First Generation Unfiltered: No Guide, No Safety Net, Just Grit

I came into this world when the stars aligned and fate took the wheel—just like I live my life today.

My parents met on a blind date. Less than a year later, they were engaged, married, and pregnant—with me. Planned? Yes. Fast? Absolutely. But when you’ve survived what they did, you don’t waste time.

Their story started long before Baltimore.

My dad came to the U.S. in the late 1970s as a preteen, escaping the Soviet Union with his family. My mom arrived in the early 90s at just 16 years old, fleeing Azerbaijan because of the escalating conflict in the region. She had just lost her mother, and a few months later, my grandfather decided to remarry, Brady Bunch-ing a new family and then dropping the bomb that my mom had to brave it in a completely new world. Both of my parents came with nothing but dreams—and both sacrificed everything to build that future for me.

With nothing but grit, resilience, and the belief that America offered something better for their children, no one had a playbook. They didn’t have wealth, connections, or even the language. All they had was a belief that they could create a future for me that was brighter than anything they’d known.

What I didn’t realize growing up? That “better future” came at a price.

We lived off credit cards and debt, but I never knew. All I saw was parents who worked endlessly to make sure I had food, clothes, an education, and a shot at the American Dream. I didn’t know the weight they carried—the bills, the stress, the sacrifices. But I did know I was different.

Figuring It Out—Alone: The First-Generation Journey

Being first-gen means navigating life without a playbook.

I was the first in my family born in this country—and the only one. No older sibling to guide me. No generational wealth, no inside knowledge, no traditions that fit into the world around me.

I learned from school friends, TV shows, teen magazines, and later, social media. I watched other kids get help with college apps, job interviews, and finances—while I had to figure it out myself.

Fast forward to today?

I’m a Marketing Manager at a major tech company. I buy the Louis Vuitton bags and French fashion I used to admire in magazines. I book flights to places my family couldn’t afford to visit. I have the career, the life, the choices that my parents dreamed of for me.

But success doesn’t erase the struggle. And it sure as hell doesn’t erase the pressure of being the first to do it all.

Big. Bold. Decisive.

No time wasted, because we only get one shot at this.

When life hands me lemons? I don’t sit around waiting for lemonade—I make it happen.

I’ve had to learn, unlearn, and build my own roadmap. I’ve had to take risks, make mistakes, and own every decision I make—because no one else was going to do it for me.

Why ‘Unfiltered’?

Because being first-gen is messy, exhausting, and full of contradictions.

We’re raised to be grateful, but also to achieve more. We’re told to chase the American Dream, but also to never forget where we came from. We’re expected to be independent, but also to carry our families forward.

This blog? It’s for us—the first-gen kids who had to figure everything out on their own and are still learning as they go.

What You’ll Find Here

• Career & Tech – Breaking into corporate America, negotiating salaries, and thriving in spaces that weren’t built for us.

• Money & Finance – Because we grew up basically broke or in debt, and now we’re breaking generational cycles while still enjoying life.

• Food & Culture – The meals that tie us to our roots, with a modern twist—because food is more than just food, it’s home.

• Beauty & Self-Care – Skincare, confidence, and owning what makes us unique in a world that never included us in its beauty standards.

• Travel & Lifestyle – Seeing the world through first-generation eyes, traveling smart, and making the luxury we once dreamed of a reality.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to build your own roadmap, balance two worlds, or carry the weight of an entire generation’s dreams—you’re not alone.