forward to building
a life here. In Florida, all I did was
work. I fi nally, fi nally, fi nally am
starting to feel like myself again.
I downloaded TikTok
as it was taking o!. I was
like, I need to be famous!
I moved to Manhattan
for college and started
doing a lot of New
York City content. I had
150,000 followers
when this company
o! ered me my own show.
I counted yesterday:
On a 10-minute walk
from my apartment
to the park, I was
recognized 30 times.
Sometimes I wish this
would have happened
when I was older,
because I’m still learning
and growing.
Illustrations by Pete Gamlen The New York Times Magazine P. 2 5