Most of the time in class, I think about things unrelated to my studies, especially if the lecture is incredibly boring. One of those days, I started thinking about my next trip abroad. Of course, I had many ideas, but as usual, it all came down to money. I decided to share my ideas with a friend, and she said: "Why don't we go on Work and Travel USA? We'll earn some money and see America, it's our dream after all, and then you can use that money to travel." Without thinking twice, after talking to my parents, we reached a consensus. The very next day, I made the decision to start gathering documents for the program.
By the way, this was in 2018, and I didn't apply through CMO. I won't say the document collection process was headache-free, but the thought that I would be in America in a few months motivated me to push through all the difficulties, because I knew the result would justify the journey.
Oh, I forgot to mention that a trip to America was my most cherished dream. Since school, I had been training myself in English, listening to music, watching TV shows, and my wall was covered in posters of American stars. As a child, I even told my grandmother: "I'll move to America, find an American guy, and stay there." And here was such a chance to go to America. If I missed it, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I practically "lived" in the office, coming in several times a week, asking a bunch of necessary and unnecessary questions as if that would change anything.
And then, the day of the visa interview arrived. I will probably remember this day for the rest of my life because I have never cried so bitterly. The day was terribly overcast, and it was pouring rain. I was very nervous; after all, it was my first trip abroad, and to another continent at that. All these thoughts were confusing me. Everything started well, I was trying to stay positive and not worry. The interview took just a couple of minutes, and I received a blue slip, which meant a visa denial. Like a naive child, I tried to persuade the consul, but deep down I knew my attempts were futile. I realized my mistake immediately, but as they say, the ship had sailed. For me personally, it was worse than having my heart broken, because only I could have let the dream of my entire life slip away so absurdly.
