The distant summer of 2016. The sun heats the roof so much that it's impossible to breathe; everything is simultaneously annoying and restless. In those days, I clearly realized that lazy beach lounging couldn't be repeated every summer. Grandma said, "you've become spoiled," while I replied, "we've become bored." In search of something interesting, I stumbled upon a similar blog by a girl about Work and Travel. From that moment on, my world turned upside down. For the next three hours, like a total maniac, I scrolled through her photos and posts. Everything seemed so exciting and unreal, like a trip to Mars—it both scared and enticed me. When my parents returned, in a creative frenzy, I announced to them that I would go to America in a year, to which my father just laughed, thinking it was another one of my jokes.

So, I faced the task of convincing my parents not only to let me go but also to sponsor the trip, get a passport, choose a state, and find a job—but those were just the flowers. Going to America turned out to be far from as simple as going to, say, Turkey. There were many risks, and the chances of getting the coveted visa were not very high. In a world where everyone wants to change you, it's hard not to lose sight of your goal, so it's important to know exactly what you want. And just do it. Don't listen to parents who are afraid for you and try to talk you out of it even after you've paid half the program fee; don't listen to acquaintances who tell you to go to the "rotten West to clean toilets"; don't believe professors who don't want to hear anything about an early exam. Stay yourself, and know that you will succeed. I went through a long journey, during which I ran around to banks, stood in lines to process my passport, wrote three hundred emails asking for a job, downloaded every imaginable messenger trying to arrange housing... Everyone goes through this because Work and Travel is not a tourist trip where you pay for a visa, buy a ticket... and you're done! The whole series of difficulties prepares you for independent life on the other side of the world, where there will be no relatives, friends, or signs in Russian.

I kept my grand plan a secret, fearing that someone would just knock me off course, so I had to lie and make cute eyes when asked about my summer plans.

The choice of state turned out to be completely random, but successful. I met a couple of girls online, and somehow we started talking about Massachusetts. My coordinator at the agency was also in love with this state, and then the right people were drawn to me on their own. Initially, I was going to Florida, because there's Disneyland, hot sun, and iconic palm trees on the azure coast, but everything fell through at the last moment. And so, quite by accident, we went to the now-beloved Massachusetts: one of the New England states—the cradle of education and rich American history.

Cape Cod Coast

Capital of Massachusetts - Boston

The story of how a Crimean girl got a visa. It was with this beautiful peninsula that the main concerns were connected, because America is America, but no one canceled the sanctions. I frantically studied answers for the visa interview, thought through the logic, and even asked myself the most unimaginable questions about Crimea in my head. I was warned that the chance of refusal was quite high, but he who does not risk does not sit at home at the computer. On the day of the interview, I was shaking as if before a final exam, but when we approached the consulate, I was able to pull myself together; I was calm and friendly, trying to cheer up the other guys. Many were surprised by such confidence, thinking that I was a "second-timer" . And what was the result? The interview lasted less than a minute, and I flew out of there with a squeal of joy—it was a moment of absolute happiness. I could exhale for a while, celebrate, and fully engage in buying tickets, booking, and planning. And also not forget about my studies and magically pass 10 subjects by May 23rd. Hooray! The fun begins.

That same day, I bought a new suitcase, called my relatives and asked what to bring from the USA, made 15 bookmarks about where to visit in New York, and watched a couple of episodes of "Oryol i Reshka" (top-level self-confidence).

However, success is not just my solo merit; in many ways, my parents and friends helped me, without whom I could have given up in the early stages. More than ever in my life, I became convinced that human strength is definitely not in solitude.

So, my summer was predetermined; hopes and bright childhood fantasies about skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty, green lawns, neat houses, and barbecues, emotional speech, and endless exclamations of "Oh, my God!" flashed ahead. The dream was turning into reality, although just recently it seemed unimaginably distant.

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