It is 7 AM on my watch. Lying in bed, I see the sun rising. Its rays pierce through my window and start waking me up, telling me it's time, time to get ready for the journey. And I, in turn, realize that tomorrow I will meet this same sun, but in a completely different place.

The day passed in a blur; I barely remember it now. Because that day, there was nothing in my head except one thought, the thought that my five-year-old dream would come true today...

We are already in the car with my family heading towards Karaganda-Astana. We are listening to music and having fun. But no, there is not a single hint that in 5 hours we will part for a whole 3 months. Deep down, of course, we all understand that we will miss each other very much. I will never forget my mother's tears, my brother's instructive words, and my sister's smile before the flight. And the funniest thing is that at the airport, my brother said, 'If anything happens, call me immediately! I'll handle everything.' I was always amazed by his circle of friends. It felt like they were everywhere. And they were always watching over me. Well, okay, what's there to be surprised about, we are Kazakhs after all!

All security and ticket checks are done, my mother's advice has been heard. And that calm female voice announces that my plane has arrived and is ready to take me to my best summer. I hug everyone tightly, saying that everything will be fine. I leave, pulling my stylish leather suitcase towards the greenline.

I never thought I could go crazy from flights. During these 9 hours watching the clouds, you think about a lot of things, of course, not about the meaning of life, but about, for example, why can't you use phones on a plane? But you can use Wi-Fi. Maybe because it's paid? Why do they show the same movie?

It's stuffy. I, in the company of acquaintances and friends, am standing on the street in NYC, in front of the airport; there is trash flying and lying on the street, for me, this is not the best impression. One thing I know for sure - there is nothing more beautiful than the feeling when you are in America, adrenaline shoots from your eyes and the feeling that this world is YOURS does not leave you! And no trash will stop you from being happy today. So, the unfinished session, worries about the embassy interview, quiet gatherings on the 5th-floor roof, and the ritual of smearing cake with close friends in honor of your departure are already behind.

Somehow we managed to get out of the JFK airport territory. I realized one thing: the airport of our beloved capital, Astana, is very miniature compared to the New York one. If you still couldn't do it, then people in orange vests will gladly help you. During an hour-long subway ride, I saw the most extraordinary and brave people in terms of their appearance. Somewhere I read that New York is the capital of freedom! But I didn't think it was in everything. It was cold. The air conditioners were working at 100%. But that didn't stop us from watching the funny movements of street dancers in the carriage, who, I think, made us even happier and made us realize that this is New York, baby!

After overcoming fifty or more steps up, we went out into the large hall of some building. The sounds of a big metropolis were heard, which gave me goosebumps all over my body. I remember how my friend, who was lucky enough to visit the States earlier, said to me, 'Are you ready to see this?' and I, like from the SpongeBob cartoon, answered him: 'Ready, Captain!'. And then, the doors open and I see the rays of that same sun falling on my face. I take a step and stand like a pillar with my mouth open. But in one moment, this metropolis was able to embrace me completely and make me fall in love with it. The variety of so many languages shocked my ears. And the variety of nations shocked my eyes. They were all rushing somewhere and were late. It felt like they were working 24 hours a day, as this wave of people on the streets never stopped. That's what you call the city that never sleeps.

Five whole hours at our disposal, since the Greyhound tickets were bought online in advance (I don't recommend it, because you can always buy them right there at the booth from the seller for half the price). Probably, for us Kazakhs, this is wild, but over there across the ocean, planes are much cheaper than buses. Think about it.

Time has probably never passed so quickly. Five whole hours! That's 300 whole minutes! We wanted to see everything. Someone wanted to go to the Statue of Liberty, someone to the Brooklyn Bridge. And I just wanted to walk around, buy coffee from Starbucks for 5 bucks, and become a part of American life. By the way, that's exactly what we did. Later, I couldn't take my eyes off Manhattan and its windows; the fact is that the glow from the skyscrapers was greater than from the starry sky. Then, with the help of Google Maps, we returned to the Greyhound (Port Authority), which is located at the intersection of 8th Avenue and 42nd Street.

