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 on the idea, but I 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.