Colorado River: was in der Nähe ist, wie man hinkommt und wann man fährt · 2026

MIMariia Ivanovamasiavka96 · 14.12.2019Lesen

Morning. I open my eyes. Still alive. The guys are alive. Someone is talking outside. I look out the car window; my friends are already having a lively conversation with a passing biker. The atmosphere is friendly, and the fear is gradually fading away. It is time to bring you up to speed. Slab City is a settlement in the middle of the Colorado Desert in California, which gained popularity among young people thanks to the American film "Into the Wild." After the film's release, crowds of young Americans rushed to taste the life of real men far from civilization in the town of Slab City. As the locals say, "A case of beer and there is always a place for you here." During World War II, there was an American military base here, of which only ruins and concrete slabs remained, which served as the name for the city. According to Americans, this is the last place of freedom in the USA, and for people who have rejected the system, hippies, artists, criminals, and those who cannot afford to live in apartments due to financial circumstances, this place has become home. There is no electricity or running water in the town. However, many retirees enthusiastically set off to live out their final years in Slab City, and a school bus picks up the children on schedule. In summer, there is unbearable heat in the desert, so my advice is to stock up on bottles of water and a case of beer when heading to Slab City. Those who cannot leave the city in the summer will be infinitely grateful to you. Every year, people die of thirst in Slab City. The population in the summer months is only 150-200 people. Only when the weather gets colder do the "snowbirds" (as the locals call them) return to the town, and then the population fluctuates around 2,000. Our visit took place in October. The main heat had already subsided, but we brought a few bottles of beer with us to win the favor of the locals. From afar, we caught sight of one of the main local attractions – Salvation Mountain. It was built by a local resident, Leonard, with his bare hands out of clay, straw, and whatever he could find. However, we did not manage to meet Leonard himself. He left this world back in 2014. The mountain is covered with quotes from the Gospel or phrases expressing the faith of the local residents in God and love. As a prayer, the locals broadcast the inscription left on the rock: "Repeat: 'Jesus, I am a sinner, visit my body and enter my soul.'" People from all over the world come to see Salvation Mountain, and to this day, the locals remember Leonard, who left them, with respect and gratitude...

ASAlina Sivachevaalina_sivacheva · 27.11.2019Lesen

Our first job in America was at a restaurant. We worked as bussers. After a short time in the States, we realized we wanted to get a second job. And we managed to do it very quickly. After scrolling through the popular classifieds site craiglist.org, I found vacancies at Dunkin’ Donuts. I immediately messaged the employer, and we arranged a meeting in just 3 days. After meeting and discussing all the details, we agreed that she would soon send an application to InterExchange, and then we would need to confirm the job offer there. Having completed all the formalities and received approval from the InterExchange program sponsor, we started working a week later. Our position was called crew member. In the final version, after completing training, our duties included: making coffee and sandwiches, taking and serving orders, working the cash register, and keeping the workplace clean and tidy. The hourly rate was $12 per hour. By the way, this was the minimum wage in the state of Massachusetts for 2019, meaning employers do not have the right to set a rate lower than $12, but they can set it higher :) *ADVICE FOR FUTURE PARTICIPANTS: if you have chosen the Self-arranged program and you have to choose a job, try to rely on states with a minimum wage of $11-12$, because after taxes, the "net" salary will be $9.8-10.8$. Among the states with the highest minimum wages are: Massachusetts, Arizona, Maine, Washington, Oregon, New York (but keep in mind that housing in NY is not the cheapest either), Colorado, California. The lowest minimum wages in America are in the state of Georgia ($5.1 per hour) and Wyoming ($5.15 per hour). http://craiglist.org/

