A story about the Work and Travel program

How did I find out about the program?

Seeing America... it’s a long-held dream. Perhaps my favorite movies and series filmed by American studios, English songs, and even the beloved GTA had a big influence on this;)

I found out about the Work and Travel program quite a long time ago, while in middle school, I think, like most people, through YouTube;) Since then, my recommendations have been perfectly tuned, and I often got lost watching videos about the States.

But, watching the beautiful picture from computer and phone screens, this big dream seemed like something very distant and unattainable, something exclusively for the “chosen ones,” the “rich,” the “specially gifted,” in general, not like everyone else... or... not like me... But that was until a certain point. Then I found out that an acquaintance of mine was in America and, as it turned out, through this program! What a surprise it was! He could do it! That means it’s possible! Why am I any worse? After looking at his photos, supplemented by a bunch of interesting stories about the experience gained at the workplace, the town he lived in, and the second bright part of the program - traveling, I realized - I need to act! This is not a dream, this is a desire and a goal!

So what did I learn about the Work and Travel program?

Work and Travel is a program that brings together thousands, tens of thousands of students from all over the world to the USA during summer vacation, a program that gives you the opportunity not only to immerse yourself in “American life,” but also to learn about a number of other nationalities, their culture and everyday life, as well as introduce them to your own native culture and, likely, break many stereotypes and prejudices.

The coolest thing about the program, in my opinion, is its duration, because during this time you can really get to know a new country, its residents, the peculiarities of their mentality, their traditions, as well as the division of the program into two parts, actually, Work and Travel. To work hard all summer so that with money earned independently, you can think through all the details and go on an unforgettable trip!

And how much beauty you can see:

The main symbol of America, reflecting the entire essence of the American mentality – the Statue of Liberty, the lights of the never-sleeping Times Square, the most beautiful and well-known Central Park, the tallest building in New York – the majestic Empire State Building, the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge, without exaggeration, a WONDER of nature – Niagara Falls, the visiting card of the state of Arizona - the spectacular and majestic Grand Canyon, and the biggest dream – the most famous bridge in the world, that very embodiment of beautiful San Francisco – the Golden Gate Bridge! Of course, a huge desire to visit the heart of the state of Massachusetts – Boston, the great, oldest university in the USA – Harvard University, to visit Los Angeles, to get acquainted with the main embodiment of the world film industry – Hollywood, to walk along the famous Walk of Fame, to be a guest of the most famous amusement parks in the world – Disneyland and Disneyworld, Universal Studios and, I am convinced, many, many more, no less beautiful and wonderful places!

What do I hope to learn and achieve by becoming a participant in the program?

Of course, first of all, to get to know the country, its local residents, to learn the peculiarities of their culture from the inside, to make friends and acquaintances from other countries, to improve my spoken English, to plunge into the world of independence, responsibility, household management, making important decisions without anyone’s help, TRAVELING and, of course, a bunch of new emotions and impressions!

How will participating in the program help my future career?

I am currently a second-year university student majoring in Tourism. I think that participating in the program will make a huge contribution to my development not only as a person, which is very important, but also as a specialist in the tourism industry! This is a new country, its history, culture, traditions, international work experience, the development and improvement of communication skills, improving my level of English and breaking the language barrier, as well as meeting people of many other cultures of different ages and different statuses, both students and multinational residents of America, because it is no secret to anyone that the USA is a country of immigrants, accordingly, a place of concentration of many different cultures, and, of course, the opportunity to create strong connections and find friends and acquaintances from all corners of our beautiful planet!

Conclusion

Summing up, I want to say that I realize that Work and Travel is a real school of life with many difficulties and the need to make important, independent decisions, the need to learn to understand people with a completely different background, but what a truly priceless experience it is to live all this as a student. In my opinion, the uniqueness of this program lies in communication, new acquaintances, friends, both local and the same students gathered in one place from different ends of the globe and, of course, the opportunity to travel!!!

I hope that my next story will be published on behalf of a “J-1 holder” who has gone through this path, with a sea of impressions and a new unforgettable experience, which I will share with readers and future potential participants of the program.

As they say, “dreams come true,” I believe that the day will come when mine will come true too!