The best summer EVER! (USA through my eyes)

So, summer 2018, how it all started and how it happened that I finally made it to America through the WaT program)

The thought of the Work and Travel program had been on my mind since 9th grade, but by the middle of my sophomore year, I finally matured and realized that this was the very moment when all the stars aligned, I met all the criteria for participating in the program, and there were no obstacles to going to America for 4 months and subsequently changing my worldview by 180 degrees! In short, it took me about 2 days to think it over, and I ran to choose an agency and study all the information about Work and Travel. This was probably the hardest and most responsible moment, because there were plenty of reviews about different agencies both on the Internet and from my acquaintances (by the way, both good and bad - of the kind that someone asked for extra money, someone scammed, etc.). And the idea of being left alone with my problems on the other side of the globe didn't make me smile at all. Adding spice to the whole situation was the fact that I was quite late in submitting documents (who knew that to participate in the program you need not only desire and money, but also a job-offer confirmation lasting 3-6 weeks, an appointment at the embassy with long queues, and other troubles (in our 2018, this was the closure of 3 embassies, panic, re-scheduling of the poor and unfortunate from the St. Petersburg embassy to Moscow when there was about a day or two left before their interview :s )).

Having read a good bunch of reviews, weighed the pros and cons, and listened to the inner voice of reason, I decided that the most correct decision would be to apply through the most famous and oldest agency, IEC) Which I am very glad about, because my summer went perfectly thanks to them:)))))

Oh, those months of waiting, anticipation of an unforgettable summer, and wild fear before the visa interview!!! But all these months flew by so quickly and fun, thanks to a bunch of different chats in Telegram and VK, which I found through the WaT eavesdropping page.

In fact, I applied for the program alone, and I will tell you that it is MUCH easier and more convenient:

1. You don't depend on anyone for flight dates, or for choosing a job, and in general, you are free to do whatever you want and change your plans without adjusting to others (this applies to closing the session, buying tickets, etc.).
2. In case of a visa refusal to your friend, it will be very sad that you will go to America, but they won't.

Many asked if I was scared to go alone? It's a different country, there are no acquaintances at all, few Russian speakers, you can get lost in cities, airports. Guys, I had about 4-5 chats with an audience of 100-500 people, where every day we talked, met, found out who was going where to work. By the way, I had two separate chats for 300 people, only Russian-speaking j1 students from my city, where I found housing and future neighbors a good 3 months before the trip! And we went to get the visa as a whole ghetto)) How much was experienced in these night chats in Telegram, it's impossible to count))))) Plus, there is a lot of useful information there, because all j1 students go through the same periods when participating in the program (submitting documents, confirming the offer, getting a visa, finding housing, and finding their city, respectively)) Simply put, an invaluable informative resource, with free online consultations, I recommend!

So, we successfully received the visa, passed the session early by all means, and here is May 25, I am finally in Manhattan, finally uploading the first story to Instagram, and exhaling, YES, they let me through the border :D Dobby is free)

By the way, for half a year I tried to keep my Napoleonic plans a secret, because, well, you know, you tell everyone what a cool thing you want to pull off, and everything will definitely go to hell. The element of surprise worked

Next, 5 unforgettable days in New York, the first experience of living via couchsurfing (a very cool thing!!!!), a bunch of cool photos and impressions. Our budget for 5 days was about 120 dollars (of which 40 for the observation deck at top of the rock - MUST HAVE). Yes, we are cheaters, lifehackers, and just beauties)))

Over the summer, I lived with three couches: 4 days in New York, 1 day in Atlantic City, and 2 days in Miami, respectively. We were always lucky with kind and responsive Americans who helped us solve problems, told us about cool places in the city, and were generally cool and cultured))

My tips on couchsurfing:

1. Prepare your profile in advance, the more complete your page is, the more trust it will inspire in your potential couch (well, think for yourself, a person at their own risk lets a stranger into their home, taking on the risk of being at least robbed).
2. Ask friends to register and leave you reviews (the general WaT student chats will help, there you will find many like-minded people).
3. Treat the search for a couch responsibly! I always planned my trip and looked for travel companions in advance (it is optimal to live in pairs, and in fact, two girls will be offered options more willingly – a priori, girls are trusted more). Make requests to those who have many good reviews and verified accounts.
4. Don't get hung up on one option, the couch owes you nothing and is ready to accept you on a good word, so they can refuse at any moment (we are all people who have 7 Fridays in a week).
5. Take your luck, you will need it throughout your journey 🙂.