• Oh my god people, there is Wi-Fi and an outlet here! Yes, those were my first words while being in the huge bus. By the way, my bus was heading to the state of South Carolina to the city of Myrtle Beach. Which was equipped not only with Wi-Fi and an outlet, but also with a typical bus driver. What is this typical one? - you ask, I answer: a typical American driver is usually a woman, an elderly 'white' person, or a 'black' person of any age, who chew gum and smile when meeting people. During the trip, before it starts, the driver explains the rules of conduct on the bus; if I had known how to understand 'black' people back then, I probably would have laughed too. There was practically no sleep. Because in 12 hours of driving, we changed about 6 buses. And then I started cursing myself for not buying a ticket for a comfortable plane that would have taken me not in 12 hours, but in only 4. Towards morning, when we were promised that this would be the last transfer, one, to put it mildly, 'plump' woman sat next to me, who really looked like the heroine of the comedy movie 'Big Momma's House'. So, she prayed to God the whole way and muttered something in incomprehensible English. I fell asleep. I open my eyes and realize that my head is hanging on her shoulder or on... no, on her shoulder, definitely on her shoulder, I hope. And that same friend of mine is dying of laughter in the front seat of the bus. She, in turn, smiled sweetly and said, 'Good morning, sunshine.' It was awkward.

The bus doors opened, and suddenly, hot air hit my face. And all the clothes on me became wet and sticky. I got used to this for a very long time. My city was very close to the Atlantic Ocean, and the humidity took its toll. Of course, the humid air couldn't spoil my first impressions of the city. The city turned out to be very fun and youthful. The most interesting thing is that there were more students from Kazakhstan there than the city's own residents. Even on social networks, such as VKontakte, there was a page for the city, and there I noticed several times that students could help with learning the Kazakh language. Was it desperation or just a joke, I never found out.

We found housing surprisingly quickly, through ads in the city student center. About the student center. For us, as newcomers to this city, the student center was like a refuge from problems and a place where you could ask all your questions, to which you would definitely get answers. A place where you can buy everything you need, from a SIM card to a bicycle. A place where there are computers and the internet (by the way, very convenient for keeping in touch with family). About housing. I think all typical student centers have a bulletin board where everyone can find whatever they are interested in. Work, a house, an invitation to a party, a brand-new bicycle, a photographer, a purebred cat, etc.

At our disposal was a whole cozy house, with a kind Russian landlady and her eternally angry cat. The neighborhood where we lived was like from famous American movies. A green lawn, a purebred dog, and a white gate. The best thing I liked about this house for three months was that it looked like my home. There is nothing more beautiful than the feeling when you come home after a hard day and feel the long-awaited comfort and warmth.

Myrtle Beach is rich in a variety of beach shops and family restaurants. In one of these cute restaurants, which bore the name 'Grandma's Kitchen', I worked for all three months as the head chef, and I don't regret it at all, although there were a lot of downsides. You think, how did I become the head chef right away??? So, at first, I was just a kitchen assistant. His name was Tony (I don't know why, but everyone I met there was named Tony or had friends with the same name). He was African American and knew how to cook very deliciously, and most importantly, with soul. Besides us, there was also his friend - a dishwasher in the kitchen. He contributed to my quick career jump in his own way. Every God-given day, from five in the morning until two in the afternoon, they were always arguing about something. And one fine day, I had a day off. I wasn't at work for only 24 hours, and upon returning to the restaurant, my boss told me that I would now work alone, without Tony. When he started to tell me the reason, our dishwasher suddenly entered the kitchen, and I lost the gift of speech and understood why Tony would not be working. His eyes were beaten, and his face was all in bruises and abrasions, I won't even mention his lips. It turned out that their friendship was not that strong. Less than two weeks later, this same dishwasher locked his girlfriend, a waitress, in the refrigerator. And guess where I was? Yes, yes, I had a day off. After three months of working there, it was already hard to surprise me with anything. The time came, and I realized that I couldn't work only one job forever. And the search began. Without thinking long, my choice fell on the 'Family Kingdom' amusement park, which had good popularity in the city. This place was more to my liking because there were many workers there, including those from Kazakhstan. That's where I found peace and quiet, and also many true friends from different countries. I worked as an operator on an attraction. Every day I met the funniest, most impudent, evil, cute, fat, thin, pleasant people in my life. People! If you want to have two jobs and earn money, then you will need to start searching a couple of weeks after your arrival in the city. I'll explain why, because every week a wave of students from different countries arrives there with the same goal. And employers will have a large choice. So everything is in your hands.

