Say Hello!
I have never been so far from home before. That's why I was filled with both joy and a slight sense of fear at the same time. I knew that someday I would definitely make it to the States, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. It felt like just recently my friends and I were gathering a huge pile of documents, going through the embassy interview in Krakow, and buying plane tickets. And now, I'm already walking along the beach in Atlantic City, trying to distract myself from a not-so-successful job search. But let's take things one step at a time.
I had heard about the Work and Travel USA program for a long time, but I only started thinking about it seriously last autumn when my friends suggested I apply with them. If you, like us, want to go to the USA with Work and Travel, I advise you to stock up on significant funds—which, as practice shows, are returned in most cases—and, most importantly, nerves of steel! I know, from the outside it looks simple: documents, fees, an interview, the coveted J-1 Visa – and you're on a plane to New York. In reality, finding a job offer, preparing for interviews, and the agonizing wait for a response from the sponsor—all of this is not easy at all. In any case, we did it and are now on the other side of the ocean. Let's go!
New York
Day #1
Our plane landed at JFK Airport at 9 PM. Tired after the flight, we set out to find a way to get to the city center. Directly from JFK, we took the Air Train, a ticket for which costs $5. But before taking passengers to the nearest subway station, the Air Train took us around all the airport terminals. The subway ride cost us $2.50, and that's how we reached the Queens Plaza station. By the way, in the subway, we purchased a special reusable ticket for all types of transport, onto which a certain amount is credited for travel. If you are planning to stay in NY for a few days, I advise you to load more than $5 so you don't waste time in queues later.
The stupidest mistake was going to New York without booking accommodation in advance, hoping to find something upon arrival. This is not like me at all, because in such cases I am used to thinking through every detail in advance. But this time, I hoped everything would work out on its own. As a result, we spent about 2-3 hours looking for a hotel, because at 11 PM there were no rooms left in the hotels. And when we finally found a vacant room, we faced a new problem: at the reception, they asked for an ID (a passport or other document confirming that one of us is 21 years old). As you might have guessed, none of us are twenty-one yet. It was raining cold outside, we didn't even have the chance to change clothes, and the huge suitcases made the hotel search difficult. In short, somehow the nice girl at the reception took pity on us and let us stay the night.
And yes, you won't believe it, but the biggest challenge of the day turned out to be trying to take a shower. The room was far from cheap, and the shower was the strangest one I've ever seen because we couldn't figure out how it worked. Or maybe we didn't understand something, I don't even know.
Day #2
Breakfast at the hotel turned out to be very delicious. It had everything I love: yogurts, fruits, omelets, cereal with milk, and various drinks. But for the second night, we needed to find cheaper accommodation where we wouldn't have to provide an ID. And this time, following a tip from a guy we knew, we went in search of a motel near Brighton Beach. Note: sometimes it's better to take a taxi than to drag huge suitcases in 30-degree heat. Although, maybe someone, like us, doesn't look for the easy way.
Thank heavens, we managed to find that motel without any problems, which, by the way, also turned out to be not cheap, and checked into it, so we immediately dropped our things and headed to Times Square.
I can't say that I have many impressions of the city because we spent very little time there. We walked around Times Square, the streets of Brooklyn, saw the famous Empire State Building, and drank a lot of Iced Coffee at the equally famous Starbucks. And yes, in New York, you really feel very small because there are many huge buildings, many people, taxis, and noise around. There is something unique about it. But more about New York later.
Instagram: 1. View from the airplane window, somewhere over Scandinavia. 2. Times Square. 3. Cozy streets of Brooklyn. 4. M&M's store-museum.
Note:
- It is better to book an apartment, hotel room, motel, or hostel in advance (Booking.com, airbnb.com).
- Dragging a huge suitcase with you is perfectly fine if you are going to get to your destination by taxi. It is extremely difficult to move around with suitcases in the subway or other public transport.
- You shouldn't drag your favorite curling irons, hair dryers, etc., to the USA; the equipment here runs on 110V. You can buy a hair dryer on the spot, and for charging laptops, phones, and cameras, you will have to buy an adapter.
- Don't stay in New York for too long if you have the opportunity to see the city later. In a day and a half of staying there, we spent as much money as we spent in a week and a half of staying in Atlantic City. If we had understood this earlier, we would have gone straight to our destination.
To be continued...
(Follow updates on Instagram: vicstepanchuk)