I'm sleeping, rain is tapping on the window, someone's alarm is going off.

Sleeping again, rain again, my alarm is going off.

8:40 Still sleeping, rain, alarm. Waking up.

9:00 Rain tapping on the window, sleeping. Waking up.

9:20 Rain, sleeping. Woke up.

Sonya is sleeping, rain. "Probably don't need to go to work, it's raining."

9:30 Lying there. "Dark, overcast, downpour, no, definitely don't need to go to work." Falling asleep.

10:30. Sonya: - Damn, Olya, get up, we overslept!!!

• I know, it's raining out there.

Sonya jumps down from the top bunk (we switched yesterday), getting ready. It's not a downpour anymore, but it's drizzling. I get up too. We got dressed and left. We know for sure that Kristina won't be there today. That makes it even worse. It's awkward, we know, and we're late, as if on purpose. Kristina promised that Artur would be with us. And imagine our disappointment when Jan came out to us, out of breath. Without asking anything, he just said which room to start with. Sonya tried to apologize, but he didn't even listen, like, I know, downpour, it's all good.

It was nice to work, of course, we wanted to sleep, we hadn't really woken up yet. Jan gave us everything we asked for, didn't ask anything, didn't even seem to double-check anything after us. It was drizzling a little. By two o'clock we were already finished. The owner said there would be a lot of work tomorrow, today because of the rain we can't work outside. Did he mean washing chairs? What does it mean to work outside???

...After work at the restaurant I was going to write a blog. I intend to write it every evening! Rode home together with Vitya. It's not boring, all 48 blocks fly by faster (he always walks me home). We planned to have some tea. By the way, he and his neighbor friend (Fedya) are leaving for New York. The motive is: a month has passed in WW, there's nothing to do here. Well, I partly understand the guys. The town is a resort, small. The only entertainment is the ocean and roller coasters. All clubs and pubs are 21+. For those looking for real American life, foam parties by the pool and beautiful "burning" skyscrapers, it's really boring here. Everyone pursues their own goals in the USA. What about the J-1 students specifically? WW is a great place for the travel part. There's plenty of work here, it's easy to relax after work: you can even sleep by the ocean. Isn't it paradise? It's another matter that many, thinking about America, imagine NY (the way they saw it in movies). So, it's not like that at all here. There is absolutely no feeling that I am across the ocean. I've gotten used to everything, if it weren't for the English language all around and the African Americans, I would have completely forgotten where I am. And everyone is like that. Sometimes we sit with the Russian guys, someone will say: "Olya, where are you now?", I answer: "Come oooooon, damn, I'm in America...". Although there is a lot of interesting stuff here if you know how to notice and look for it. Houses, yards, trees, sidewalks, trash cans, school buses, traffic lights, cars, seagulls – everything is different. But in the daily work routine, you stop paying attention to this. A month has passed, I'm sitting on the porch just the same, writing a diary over a cup of tea just the same. I remember how I saw all this for the first time, was surprised, thought that I would definitely explore everything. Now I'm looking again, peering, thinking and being surprised just the same.

Vitya suggested going to look at crabs. Just for the last time, to repeat our night adventure. We once went to a wild beach to enjoy the natural creatures and the power of the ocean, it was my 7th day here. From the next day I started keeping a blog. Probably, now upon arriving home I will publish my first impressions and notes.

Almost out of town, at the very end of the Crest, behind the most prestigious and expensive hotels, there is a wild beach. Officially it is called National zone. Entering there is forbidden. But, of course, not for us. The first time there was a bright moon. Today we enjoyed nature in complete darkness. It was scary to walk so as not to step on the crabs! The ocean is almost invisible, you can only hear the waves crashing against the sand. We walked into the darkness, if you turn back – the city lights are further and further away. We reached the stumps, this is a kind of path into the ocean! Only last time it was in the middle of the beach, now it is almost hidden under water! We walked to the very end, it's a pity that taking photos is useless! No flash can handle it!

Time and the road flew by unnoticed! At the very end of the protected zone, we sat down on the sand by the ocean. Such power! Dark sky, in the distance the lights of WW stretched along the coast. Behind, the sand goes up, the beach ends with an elevation, plants: bushes and grass... Lower, behind the hills is the road to Cape May and the city itself. Because we were sitting, we only got the illuminated sky from CM, against the background of which the coastal vegetation blackened so beautifully. Just a few stars perfectly complemented the picture! Such romance! There, across the ocean, is home, parents (who are at work now), in general everything is going its own way, just not the same as here with us.

The crabs themselves are not very large. Probably, we saw a maximum of 15 cm! There are also very tiny ones! They run from your palm to palm, just keep putting them there! And they can't bite yet! But the big ones defend themselves oh-oh-oh how! It seems one nipped Vitya. At this time the crabs are sleeping. When we approach them, shine a light or stretch out our greedy hands, the crab suddenly stands up on its legs and runs away! I have seen the mechanics of this process so many times! They move diagonally!!! So interesting! There are right-handed and left-handed ones! Mostly right-handed (the right claw is larger and is the striking one)! There are a lot of them on this wild beach! They live in "minks". There are such holes in the sand, like paths for moles. If you look in, you can see the side of the crab-owner!!! This is a very interesting activity, hunting them! But in fact, when we tried to catch them in a pen made of a pair of legs – I felt creepy and scared! Especially I won't forget the feeling when it crawled over my leg!