SISvetlana Ionovasvetlanya05 · 07.12.2018Lesen

To make sure my trip to America with Work and Travel USA didn't just stay a conversation but became a reality, I applied for the program right away—in the fall. As it turned out later, that was the right decision, because it's impossible not to feel some fear about traveling alone to the other side of the globe. The non-refundable deposit became a reliable anchor, keeping me on the list of participants. And I'm glad I attached that anchor to myself. I worked in Colorado, a picturesque western state with the kindest people, where I even became like a local—Americans treated me as part of their society, which consists of migrants of varying degrees of tenure, so fitting into the team wasn't difficult. Everything is in the hands of the participants; it's enough to define your goals right away, and the land of opportunity will immediately provide a chance to realize them. The main thing is to be open to new experiences and new acquaintances. By the way, it's a great opportunity to make friends from all over the world, even from places where there are no direct flights from Russia. The employer is always friendly and trusting, but they count on a positive attitude and honesty in return. People who work conscientiously are valued. In terms of English, I didn't notice any major changes. My level remained Upper-Intermediate. This is a fairly high level, and everyday communication doesn't pose any difficulty for me. At school, we were offered to compose monologues on the fly on more complex topics. The nuance: at school, you are always given time to prepare, but in real life, there is no time to think at all, so as not to lose the listener's attention. So, inarticulateness and the difficulty of remembering the right word on the fly are exposed. Furthermore, a Russian person thinks in Russian, using Russian structures that are sometimes not characteristic of the English language. But what's said is said, so it seems like your speech is getting worse, but this is a deceptive impression: in reality, the brain is learning to think in English and perceive speech more vividly. But sometimes, while thinking about what to say next, you don't realize what you are saying at the moment, so Russian words might slip in (yep!). Every American state has unique, breathtaking nature. Sometimes the landscape is so indescribable that the feelings aroused by the beauty around you are so overwhelming that "I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in," it becomes cramped in the chest, and tears well up in the corners of the eyes. I couldn't believe it, I still can't believe that such things happen for real; the memories seem like just a sweet dream. Mind-blowing (everyone agrees with me) photos don't convey even a fraction of the beauty of those burning sunsets in the mountains and the rare, but soul-stirringly romantic, purplish twilights that replace the wild, scorching days. In such rare moments in life, it seems that you dissolve until you disappear into the environment. I didn't know that nature could cause such ecstasy. Previously, I only experienced similar emotions while listening to music when in a certain state of mind. The diversity of nature is also striking. By driving just a few hours, you can cross several zones, from the mountains of Colorado with an almost Russian climate and grayish birches to the warm tropical beaches of Southern California and the piercing ports of Northern California, through the Martian, one-of-a-kind canyons of Utah.

NONatalia Opalevanatataolala · 15.12.2017Lesen

The summer of 2017 was my second summer traveling to the wonderful America through the Work and Travel program. Interestingly, every participant in this program has their own unique and unrepeatable experience. Even if you go with a friend to the same place, your perspectives on everything happening around you will be your own, which means your impressions will be different... In the summer of 2016, I went to the distant but wonderfully beautiful state of Colorado. I don't want to say much about that year's experience because, overall, it wasn't as successful for me as the experience I had this year. On the very first night, when I flew into Denver and headed to my small town in the mountains, the state captivated me with its starry sky. I had never seen such a sky before. And in the morning, just stepping out of my cabin, I saw a picturesque scene: a bright blue sky, fluffy white clouds, a deep blue lake, and majestic mountains surrounding me everywhere. I was absolutely enchanted by this place and would undoubtedly advise everyone to visit it. However, throughout the summer, I realized that while I love nature, I am not ready to endure a long separation from civilization without difficulty. Yes, I am sure that people fall into two types: those who adore nature and are ready to spend time in it forever, and those who also love nature but, after prolonged contact with it, start missing city life, full of entertainment: cinemas, theaters, cafes, restaurants, pubs, and bars. Also, I cannot say that I was very lucky with my boss. We often had disagreements because she didn't warn us about our days off in advance and didn't give them to us when we wanted. Housekeeping work is quite difficult, and working without days off was hard; by the middle of the summer, my health had deteriorated (due to an allergy to the chemicals we had to work with). However, our sponsor helped us solve all these issues and problems; they are always in touch, and you shouldn't be afraid to reach out to them. Another factor of discomfort for me was the lack of social interaction, as only one other J-1 student lived and worked with me—a cheerful Turkish girl named Ayjem. Although we found common ground, we often wanted to spend time in a fun group of people like us. But we couldn't manage that, as we lived far from the nearest town where, by the way, there were many J-1 students. However, we were lucky with our American colleague at work, who turned out to be a wonderful person. This girl was so kind to us; she often drove us to get groceries in her car, invited us to her home, lent me her bicycle for the whole summer, and once, after a hard day's work, even cooked and brought us pancakes for breakfast! In general, if I talk about the pros of my trip to Colorado, they are two wonderful new friends, the aesthetic pleasure of the beauty of wild nature, and, of course, the improvement of my English, which is undoubtedly important for me as a translator, because during all the time I spent there, I didn't meet a single Russian-speaking person and communicated only in English—what can I say, by the end, I was even thinking in English. Therefore, I advise you, first of all, to choose states that definitely suit you in all parameters, to choose only the work in your application that you are mentally and physically ready to do all summer, and in case of anything, do not be afraid to ask the sponsor for help in resolving disputes. Since I was lucky enough to get a visa for the second year in a row and go to a different place, now I have something to compare. And by the way, being an incorrigible optimist, even despite the overall picture of the summer in Colorado, half a year later, I found something positive in that experience that didn't satisfy me. After all, at the embassy interview, the consul said to me, "I'm sorry... that you had a bad experience last summer, I hope that this summer everything will be completely different. I approve your visa!" And he was abs