In short, about the work, I gained the experience that I am proud of. I am very glad that I took the risk and flew across the ocean.

Long positive days and sleepless nights passed, it happened that you come from a party, take a shower, and go to work in a great mood. And you get so used to it that it becomes your reality. But only at the end do you realize that soon you will fly away, and you are unlikely to return to these parts, which are dear to you. It becomes very painful and cold in the soul from this. I won't write much, each of us perceives the same pictures in our own way and conveys them differently.

September 1st. Knowledge Day. Everyone is going to schools and universities. Autumn has begun. Summer is officially over. And we are leaving for travels with tears. The ticket to Astana was bought for September 10th. And we have 10 whole days at our disposal, and that's 240 hours of summer. Suitcases are packed, gifts are bought. We are ready. The tour of the cities was bought in advance, through our acquaintances in the same student center. The incredible, democratic capital of the country – Washington, Niagara Falls, and bright New York were waiting for us to see with our own eyes.

Day one. 9 hours of road with friends in a comfortable bus transported me into an American youth movie, where I was the main character. My legs and neck were stiff, but it was worth it. Huge, monochromatic buildings filled almost the entire city. And walking through it, you realize how restrained this city is, which bears the title - the capital of the USA. Having bought a couple of hot dogs and cola, we immediately moved towards the Washington Monument. The monument in honor of the first US president had been the tallest structure on the planet for the last few years, until the Parisian Eiffel Tower. And it is felt. I look up, and my head is spinning. And the shadow of the monument falls on the distant buildings of the city that have not yet woken up. Having taken a decent number of photos, we went for another selfie, to another US president, Lincoln, to his memorial. He was sitting on his throne without the slightest movement. The only thing I remember well is - a lot of people. Chinese, English, black, red-haired, fair-haired, who wasn't there. Everyone wanted to touch him, take a picture with him, and even take a piece with them. Washington gave us a magnificent, saturated, sunny, and rainy day. But most importantly, it gave us something that cannot be bought – memories and impressions.

If you love museums, and you have a crazy desire to visit one, then enter it confidently and don't be afraid that they are out of your budget, because almost all of them are free. Even the Air and Space Museum, where the second part of the movie 'Night at the Museum' was filmed, won't take a cent from you. The day in the capital ended with me standing on the balcony of the 10th floor, looking at the sunset and realizing that this is all real.

Day two. I see a dream. How splashes of water hit my face and make me happier, and the view is simply stunning. I open my eyes and realize that it was not a dream. Niagara is like in the pictures from 'Google'. Thousands of tons of water fall into the abyss, hitting large rocks, creating something incredible, something attractive. It is true that you can look at water forever. Water is alive. Having bought insanely expensive souvenirs and magnets for refrigerators for relatives, we moved on. Ah! I almost forgot to tell you that the fairy-tale forest that separates the waterfall from shops and restaurants can pull people into it. Yes, yes, but not with magic or something like that, but with the fact that free Wi-Fi is installed in it. There was a case when we lost one girl in this very forest, but fortunately, we found her alive, unharmed, and most importantly, with new photos that filled the entire feed on Instagram. By 9 PM, as usual, the laser show for tourists began. It was magnificent. Such a number of lasers, which were constantly piercing the waves and making them alive and dancing, impressed me for a long time.

