April 4th is a day I will remember for a very long time :) You might ask me, "What's so special about this day?" On this day, I got my visa! My happiness knew no bounds.

Searching for a job, filling out tons of paperwork, memorizing the pamphlet, preparing answers to questions that might be asked—it was all very stressful. And then this exciting day arrived. I gathered all my documents, got into the right mindset, and headed to the subway :) In the subway, I met Sasha, who was going to the same workplace as me. We rode together and chatted. Near the consulate, I also met another girl who was going to the same place :)

It was quite chilly outside that day. And then I went inside... And you know what the strangest thing was? I was overcome with complete calm. I calmly filled out what was needed, took my card, and sat down to wait. When I approached the window, I felt nervous, but I tried to fight it. The consul was a young guy with a stone face. He asked me a lot of questions. I started to think that he just didn't want to give me the visa. But in the end, after 6 minutes, he told me my visa was approved! :) For the first minute, I didn't realize it, but then every part of my body was filled with joy. I was insanely happy.

P.S. The funniest thing about that day was how I looked :D My friends told me I needed to look as scary as possible. I found the most old-fashioned clothes, tied my hair in a high ponytail, and didn't wear makeup. I put a change of clothes in a bag (since I had to go to work that day, and I definitely wouldn't have shown up like that). Seeing myself in the mirror, the thought immediately popped into my head that they would definitely give it to me :D After the interview, I ran to Teremok and quickly changed) It was very fun.

And yes, guys, don't be afraid of the consulate. Be confident, tell the truth, and everything will be good for you :)

A few days passed, and I realized that this summer would be something special (and I wasn't wrong here).

Mom and Dad told me: "Once you get the visa, buy your tickets immediately!"

What did I do? Of course, I put everything off until later! Don't do as I did :( On the day I got the visa, I only looked at the tickets. I found a flight for 22k. I only bought the tickets 2 weeks later, and they were already 26k :( That's how it is, friends. 4k is still money, after all :(

Then the period of taking exams and packing began. Thank God I was allowed to take my exams before May 29th. The thing is, I was flying out on May 30th. I managed to finish everything on time and without any debts. I was incredibly happy :) And yes, it's hard to focus and do schoolwork in the USA. Finish as much as you can in Russia, because you won't have time for that in the USA. ;)

So, now about packing. I didn't take many things with me; I was ready to leave most of them in the USA if I ended up buying a lot of stuff there. I advise you to do the same. Definitely take a warm sweater with you, because even if it's hot, you never know. Make sure to take comfortable shoes. And take some nice clothes for going out; it won't be extra. I also took shampoos, masks, etc. Yes, yes. And you know, it saved me from my first expenses. But that's up to you.

Now I would like to answer the burning question: "How much money should I take with me?" My advice: $700. I was lucky that my aunt lives in NY, and I had a place to stay. As a result, I brought $400 to my workplace. You can easily get by on $700 if you don't live too luxuriously. If, of course, you want to go all out immediately, then take much more. And a quick tip: don't put money in your checked luggage, because you might never see it again. Keep all your money in your carry-on!

And then that day arrived. At 9 AM on May 30th, I stepped onto the plane that transported me into my new unforgettable life, into my best summer of 2014. :)

I'm attaching two modest photos from my Instagram.

Interested in hearing how my trip went? Follow my blog. In the next post, you'll learn about my first days in NY, where to go, and how I got to my workplace :) More to come! Many stories and photos await you. See you! :)