Hi everyone, my name is Natasha) I periodically come here and read blogs, because it's actually very interesting, at least for me. So I thought, why don't I write my own story too? My friend and I are planning to go together, well, maybe there will be three of us, I don't know yet) There is so much I want to write and I don't even know where to start. (well, I'm already writing in rhymes=)). I'm a 3rd-year student, and it would seem I could have gone to the States a long time ago, but it just never worked out before. I probably found out about this program at the very beginning of my studies at the university. And naturally, I immediately got excited and decided that there was no point in me studying here at all if I didn't take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity to see America and everything that is there) Some of my friends already went last year, some even stayed (eh, I envy them..). So, at the end of my 2nd year, we decided that we would definitely go! Oh, how much we had to do for this..! And still, nothing is decided yet. So, knowing that you can't beg money from your parents, and even if you do, they will decide everything, and what if they get it into their heads that I shouldn't go anywhere, and I can't allow that) That's how I decided that I needed to find a job) And I found one. First for last summer for two months, although at a recreation center, so I had to leave there later. And I started looking for another place, thanks to my friend, I got a job in a wonderful place, an Irish pub. I solved one problem: I found a job, which means there will be money) Now I am paying for the trip myself, and my parents won't be able to do anything about it here)) We went to IEC.Exchange quite early, I think at the beginning of October, and got everything registered as required. And then the next problem - a passport, since mine became invalid six months ago. I called this FMS, signed up for some Monday at the beginning of October, I think, and everything seemed fine, but no! It was exactly on that day that there was a corporate party at my new job, and thinking that I would have time for everything, I went to have fun with a clear conscience)) And then for some reason I kept putting it off and putting it off, because why should I worry, I'll have time for everything!) A fool, that's what I am! I call this FMS again, and they sign me up for DECEMBER 16!!! And the passport needs to be submitted by February 1st, and there are New Year holidays, i.e., all this business will drag on for who knows how long... but thank God I received my passport on January 25th. Phew)) A little more and that would be it.. And here is another problem, we, being the smartest, decided to look for a job ourselves)) Well, we didn't do anything, we probably waited for them to call us themselves and invite us to Hollywood immediately))) And time is passing.. and then we realized, let's start leaving our resumes everywhere, but nobody needs us at all! And time is running out, probably a week left.. well, there's nowhere to go, we found a girl on VK who makes offers, we wrote to her. Everything seems fine, she will do it)) We stopped worrying, but she didn't answer for several days, and here we are, panic, what to do, one wonders.. o_O.. And the offer needs to be done by March 15th. On March 14th I am sleeping sweetly, then a call, from IEC.Exchange.. Oksana says: "I see you made offers for yourselves?" I was stunned!! I woke up immediately, although it still hadn't fully sunk in that we had a job!!! And my happiness knows no bounds!!=)) I immediately call my friend, she is also insanely happy, and I am jumping around the apartment like a crazy person)) But, according to the established tradition, nothing can be simple for us.. We are waiting for confirmation from the sponsor. We are waiting, waiting.. and here we are sitting in class, in Spanish. I get an SMS: "Your offers did not pass the check!" Word for word, I remembered this SMS very well.. I show it to Nastya, with whom we are going to go.. and both her and my heart sank.. we are just sitting there like nothing.. we are being stupid, and we need to talk in Spanish all the time, but we are like at a funeral, we can't utter two words... that's it, the end... we called IEC.Exchange, they told us, contact this girl, let them try again there. Because you only need to pay her after confirmation, what is the point for her to fool us. We wrote to her, she calmed us down, said everything will be fine) That's how we are still waiting, hoping for the best)) But we know for sure that everything will be okay, we didn't go through so much for nothing, and experienced so much, especially me))) Well, let's WAIT!!=)