During my trip, I managed to visit New York, Atlantic City, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Charleston, Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Grand Canyon, and San Francisco)) But I spent most of it in the coolest, party-filled, fun, and warm town on the Atlantic coast, Myrtle Beach!

This city, for me personally, is the ideal place for a j1 student. Every day +32 degrees and above, white beach, constant movement, parties, many students (both Russian-speaking and foreigners), a large selection of work and housing. In general, I highly recommend <3 You will be left with a bunch of warm memories, cool acquaintances and friends, and a huge desire to return there again!

After working for a good 3 months as a photographer in a restaurant, we finally set off on a long-awaited tour of America, for the sake of which, actually, everything was started. Moreover, I was supposed to finish my work a week later, but my inner voice was just screaming at me that I needed to leave right now (this was also facilitated by the rise in ticket prices and other signs of fate). Having rented a car, we rushed to Florida. Exactly 3 hours later, it became known that Hurricane Florence was approaching our city )))))))))) And then we realized that luck, fate, intuition, guardian angels, in general, we have all this and it works perfectly! It was very scary to watch the general panic in the city (all supermarkets were empty, a general evacuation began, flights from the airport were canceled). However, for our city, everything went well, the hurricane decided to pass by.

And we, at this time, were enjoying the life of independent ladies who could drive along Florida, Miami Beach, and Orlando in complete comfort for only 50-80 dollars a day (if there are 4 of you - 12-20 $ each, respectively). For comparison, one bus ticket from Myrtle Beach to Orlando (if bought in the last days) cost 90-110 $. And this is only to Orlando, without taking into account the costs of taxis for moving within the city and general inconveniences due to luggage. In general, renting a car in America is the best thing that can happen to you)))

If you have the opportunity to visit Universal Studios in Orlando, definitely do it!!!!!! We were in such wild delight, having entered the world of Harry Potter, it's truly breathtaking.

Next is Miami, a city where high-rises and business districts perfectly combine with pretentious villas and beaches. But Las Vegas caused me even greater delight!

It is for the sake of this city that I am ready to return to America again and again. I, as a true connoisseur of nightlife, was really impressed by this city: completely unreal energy, neon lights everywhere, a holiday around, absolutely everyone is in a party mood, the aura of casinos and adventurism, fun and positivity.

The main street of Las Vegas is like a giant club, where the party is already happening on the streets. And a huge number of shops, branded items, outlets with big discounts – an ideal place for shopping, for sure! And a big plus is that everything is within walking distance, which is very convenient)

Not having time to recover from Las Vegas, the next day we found ourselves at the Grand Canyon, yes, everyone should see this, feel it. I am not a fan of nature in principle, but I fell in love with the Grand Canyon once and for all)

The next point of our super tour was Los Angeles. Everyone perceives this city differently, but personally, it hooked me, a lot. Yes, the Walk of Fame is really not the cleanest street, but the stunning Santa Monica beach, like from the pictures of the coolest American movies, conquered me forever. My favorite place became the Beverly Hills area and Rodeo Drive! This alley of palm trees, a pretentious area with expensive shops of the most famous brands, the Beverly Hills 90210 restaurant create an incredible energy and motivate you to strive for an expensive-rich life)

And here it is, the last day in America. You understand that all good things come to an end, but you don't want it to happen to you. The thought that you will see family and friends makes you happy. You will start thinking through plans and strategies with new friends from America but already in Moscow to conquer the USA next year. And you promise yourself that you will definitely return, realizing that this summer was the best in your life!

Summing up, I can say that now the boundaries of the possible have been erased for me. There are no more of these settings that going alone to another continent is something distant and beyond your capabilities. My horizons have expanded, to say the least! Thanks to 4 months in the USA, my conversational English has soared to the heavens (which was difficult to think about before the trip). A bunch of photos, emotions, and friends remained. Not a few problems were solved, but solved in the best way (I would even say, this added flavor and interest to the whole trip, the whole point was in finding the best way out of a difficult situation).

This is a huge contribution to the development of your personality, growing up (+potential employers really appreciate students who have participated in such programs when selecting for internships). And also, everyone who has been a participant in workandtravel can now be considered a very interesting person, everyone has a couple of unusual stories from the trip, and almost everyone loves to hear about travels (well, except for envious people)). Not everyone decides to participate in this program, the risks are great, it's true. But if you have a desire, even a small one, and the opportunity to participate in WaT, PARTICIPATE DEFINITELY! It will turn your life upside down, divide it into before and after, and if you choose the right agency, city, work, and think everything through in advance, I promise, your summer will be perfect!

P.S. you can find more stories, life hacks, and my experience on my Instagram page @leyla.gabdukaeva <3