The best summer EVER! (USA through my eyes)

So, summer 2018, how it all started and how I actually ended up in America through the WaT program)

The thought of the Work and Travel program had been on my mind since 9th grade, but by the middle of my sophomore year, I finally matured and realized that this was the exact moment when all the stars aligned. I met all the criteria to participate in the program, and there were no obstacles to going to America for 4 months and subsequently changing my worldview by 180 degrees! In short, it took me about 2 days to think it over, and I ran off to choose an agency and study all the information about Work and Travel. This was probably the hardest and most responsible moment, because there were plenty of reviews about different agencies both on the internet and from my acquaintances (by the way, both good and bad—the kind where someone asked for extra money, someone scammed you, etc.). And the idea of being left alone with my problems on the other side of the globe didn't make me smile at all. The situation was made even spicier by the fact that I was quite late in submitting my documents (who knew that to participate in the program you need not only desire and money, but also a job-offer confirmation lasting 3-6 weeks, an appointment at the embassy with long lines, and other troubles (in our 2018, that meant the closure of 3 embassies, panic, and the rescheduling of poor, unfortunate souls from the St. Petersburg embassy to Moscow when they only had about a day or two left before their interviews :c ))

After reading a good bunch of reviews, weighing the pros and cons, and listening to my inner voice of reason, I decided that the best decision would be to apply through the most famous and oldest agency, IEC) I am very glad I did, because my summer was perfect thanks to them :)))))

Oh, those months of waiting, anticipating an unforgettable summer, and the wild fear before the visa interview!!! But all those months flew by so quickly and fun, thanks to a bunch of different chats on Telegram and VK, which I found through the 'Podslushano WaT' (Overheard WaT) community.

In fact, I applied for the program alone, and I will tell you that it is MUCH easier and more convenient that way:

1. You don't depend on anyone regarding departure dates or choosing a workplace; you are free to do whatever you want and change your plans without adjusting to others (this applies to finishing exams, buying tickets, etc.).

2. In case your friend gets a visa denial, it will be very sad that you are going to America and they are not.

Many people asked if I was scared to go alone. It's a different country, there are no acquaintances, few Russian speakers, you can get lost in cities or airports. Guys, I had about 4-5 chats with an audience of 100-500 people, where we talked every day, got to know each other, and found out who was going where to work. By the way, I had two separate chats with 300 people, just Russian-speaking J-1 students from my city, where I found housing and future roommates a good 3 months before the trip! And we went to get our visas as whole ghettos)) How much we experienced in those night chats on Telegram, it's uncountable))))) Plus, there is a lot of useful information there, because all J-1 students go through the same periods when participating in the program (submitting documents, confirming the offer, getting a visa, finding housing, and finding their city, respectively)) Simply put, an invaluable informative resource with free online consultations, I recommend!

So, we successfully received our visas, passed our exams early by any means necessary, and here it is, May 25th, I am finally in Manhattan, finally uploading my first story to Instagram, and exhaling, YESS, they let me through the border :D Dobby is free)

By the way, for half a year I tried to keep my Napoleonic plans a secret, because, well, you know, you tell everyone what a cool thing you want to pull off, and everything is bound to go to hell. The element of surprise was a success

Next, 5 unforgettable days in New York, my first experience living via couchsurfing (a very cool thing!!!!), a bunch of cool photos and impressions. Our budget for 5 days was about 120 dollars (40 of which were for the observation deck at Top of the Rock - MUST HAVE). Yes, we are cheaters, lifehackers, and just beauties)))

Over the summer, I stayed with three hosts: 4 days in New York, 1 day in Atlantic City, and 2 days in Miami, respectively. We were always lucky with kind and responsive Americans who helped us solve problems, told us about cool places in the city, and were generally cool and cultured))

My tips for couchsurfing:

1. Prepare your profile in advance; the more complete your page is, the more trust it will inspire in your potential host (well, think about it yourself, a person is taking a risk by letting a stranger into their home, accepting the risk of at least being robbed).

2. Ask friends to register and leave you reviews (the general WaT student chats will help, you will find many like-minded people there).

3. Take the search for a host responsibly! I always planned my trip and looked for travel companions in advance (it's optimal to live in pairs, and in fact, options will be offered more willingly to two girls – a priori, people trust girls more). Make requests to those who have many good reviews and verified accounts.

4. Don't get hung up on one option; a host owes you nothing and is ready to accept you on a good word, so they can refuse at any moment (we are all people who change our minds often).

5. Take your luck, you will need it throughout your entire journey .

During my trip, I managed to visit New York, Atlantic City, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Charleston, Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon, and San Francisco)) But I spent most of my time in the coolest, most party-filled, fun, and warm town on the Atlantic coast, Myrtle Beach!

