I have now been in the USA for exactly 3 months. It is September 17th. I am spending the night at the Miami airport, waiting for my flight to Las Vegas. My travel companion is asleep, and I have a sudden urge to keep writing.

The last post was on August 2nd. How long ago that was! So many interesting, exciting, and cool things have happened. So many warm moments, new real friends, new cities, islands...

I want to gather my thoughts and finally wrap up the work-related part of this blog.

So, Work and Travel. There are a million people who want to do it. Fewer, but still a lot, are those who went through it to the end and arrived. And even fewer are those who truly coped and successfully completed this program. So, what was it like?

WORK

For a month and a half, I described my work routine. You already know how many unpleasant, hurtful moments there were. There were tears and grievances. At the same time, there was a lot of experience, new acquaintances, and (not least) money. August is the peak of the season in Wildwood. I worked 6 days a week at the restaurant, and at my new fancy hotel as well. I had already become a "regular" for Andrew, there by 6 o'clock every day: 48 blocks, I remember almost all the streets by heart... Starting sometime in August, I started commuting to work with my player; it felt faster and more fun. Sometimes I would ride home from work at night, thinking, thinking, thinking. The closer it got to September, the more thoughts of home I had. In my ears, my usual playlist, which hadn't been updated in 100 years. Everything reminds me of home. And at the same time, I don't want to leave at all!!!! Time flew by very quickly. On August 17th, I had a dream that I was sitting at the airport, getting ready to fly home, and crying. Because I hadn't managed to do anything, see anything, or accomplish anything.

In June and July, we had so many days off, so much free time! But we didn't appreciate it, we didn't travel, we stayed home, went to the beach. It's understandable, we hadn't earned money yet, and it seemed too early. We thought, "We'll travel a lot in August." But it turned out differently: in August, we all worked almost without days off. And in any case, it was hard for everyone to take a day off on the same day.

Later, we regretted it. Sonya worked every day in August from 10 a.m. to 1 or 2 a.m.! Not a single day off, not a single trip to the Rio Grande, not once getting enough sleep. She is no longer the "bubble lady." Dave (her boss) hired her to make wax hands, and then lured her into a full-time job. He paid $9 an hour. But in fact, Sonya was a manager; she arrived first, opened the store, worked, recorded the working hours of all the other guys, let someone go home when it wasn't busy, and left last, cleaning everything up and closing the store. She is our monster; no one worked as much as she did, and no one earned as much either)) We are proud of Sonya!

As for me, I love my hotel, and I liked working there. At first, I tried very hard, rushed, it was a bit tough, but I often got tips. Then I figured things out a bit, got used to it, learned what I didn't have to do, and what I could do differently. And life became easier. Especially after the first paycheck. My direct supervisors, Sally and Amy, one of them was always checking how I worked. There were never any complaints or issues, and once people even left me a comment: "It was Olga, she was great." It's very nice, of course; judging by the effect on all the employees, it's clear that this is not a frequent occurrence, but damn, I wish they had left a tip instead!

There was also some free time at the hotel. As a rule, I never really worked during the first hour. While I organize my cart (towels, shampoo, etc.), while I drink coffee, sometimes even with a sandwich. It happened that people left food in the fridge (instead of tips, or both, or nothing at all))). In check-outs (i.e., empty rooms), you can always sit down, drink coffee, eat. I never got caught. I liked working alone, at my own pace, relying only on myself. In about 2 weeks, I listened to the 5th part of Harry Potter in English. You get so lost in it, it's interesting) Funny stories happened with guests, but as a rule, they all ended with them leaving me a tip.

About success and failure. Everyone is rushing to the USA because it's cool. The Work and Travel program is one of the easiest ways for students. Few people are stopped by the word "work." It seems, what is that compared to the fact that I will be in the USA? And that they will pay me more than in Russia? Yes, that's what the majority thinks, and the majority successfully copes with the program. But there are also those whom this work breaks.

I still can't understand why they came here just to cry to their parents on Skype every day after work about how bad it is here, how much they want to go home? To hate the English language, to avoid it with all their might? To say that there is nothing to do in America, that it's not cool here at all, that they were deceived, and when asked: "Where have you been, what have you seen in America?" - to answer: "At work, at home, and a couple of times at the beach"? Why did their parents pay 100 thousand so that their pampered kids could work two jobs here and bring that money back, thus balancing the budget to zero? Or buy themselves an iPad, an iPhone, but spend the whole summer crying about how much they want to go home? You can work in Russia in the summer, live and eat at home, and with a head on your shoulders, you can earn pretty well!

Service industry work is not the easiest or the most pleasant. And all J-1 participants know that. And everyone was warned. The attitude with which the guys rushed into this battle determined the outcome. I am proud of many of my acquaintances who worked this season coolly, showed themselves well, were responsible, reliable employees, paid off the program, and bought themselves new things, equipment, or spent everything on travel.

Unfortunately, not everyone assesses their strengths; some ask for time off from work every day, steal food on breaks, are late - it's a shame that these are Russian guys. And that people judge the nation as a whole by them.

Seeing such guys around, you begin to respect more those who went through this educational and interesting path to the end, who coped.

There are such people, for example, university professors, especially from language departments, who are critical of this program. Like, our children go to the USA to wash dishes. Well, if you think the same, don't come! Don't test yourself, you won't like it. Go on an exchange to other countries, on a tourist visa to the USA, or learn languages at home. Don't spoil the image of the Russian student: conscientious, moderately cheeky, hardworking, cheerful, adventurous... with your sour and dissatisfied faces!

The program is very good for finding out what you are worth. Characters are revealed here, souls are opened. Freedom goes to your head and gives you wings! Nothing is impossible here... And God forbid that someone in Russia clips the wings of all these travelers!

Introduction to the TRAVEL part

General impression - I liked working. Somehow, without work, there is nothing special to do in Wildwood all day. Even if there was no time to go to the beach. In August, we were there only once or twice. But there were nightly gatherings with the guys, and every Tuesday trips to top US cities (well, of course, nearby ones).

All summer, I was surrounded by very good people. Sonya and Anya, who became more like sisters than just friends. And from the trip to Six Flags (I promise to make a separate blog about all the travels, because it's something! especially with more sleepless nights at the airport! ) we started to form a very warm, friendly company. At first, we just wanted to get together again, and then again and again... We started thinking, dreaming, planning together. As a result, we spent every evening together, eating, talking, drinking tea without sugar, and sometimes cocoa without milk, swimming in the ocean at night, walking, etc.... and so on. This probably happens to every J-1 participant, almost no one stays here without friends, some kind of company of their own... But for me, it was a huge key of energy, beating with such force that oh my god!!! We were ready to move mountains, and we moved them!!! What we did this summer, each for ourselves and together for each other, is unrealistically cool! And most importantly, we did it ourselves! Someone earned their American dream from the very beginning, someone came at their parents' expense, but worked it off in full. As a result, there is boundless happiness that it happened, is, and is still continuing! From how much we did together, on the same wavelength, from how much we traveled...