"Once we finish our second year, we're going to the USA for the whole summer!"
"Yeah, right, sure we are," I replied with complete disbelief.
It actually happened! All the documents are in hand, the visa is in my passport (I keep wanting to admire it from time to time), the plane ticket is in my pocket, and the suitcase is packed. Bon voyage!
After saying goodbye to our parents and friends, we boarded the plane. The journey ahead was going to be very long: 1 hour to Moscow, then 10 hours to New York, then an hour to Boston, from there an hour and a half by bus to Hyannis, and then 15 minutes to our destination. We weren't scared at all; in anticipation of new adventures, we were eagerly waiting for our arrival.
"Sasha, look, that's New York out the window!" I shouted excitedly, looking at the millions of lights glowing in the dark. There's no turning back! The dream has come true! We are in America, on a completely different part of the planet, on a different continent, in a different time zone, among English-speaking people.
Part 1. We've arrived.
I had read many different stories on the internet about how Russian students come to work or study in other countries, and watched videos on YouTube, but it all seemed so distant to me. However, it happened to us too. We are here!
To be honest, the choice of state was based on the principle: "Can we pick the one with the highest wages in the USA?" And we were incredibly lucky; besides fairly high salaries, the state of Massachusetts is rich in bays, rare wildlife, unique historical and cultural landmarks, beautiful landscapes, and countless opportunities for rest and entertainment. Our destination was located on the Cape Cod peninsula, 120 km from Boston and a 20-minute bike ride from the cozy town of Hyannis.
So, The Cape Cod Inflatable Park is a local amusement park for children and their parents. Inflatable trampolines, a spa area, a pool, and a hotel are exactly what the main services are. Upon arrival, we were settled into a room, given branded orange t-shirts, and told exactly what our duties would be, how often we would work, and what our salary would be.
The room where we stayed was quite ordinary: two beds, a bathroom, a coat rack, and a table. By the way, there is one significant downside here that sharply reduces your salary every week: $110 for housing. The schedule was made in our presence, taking our wishes into account. There were about five working days a week, eight hours each.
