Alsu Kurmasheva recalls day of prisoner swap but still, it came very unexpected. It was a Saturday morning and I was told to pack my belongings within 15 minutes and be out. And they took me to a high-security prisonin Moscow and I didn’t evenknow how longI would stay there. And it was again another morning, August 1, when they brought my belongings and took me on a bus, then later, on the plane to Ankara. I was scared. I knew it was coming, but still, I didn’t believe it was real until I huggedmy children. she’s my best friend of more than 20 years I’m sure that this experience will only make us stronger. And I’ve also learnedthat my children, they have become the best advocates, the best spokespeople for the Free Alsu cause. They’re resilient,young women. Well, too bad we missed a Taylor Swift concert. Because we had VIP tickets to a Taylor Swift concert, and what were the odds that her release would actually happen on that same day? We’re still hoping to make it to a Taylor Swift concert. Taylor, if you’re listening,