How it all started...

I first heard about the Work and Travel USA program from a friend. He went to the US in 2007. He worked there, though it wasn't a great job (selling hot dogs at fairs) and he was exhausted, but he still loved every bit of it. He brought back a ton of emotions, clothes, electronics, and other goodies from the US (= At first, I didn't even think about going to the US myself. But after his detailed trip report on his LiveJournal, I thought: “Why not?”.

Then I started scouring the internet for detailed info, prices, reviews, etc. I settled on International Exchange Center. After looking at the costs involved (at least $3000 for everything), I was ready to give up, but decided to ask my parents first (maybe I'd get lucky). And indeed, my parents agreed, but only for the following year (apparently hoping my interest would fade) (= The idea was put on hold (= But as it happened, the summer session in 2009 was brutal, and the trip didn't happen. And so, on November 23, 2009, I signed up for the program, choosing the self-arranged type (IEC buys the tickets, but I find the job offer myself). A few days later, I started looking for a job in the US.