Work and Travel USA story

CHAPTER 1. «Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire» © Jennifer Lee

When people meet, they start with simple questions like "Where do you live?" or "Where do you study?", then they learn about your beliefs and more personal things.

Perhaps I will follow this familiar pattern and start by saying that I was born and live in Saint Petersburg and am studying business informatics at the ITMO technical university.

This is a fairly new field, and in my city there were only three good universities offering a degree in this program, but that didn't stop me. For me, it has always been important to choose a place where you can learn a lot. Business informatics combines the foundations of innovative economics, statistical analysis, mathematics, data analysis, intellectual property law, and much more. In this program, one can broaden their horizons and understand what kind of professional path I want to start.

I am convinced that a trip to America will help me see economic giants from the inside, as all the world's largest IT companies are located in the USA. One of the points of my grand journey will certainly be Silicon Valley, where you can see the offices of Google and Facebook in person. Tours of these places will provide an incredible stimulus for internal and professional development, and perhaps one day I will be able to work there.

Studying the internal structure of the world's most powerful economy is a career impulse and an opportunity for professional growth in the future.

CHAPTER 2. «Chasin' this American Dream» © X Ambassadors

I love to travel and am very grateful to my parents, who gave me such a fantastic opportunity to see the world. They always, even in the most difficult times, make travel a priority. Once they said: "Travel is not cheap for us, we spend a lot, but we get much more in return." This phrase stuck in my head and became a guiding light for me. In my short life, I have visited almost all the countries of Europe and a few places in Asia, and I think it's time to open new horizons, or rather, new parts of the world.

A trip to the USA, to the "land of the free and home of the brave," has always been a cherished dream for me. I have grown up and am ready to start my first solo trip.

I have heard a lot about exchange programs, but unfortunately, due to my age, I have not yet participated in them. The stories of my sister, who also participated in the Work and Travel USA program and a semester exchange in Germany, amazed and inspired me. I realized that in student years, you cannot miss a single opportunity; you need to participate in all programs, because they allow you to travel the whole world, meet such bright students, and get impressions that will remain forever.

I think that a trip via Work and Travel USA will be the most youthful journey possible, because I have already found fellow travelers and like-minded people who will share the whole path with me – from getting a J-1 Visa to realizing the American dream, and I expect to meet many more.

The Work and Travel USA program will help me develop important soft skills; besides, a trip to the USA is a personal challenge. I want to test myself by living alone in a foreign country for several months, earning my own money for self-sufficiency. I believe that by participating in this program, I will prove that everything is possible.

I want to end the chapter with an excerpt from an Alicia Keys song, which for me describes not only the city, but the whole country:

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There's nothing you can't do

Now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

Big lights will inspire you

Hear it for New York

CHAPTER 3. «Salut au monde! What cities the light or warmth penetrates I penetrate those cities myself, All islands to which birds wing their way I wing my way myself.» © Walt Whitman

Work and Travel USA is an opportunity to open the door of my country to others. Perhaps after this, we will be able to be less afraid, avoid wrong assumptions, and get rid of the prejudices and stereotypes that divide us. We must understand that we are the same. The strength and beauty of each culture lies in being open and sharing its unique story, values, and experience.

Thanks to such wonderful programs, we become more tolerant of each other and make the world better, step by step building relationships with people by exchanging our unique experience and culture.

CHAPTER 4. «Music is the universal language of mankind.» © Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

That is precisely why the most important thing is to establish connections, to find kindred spirits in the fields of art, music, culture, or politics.

I want to experience American culture from the inside, to learn about it not from books and movies, but through conversations with people of different ages about cinema, music, and everything else. I want to go to an American rock concert and to Lollapalooza in Chicago, and also share my experience of participating in the 3-day Nashestvie rock festival in Russia.

If you think about it, music festivals and Work and Travel USA are very similar, because they bring different people together to share a common goal – to get an unforgettable experience and feel unity.

CHAPTER 5. «Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology. It all started with the big bang!» © Barenaked Ladies

I want to add that I am immersed in geek culture and look forward to premieres from the world of movies, TV series, and comics, as well as incredible cosplayers and venues at Comic-Con. I want to meet someone who also loves superheroes and wants to visit a comic book store to buy original graphic novels and other memorabilia. And I will be very happy to talk about Soviet and Russian cinema and our geek community.

CHAPTER 6. «'Cause troubles aren't so troublin' when you see them in HD...The world's a little better on TV» © S. Colbert

On rainy days in Saint Petersburg, I watch American TV shows and always think about how great it would be to visit the places where everything happens. Who wouldn't be thrilled to walk the halls of the White House, imagining they are solving problems like Francis Underwood or Selina Meyer? Who wouldn't be thrilled by a walk through the streets of Albuquerque, where Walter White started his "business," or in swampy Louisiana, where Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey solved a crime?

CHAPTER 7. «Because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.» © Jack Kerouac

Of course, this program would not be complete without exploring the natural wonders of America. Since my biggest hobby is traveling, I love hiking. It's a great way to stay in touch with nature and appreciate the beauty of forms. It gives a feeling of freedom! I would love to share stories with fellow travelers about my adventures, such as conquering the Swiss Alps on a 10-hour route or choking on hydrogen sulfide at the foot of a dormant volcano crater in the Canaries. Walks through Yosemite National Park among glacial valleys and waterfalls, and exploring the power and depth of the Grand Canyon will be mesmerizing!

CHAPTER 8. «They'll be swinging, swaying, records playing...Dancing in the street» © Bowie

I want to feel the atmosphere of America: wandering the streets, listening to musicians, singing with strangers, making lasting friendships, and hanging out with new buddies, having fun all night long, and enjoying the spirit of happiness, carelessness, and unity.

Our life is unpredictable. In recent years, we have become convinced that planning something far away is very difficult. We can only hope that the Work and Travel USA program will continue to help young people make discoveries just as it did almost 60 years ago.

I really wouldn't want anything to change in it in 20, 50, or 100 years. Right now, this program welcomes all students with hospitality; in the offices, they always answer the million questions that young travelers are interested in, accompanying the guys from beginning to end. In the States, students from all over the world are warmly welcomed every year and given the opportunity to enjoy their amazing country. This is what we all love Work and Travel USA for.

P.S.

You can see the photos for each chapter below

Comments