Day three. We are waiting like never before. Frank Sinatra's music – New York is playing in my head. Only a couple of hours left until arrival in the city of millions' dreams and, of course, mine. I see the sign 'Welcome to NY'. It was September 3, 2014. Seven whole days, and that's 168 hours left on our counter. Imagine, 20 million people and only in one city. I think such a number of digits speaks for itself. 20 million people didn't just decide to live here for no reason, many of them are refugees and students from different countries who work for their dream, giving themselves to it completely.

Our acquaintances, from whom we bought the tour, advised us an excellent hostel of their friend, the same dreamer who once arrived with his goal in the Big Apple. They even promised us a small discount. Of course, we couldn't refuse such a thing. $35 a day suited us, as we knew that life in this city would cost us a pretty penny. Opening the code door of the room, which almost the entire population of the hostel knew, we realized that the saying 'cramped but not offended' has its limits. 12 people from different ends of the world, and we four from Central Asia, what could be better!? Having taken a cool shower and distributed the suitcases, we went to get to know the city. The first day, naturally, was difficult, but fun. We are newcomers after all. Did you know that New York has the largest subway in the world? It consists of 468 stations and carries about 8 million people a day. We got lost in it, three times. A one-way trip costs about 2.5 dollars, if you plan to stay in New York for at least a week, then I advise you to buy an unlimited 7-day card for 30 dollars right away, it's very profitable. Because every day you will have to use the subway. And those five-story stores, where you can kill a whole week, but do the shopping of your dreams? Calvin Klein, Chanel, Michael Kors, everything for you for a pretty penny. But the main thing is that all this is made in the USA! And what about the best museums and parks? Noooo, I couldn't miss that. If you don't like grass and the sun, but not relaxing and lying on the lawn in Central Park is a sin. Another dream of mine, besides America itself, came true. I visited the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the Museum of Natural History, where the main character of the movie 'Night at the Museum' got a job as a security guard.

During these seven days, we saw almost all the sights of the Big Apple. Starting from the Statue of Liberty and ending with Chinatown. We missed cutlets so much that we even went to Little Russia – Brighton Beach. Walking through the eternally alive Manhattan, I began to think. There is such a moment when a camera frame taken by you carries nothing in itself, it is better to see everything with your own eyes, remember, and leave a piece of yourself in it. Every day, every minute lived in it, we discovered something new, something alien. We learned that in Chinatown, Chinese people can live without knowing English, we learned that all buses are equipped with lifts for wheelchairs. Even some subway stations are equipped with elevators for the disabled, we learned that New Yorkers do not pay attention to clothes. If you are dressed in clean clothes and you don't smell, then everyone absolutely doesn't care what brand your jacket, pants, or sneakers are, we learned that New Yorkers easily cross the road on a red light and no one cares.

The week passed quickly and fleetingly. The last night in the city. Everyone is having fun and exchanging contacts on Facebook. They learn new words for themselves. They tell ridiculous situations that happened to them, and we, in turn, just sit and don't think about anything: neither about tomorrow, nor about what will happen in a week, we live only for today. And I like that. It's so American.

Driving through the streets of Queens and Brooklyn for the last time, I saw the very essence of the city and the life of the metropolis residents. Those pictures in the magazine and moments in the movies are only for tourists. And life itself, the difficult life, flows right here.

The plane touches the ground softly and smoothly. The pilot announces that the landing went perfectly, and I am finally home. There is no limit to the joy. Finding my suitcases, I walk towards the exit of the airport. Only one glass wall separates me from my family and friends. I see my mother's tears of happiness, friends' smiles, and I completely dissolve in them. I acquired a lot in the States: both friends and a brand-new iPhone, but the most important thing is what no one can take away from me - my memories.