If I were to tell you about my travels, my friend Sam and I headed west. It wasn't easy to decide, given the short timeframe—her return ticket was 10 days earlier than mine. We managed to plan everything correctly and set off for San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. It was truly an adventure of a lifetime. We ran through airports, buses, and subways. We bought bus tickets directly on Greyhound online (it's much cheaper that way) and asked the station staff to print them for us. In San Francisco, we left my friend's luggage, bought an 11 PM ticket, and went to see the Golden Gate Bridge. We had no idea how to get there, how to get back to the station, and we were short on time. Despite that, we went. We were afraid we might be late and didn't know the bus schedule. But most importantly, we managed to take photos. We accidentally met a traveler from Dubai; he asked us to take his picture, and we told him, 'You know, we're in a hurry, we don't have much time.' He started asking questions and said he had a rental car and would be happy to drop us off where we needed to go. If it weren't for him, we definitely would have been late. We hadn't eaten since 7 AM and were starving; food wasn't included in the plane ticket price. We had half an hour left, we looked for shops, but didn't see anything. We ran into a restaurant—it looked upscale—and you should have seen our appearance: shorts, sneakers, a hoodie, and a bag in our hands. The waiter looked at us and was actually startled, giving us a look like, 'What are you doing here?'

As for tickets, don't do what we did. Tickets from SF to Las Vegas were sold out, so we had to go through Los Angeles. We had to go to LA anyway at the end, since our return ticket to Boston was from LA. In Los Angeles, I found Palak from India on a website; he had recently moved from New York for work. He wrote that he would be happy to host us. It even turned out that he was in Vegas on the same day we arrived. He met us, took us to the city center, and even took our luggage to Los Angeles. Yes, yes, I trusted everyone, even though I was seeing him for the first time in my life, but my intuition didn't let me down. We walked around Las Vegas. A fantastic city. You walk into one hotel and forget about everything. Casinos, Bellagio, Caesars Palace...

September 8th... In the morning, Palak met us in Los Angeles. Everything you've seen on TV is now before your eyes. Universal Pictures, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, the best Disneyland in the world. We took a tour where they show the homes of all the Hollywood stars in Beverly Hills, like Bruno Mars, Johnny Depp, Avril Lavigne, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, the house where the great singer Michael Jackson died, the hotel where Whitney Houston said goodbye to life, and many others.

September 11th... From the trip, I arrived in my native Hyannis, and my friend went to New York. After staying there for 3-4 days, I felt sad that all the students had left—some home, some to travel—and all the tourists had dispersed. I packed all my things, didn't wait for Saltanat, whom I was waiting for, said goodbye to everyone individually, and decided to leave. Everyone came to wish me luck and gave me souvenirs. It was very sweet. It was sad to realize that it was all over. When Matt and Katherine saw me off for the last time, Matt had tears in his eyes. He said, 'Wherever you are, I will pray that everything goes well for you'...

Most importantly, I bought a ticket from Boston to New York, but I thought the latest one from Hyannis to Boston was at 10, but it turned out to be at 8. It was already 6 PM. Thanks to Mr. Richard, who, while picking me up, reminded me and suggested buying the ticket first instead of picking up the luggage. I managed to fit it into 2 hours, did everything necessary, stopped by Dunkin' and Stop and Shop to say goodbye to my colleagues, and was at the station 10 minutes before departure.

The feeling that I might never return here and might never see these people again was killing me from the inside. I had been preparing myself for this for a long time...

September 16th... When I was in the Cape, a guy from Kazakhstan who studies in NY wrote to me. He said he wanted to send something to KZ through me and could meet me if I was alone. At 5 AM, with two suitcases, no hotel booked, no friends, and no one to meet me, I was already in New York. Again, I trusted a stranger. He wasn't there, and seeing many homeless black people sleeping at the station made me a little scared. I didn't know what to do. I came up with options. I walked around. I thought I'd drop my things off at the luggage storage and go for a walk. There, I met two girls participating in Work and Travel; I was happy to see them, and we started talking. They hadn't slept all night, walking around NY, and came to pick up their luggage. It was supposed to open at 7 AM. Closer to 7, albeit late, that guy arrived. He helped with the luggage and took us to his place. We arrived in Brooklyn; the apartment was full of Kazakhs, both girls and guys. I remembered the main character of the movie 'Salam, New York.' That same day, I went out for a walk. I went shopping, bought souvenirs in Chinatown. On September 17th, we had a 3-day tour to Niagara Falls, Washington, and Philadelphia. In the morning, Saltanat arrived from the Cape, and two girls from Russia were supposed to go with us. If you buy together, it's cheaper. And the four of us set off. There were many memorable moments. What I remember most is when the girls went down for breakfast, thinking it was included; I couldn't convince them otherwise, so I decided they were probably right. Just as I started eating, a waitress came up and asked if she should count everyone together or separately. Aisha froze with her cookie in her mouth. Saltanat loaded her luggage, insisting on the wrong bus—the fact that the driver wasn't the right one didn't convince her—and then she ran after that bus. How we stuffed ourselves at a Chinese cafe where you pay $16 and take everything, and we took some with us wrapped in napkins—it was our own fault, they didn't give us bags :). And our bus left us behind in Washington; we had to walk to the next destination. Now I'm writing and remembering all this, tears in my eyes and joy that it all remains only a memory.

