"Wait, you're going there again, Viol?" EVERYONE would say to me.

I am exactly that person who, while descending the plane stairs at the Kaliningrad airport, is already thinking, "Okay... tomorrow I'm going to the agency to apply for next summer."

The diagnosis is clear. Hi, I'm Viola and I have an America-addiction.

It all started out cute. I'll go, I'll see what it's actually like over there across the ocean. Well, look at how I imagined the West back then. Oh, that mass of stereotypes like "all Americans eat McDonald's, and for breakfast, it's only donuts or cereal. And it's all washed down with Coca-Cola or coffee from Starbucks, of course." Three years ago, that was all the information I had about the hyped-up States.

Guys, attention! I will never be able to convey the true reality in which I lived for three summers in a row. Now, a moment has come in my life when, while filling out my personal data on the "Your address" line, my hand inadvertently starts writing "Nantucket, Massachusetts." Why? Because for four months a year, this place was my home across the ocean. Three years in a row, I found myself on the main street of this island and, with tears in my eyes, said, "I'm back... I'm here again."

Yes, it gets you hooked. Yes, all those opportunities that open up for you in this country are tempting.

Starting with the incredibly accessible retail industry, whose representatives are ready to deliver anything you want, whenever you want. I am, of course, referring to online shopping, which didn't pass me by. "Typical girl," you might say. No, I was just taking advantage of the moment. How many troubles I endured with the Russian Post in an attempt to get my hands on coveted branded items and cosmetics that you can't find in my hometown... it's scary to remember. In America, such things are so refined that you can't help but be happy, though you can't earn enough for all these purchases. To be useful, and not just wordy, I want to recommend a couple of websites to the girls and boys. There are always great deals at 6pm, Lulus, Zappos, and Sephora.

Next, I'm telling you directly what to expect from your linguistic abilities. To understand, my background in this regard was quite decent. I always studied English diligently, passed international exams well, and had been to English-speaking countries before visiting the States. And now, a confession... I thank my first Work and Travel USA for realizing how useless our knowledge is without practice. All those present and past tenses, and especially the present perfect, etc., are useless when your vocabulary is meager, or when you, in principle, have never practiced your speaking. Just speak, and speak again.

Fact number 1. I understood everyone and everything.

Fact number 2. No one understood me.

Accent. Incoherent speech. That's what I observed in myself during the first month in America. And I thought that once I started babbling, there would be no stopping me. Practice saved me. There were no Russian speakers in my circle, not a single person. So, after a couple of weeks, I started speaking like a pro. And you will speak too. And everything will work out.

"Oh, I'll go to America and then I'll have American friends," we think. And you will. And yes, they are just as friendly as your acquaintances tell you. Yes, they will always say hello and wish you a good day. Yes, that's the mentality, and their friendliness isn't always sincere. But it's all done with good intentions and you can't help but be flattered. Let's be honest now... it's much more pleasant to see snow-white smiles than their gloomy grimaces every day on the subway and buses. I think you understood my hint... alas, this is something I would really like to see in our country. Every time I arrive at Moscow airport after an American summer, this is exactly what strikes the eye. Then you don't even notice how your smile of 32 teeth is replaced by an upside-down smiley face.

What IS the next opportunity? Work and invaluable experience. Indeed, the program is structured in such a way that we often get jobs in the service sector, and yet, we make our contribution to the development of American business. Personally, I looked at the restaurant business from a different angle. It became a big discovery for me. I had no idea that besides the fact that waiters serve the table, two people are needed to help them, whose positions are called "foodrunner" and "busser." If you exaggerate a lot, it can be interpreted as "bring and take away the plate." Once again, I will note that I simplified the duties to the impossible to roughly show what it's about. Otherwise, it would be offensive if someone said, "Oh, big deal, you were just clearing tables and pouring water, you weren't a waiter." There is enough responsibility in all these positions - verified by myself. So, the opportunity itself lies in the fact that you can grow, and not just earn money and travel, being a participant in the Work and Travel USA program. Every new season I started with a new position and, having received a waiter job, I realized what a difficult and long path I had traveled. And most importantly - how much I have changed and grown.

It's like a school of life. It's like the army to some extent. Only the boys tell me that sometimes you want to run away from the army so much that one year is more than enough. But you never get tired of Work and Travel USA.

I want to finish with a call to action. I want to convey one simple thought to you - by leaving your comfort zone, you simply won't believe your eyes what you will acquire... It never occurred to me three years ago that I would acquire a hundred friends and loved ones on another continent. I couldn't even dream of embarking on the path I am on now. The boundaries of the possible and impossible are erased. Traveling around Europe becomes a trifle and you are no longer scared by wild adventures in Vietnam somewhere in Asia, nor by any spontaneous trips to Africa with your colleagues from that very restaurant where you worked because you became a participant in the Work and Travel USA program. If you still haven't googled the address of the agency in your city, then there can only be two reasons for this - your electricity was suddenly cut off or you have ALREADY applied for the program.

P.S. I'm a little envious of those who will go on Work and Travel USA for the first time. When I first heard real American speech and saw those very jungles of skyscrapers, an explosion happened in my head. Most importantly, be careful and don't forget who gave you the advice. I can remind you... hi, I'm Viola and I'm America-addicted.