This city, for me personally, is the ideal place for a J-1 student. Every day is +32 degrees and above, white sand beaches, constant action, parties, lots of students (both Russian-speaking and foreigners), and a large selection of work and housing. In general, I highly recommend <3 You will be left with a bunch of warm memories, cool acquaintances and friends, and a huge desire to return there again!

After working a good 3 months as a photographer in a restaurant, we finally set off on our long-awaited tour of America, for which, actually, everything was started. Moreover, I was supposed to finish my work a week later, but my inner voice was just screaming at me that I needed to leave right now (this was also facilitated by rising ticket prices and other signs of fate). Having rented a car, we rushed to Florida. Exactly 3 hours later, it became known that Hurricane Florence was approaching our city )))))))))) And then we realized that luck, fate, intuition, guardian angels—in short, we have all of this and it works perfectly! It was very creepy to watch the general panic in the city (all supermarkets were empty, a general evacuation began, flights from the airport were canceled). However, everything went well for our city; the hurricane decided to pass by.

And we, at this time, were enjoying the life of independent ladies who could drive along Florida, Miami Beach, and Orlando in complete comfort for only 50-80 dollars a day (if there are 4 of you - 12-20 $ each, respectively). For comparison, one bus ticket from Myrtle Beach to Orlando (if bought in the final days) cost 90-110 $. And that's just to Orlando, without taking into account the costs of taxis for moving within the city and general inconveniences due to luggage. In general, renting a car in America is the best thing that can happen to you )))

If you have the opportunity to visit Universal Studios in Orlando, definitely do it!!!!!! We were in such wild delight, having entered the world of Harry Potter, it is truly breathtaking.

Next is Miami, a city where high-rises and business districts perfectly combine with pretentious villas and beaches. But Las Vegas caused me even more delight!

It is precisely for the sake of this city that I am ready to return to America again and again. As a true connoisseur of nightlife, I was really impressed by this city: a completely unreal energy, neon lights everywhere, a holiday all around, absolutely everyone is in a party mood, the aura of casinos and adventurism, fun and positivity.

The main street of Las Vegas is like a giant club where the party is already happening on the streets. And a huge number of shops, branded items, outlets with big discounts – the ideal place for shopping, for sure! And a big plus is that everything is within walking distance, which is very convenient)

Not having had time to recover from Las Vegas, the next day we found ourselves at the Grand Canyon. Yes, everyone should see this, feel it. I am not a fan of nature in principle, but I fell in love with the Grand Canyon once and for all.

The next point of our super tour was Los Angeles. Everyone perceives this city differently, but personally, it hooked me, a lot. Yes, the Walk of Fame is really not the cleanest street, but the stunning Santa Monica beach, like from the pictures of the coolest American movies, conquered me forever. My favorite place became the Beverly Hills area and Rodeo Drive! This avenue of palm trees, the pretentious area with expensive shops of the most famous brands, the Beverly Hills 90210 restaurant create an incredible energy and motivate you to strive for a rich and expensive life)

And here it is, the last day in America. You realize that all good things come to an end, but you don't want it to happen to you. The thought that you will see family and friends cheers you up. You start thinking through plans and strategies with new friends from America, but already in Moscow, for conquering the USA next year. And you promise yourself that you will definitely return, realizing that this summer was the best in your life!

Summing up, I can say that now the boundaries of the possible have been erased for me. There are no longer these attitudes that going alone to another continent is something distant and beyond your capabilities. My horizons have expanded, and how! Thanks to 4 months in the USA, my conversational English has soared to the heavens (which was difficult to even think about before the trip). A bunch of photos, emotions, and friends remain. Not a few problems were solved, but they were solved in the best way (I would even say this added flavor and interest to the whole trip; the whole point was in finding the best way out of a difficult situation).

This is a huge contribution to the development of your personality, growing up (+potential employers really value students who have participated in such programs when selecting for internships). And also, everyone who has been a participant in Work and Travel can now be considered a very interesting person; everyone has a couple of unusual stories from the trip, and almost everyone loves to hear about travels (well, except for the envious ones)). Far from everyone decides to participate in this program; the risks are great, that's true. But if you have the desire, even a small one, and the opportunity to participate in WaT, PARTICIPATE DEFINITELY! It will turn your life upside down, divide it into before and after, and if you choose the agency, city, and job correctly and think everything through in advance, I promise your summer will be perfect!

P.S. You can find more stories, life hacks, and my experience on my Instagram page @leyla.gabdukaeva <3