My big dream is to visit America.

Surely, almost every essay you receive contains phrases about how a trip to America has been a dream since childhood. And perhaps this seems banal and cliché, but how can a dream be banal? Yes, many dream of getting to the States, and it is not surprising. After all, we all grew up in roughly the same environment. We were influenced by the same culture of Hollywood films, which show cozy American houses and the bustling streets of big cities. But it is not just the mesmerizing locations that attract us in these films, but also the emotions, the attitude toward life, the relationships between people, and the ease of perceiving various situations. American films formed the idea in our minds that there, in distant America, people live differently; they are happy there. After all, how can you be unhappy when you are surrounded by New York—a city of opportunities where all dreams come true, where every street whispers: "You can do anything." Therefore, let someone call me ordinary, but I boldly and confidently declare: "My big dream is to visit America." And in this essay, I will break down why this dream became a goal for me in 2023.

1. My mother works as a teacher at the school where I studied. This circumstance formed a "perfectionist" syndrome in me. I always tried to do everything perfectly and was afraid of making mistakes. This fear often prevented me from trying new things and constantly threw a wrench in my plans. But at some point, I got so tired of missing opportunities due to imaginary failures that I started acting in spite of this fear. Thus, while studying for my bachelor's degree in Kazakhstan, I won a university competition twice and went on an exchange to China for two semesters. Later, having graduated from university with honors, I won a government grant to study for a master's degree in China, where the Chinese government covers all my expenses, and as a bonus, I receive a monthly stipend. Unfortunately, due to the epidemic, I was unable to visit China for a third time. I also had many doubts and fears regarding the Work and Travel USA program. But now I am in my penultimate year of my master's degree, which means this is my last chance to become a participant in Work and Travel USA. So, push aside all fears and move forward. Try and do everything that depends on me for the sake of my goal.

2. After my trip to China, I discovered new feelings, emotions, and a new worldview. I realized that you truly bond with a new city or country only after living there for more than 2 months. During a 10-day vacation, you don't have time to form a spiritual connection with a place. Yes, you certainly learn something new, have fun, and have a great time. But I always want to get to know a place better, make friends with it, and discover its hidden, non-touristy sides that are saturated with the real life of the locals and centuries of history. Walking along the streets and thinking about such things, I experience feelings close to being in love: butterflies in my stomach, a smile on my face, and my feet just carry me as if on wings. I want to experience these emotions again; I want to get to know America, make friends with it, and fall in love with it.

3. While studying for my master's degree, I also work as a manager at a local coffee shop. To tell the truth, I would never have thought that I would connect my life with the catering and service industry, but this job has touched my soul. When the whole commotion with the epidemic started, borders closed, and it became unclear how soon I could continue my studies in the Celestial Empire. In order not to waste time free from studies, I decided to find a job that I could combine with my studies. Friends advised me to try working at a Starbucks coffee shop; the work is not difficult, and the schedule is very flexible. At first, I didn't take this job very seriously and ignored career advancement in every way, as I thought I wouldn't stay long, three months at most, and then hello my beloved China! But alas, for the second year now, I have been working at the coffee shop, and to some extent, I like it. I met cool guys, many of whom became close people to me and taught me the wisdom of "guest communication"; I became more sociable and, so to speak, opened up, started to understand the coffee "business," and in the end, I know how to brew delicious coffee. Now I would like to know what the service industry is like in the opinion of Americans, how they perceive and perform their work, what their service standards are, what the mentality is there among local guests, what they prefer, and how it all works.

4. This year I am turning 25. This is the middle age when half of my classmates have already started families, had children, and taken out mortgages. And, as a rule, they already have a bunch of household duties and chores that do not allow them to get out even to go to karaoke with friends. I don't know when family life will catch up with me, but for now, I am free and not tied down by children or a mortgage. This advantage gives me the opportunity to travel, discover new sides of myself, meet people of different nationalities, and become better and more interesting because of it. And recently, I saw an excerpt from an interview with Ruslan Usachev, where he talks about travel. I won't give the exact quote, but I will convey its essence in my own words: "In childhood, time dragged on for a long time because every day we learned and did something new and unexplored for us. In adult life, time seems to have started moving several times faster. It's the routine. Every day we do the same things that we are already familiar with, which we already know how to do. And travel gives us the opportunity to return to that state of a child when everything around you turns out to be unknown again, and you curiously study it. And you manage to do so much, time may pass unnoticed, but at the end of the day, you are amazed at how much you have done, learned, and seen." In short, I perceive this thought as follows: more travel means a higher quality and longer life. This thought finds a strong response in my soul and forces me to act.

These are the four main reasons why I want to become a participant in the Work and Travel USA program. Thank you for reading.

Alla Mits

Group 3