September 19th... Arriving in NY in the evening, we agreed to leave all our luggage in one apartment in Brighton Beach and go for a walk until morning. Alas, the plan didn't work out. The woman didn't agree to take everything for $20; the girls from Russia went to their acquaintances. We went to ours. All night from the 19th to the 20th, I stood in line for the iPhone 6. You should have seen those Chinese people; they felt right at home—cardboard, blankets, chairs. And I spent the night with them until the store opened in the morning. I didn't expect that; I thought the Apple Store was open at night when they release new iPhones. Now at least I have something to remember—I sat and slept on the street in NY.

September 20th... Exactly one day left in the city. I dedicated this day to sights like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Wall Street Bull, unfamiliar avenues, and in the evening, Madame Tussauds (mannequins of Hollywood stars). The downside is that when you walk alone, there's no one to take your picture. So I went around asking everyone to take a photo; it was somehow awkward for me. It was already 11 PM, I didn't know where to go for a walk at night, my cell phone died, I didn't have a spare battery, and I didn't want to go home. I went to Times Square and just sat and watched the tourists, the people, the rhythm, took photos, and mentally said goodbye to America. And while taking photos there, I met two guys, Emre and Orkun from Turkey; they were also J-1 students. They worked in Florida. They turned out to be very nice, and I joined them. We went to the 'Love' and 'Hope' signs; most importantly, they agreed to go to all the places with me, even though they had already been there. I was already exhausted, hadn't slept for 4 days, was falling asleep on the subway, and Emre and Orkun would wake me up at the stops. At 4 AM, while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, we met a cool New York policeman; he was so nice that he let us take a photo in his police car and chatted with us.

September 21st... I needed to cheer up. At 5 AM, we went to Dunkin' Donuts for coffee, after which we parted ways. I had to go home, pack my things, and arrive at 7 AM at Canal Street to go to the Empire State Building with Emre and Orkun. In New York, people are all busy, not that kind or friendly. My plane was that same day at 2:25 PM. I topped up my subway card but forgot it at home. My phone died, time was running out, it was already 8, I was late, I didn't know how to contact him, I couldn't get into the subway. But I still got through with a subway worker, made it, called from a Mexican guy's phone, and we finally found each other. I felt like the main character of a New York movie. Again, there were problems with the card; the machine doesn't accept large bills and only accepts debit or credit cards, I don't remember. While Orkun couldn't figure it out, the subway arrived; I didn't know what to do—leave or stay—but I didn't have time to wait. I jumped into the subway and shouted that I would wait there. I only had 1.5 hours left for everything. As luck would have it, the day was cloudy, and nothing could be seen from the height, only clouds. I was exhausted, incredibly tired, and asking people to take photos—and you know better than I do how others take photos: blurry, crooked. After a while, the clouds cleared. 2-3 hours left until the flight. But despite the fatigue, despite all this, I didn't want to waste a single second; I wanted to see everything, because I had dreamed of getting here for so long. And it would be stupid to just sleep at home. The guys were looking for me everywhere, thinking I had disappeared. Saltanat even wanted to call my American parents and file a missing person report. They were on edge when I walked into the house. JFK Airport. McDonald's. Flight delay. All the fatigue accumulated, and I only woke up in Moscow...

I miss those days very much, I don't regret anything, except that I didn't go to Chicago, Miami, or Hawaii. And for me, they will become a motivation to return. Still, sometimes I think if I had gone that summer, I could have finished everything I had planned. I really want to have the opportunity to go again. These were some of the best days of my life. This program is truly a wonderful opportunity to improve your English, get to know American culture, make friends from all over the world, introduce your country, gain a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of American business, broaden your horizons, develop communication skills, see the world, and experience all its dangers, and even earn some money. I am grateful first and foremost to the Almighty, my parents, and everyone who was with me throughout the summer, my American parents, friends, and the CMO for 'One of the best parts of my life.' God saw everything—my failures, my zeal for my dream, and that I didn't give up, despite everything. And this summer, He compensated for all of this by sending all these unknown, kind people into my life and gave me so many wonderful friends during this period, with whom I still communicate and receive letters to this day. Now I know that they are waiting for me there. So many strangers simply helped me. I was full of sensations and felt immense gratitude for everything that surrounds me. I lived and enjoyed it. It cannot be expressed in words.

From my first student days, my life was connected with the CMO, and what happened to me, I perceive only as a test that had to be passed with dignity. Now I try to help all students who want to go to America with my advice; I meet with them and explain everything. By doing this, I pass on the kindness I received to others. I learned one thing from Americans: to help people selflessly. I know that many students had an unforgettable vacation in America, and I am happy for all of you. After all, America is the dream of many. After all, each of us discovered our own America. Believe, dream, make it happen. Thank you for reading to the end.

What you believe in and what you expect with all your soul and heart will definitely happen. Frank Lloyd Wright

P.S.: Proven.