VФVladlena Фамилияosipenko.vladlena · 14.12.2017Lesen

As a participant in the Work and Travel USA 2017 program, I, Vladlena Olegovna Osipenko, worked this summer in the city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in a small shop (with the perk of free caramel). Gatlinburg is a small town by local standards. Speaking of the city, it has many interesting places to visit, cafes, and restaurants. The nature here is beautiful, there are many tourist spots, and the people are friendly. I arrived in Knoxville (the nearest city with an airport) during the day, where my employers met me at the airport and drove me to the city. The employers were welcoming and friendly. Since I was in a small town, it was not easy without a personal vehicle. Public transport is practically non-existent in America. As for the work, it consisted of selling caramel. Students participating in the Work and Travel program are mainly offered vacancies in the service sector: hotels, restaurants, shops, resorts, national parks, and amusement parks. The list of vacancies is not limited to these options; much depends on your knowledge, skills, and level of English. During the document submission process, I felt a little fear about what awaited me across the ocean. I had no idea which state to choose, where I would work, what the people were like, or what their mentality was. At first, it was uncomfortable when strangers greeted you and asked how you were doing, but with constant communication, my language skills improved. I quickly became friends with my employers, who constantly helped me out, helped me understand their culture, and gave me chances to earn money for travel. Of course, I did not let them down and did everything they required. I also made friends with other exchange students, just like me, with whom we made an excellent travel plan and brought it to life. The program itself assumes that you first need to work in the States, gain experience and money, and then dedicate yourself to an incredible journey. Our team consisted of the guys I lived and worked with. It is more fun, safer, and cheaper. Our plan was as follows: Chicago – Las Vegas – Grand Canyon – Los Angeles – Las Vegas – Chicago – Washington – New York. In Las Vegas, we rented a car, and we could return it in Chicago, so we did not depend on buses and their schedules, which allowed us to see everything we really wanted and even more. I visited the Grand Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. It is located on the Colorado Plateau in the state of Arizona within the national park of the same name. The canyon is carved by the Colorado River through limestone, shale, and sandstone. The Grand Canyon is a UNESCO World Heritage site. All this beauty was formed over 10 million years. In Washington, I visited the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Capitol. A total solar eclipse on August 21 could be seen in 14 US states. For the first time in 99 years, this natural phenomenon covered the continental part of the country from the west to the east coast, for which it was dubbed the "Great American Eclipse." And I became a witness to this grandiose phenomenon. This trip brought me huge experience and added to my independence, helped me improve my English level, and introduced me to many people with whom we still communicate to this day. Thanks to America, I realized that you can succeed in any country if you have goals and desire, and that most problems have a solution. America changed my attitude towards everything that surrounds me, and in a good way.

DMDastan Maratovdastan_uk · 27.11.2015Lesen

I spent the next three months working in the small town of Estes Park, Colorado, famous for Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and the Stanley Hotel, which gained fame thanks to Stephen King, who wrote the book "The Shining," with the main action taking place in that very hotel. Rumor has it that souls and ghosts dwell there, and you can feel a shiver in your body when entering, but unfortunately, I didn't feel anything of the sort. The national park is incredibly beautiful; it's like combining our Borovoe and the mountains of Almaty into one. The story of the word "village" began back in Kazakhstan. When I first saw pictures of the town where I would live and work for 3 months, I was a bit disappointed. I really thought it was a village, that I would be bored there, etc. But over these three very cool months, I realized that there couldn't be a town closer to my heart, that it's not quite a village, but a very beautiful town that gave me huge work experience, experience in communicating with foreigners, and gave me many acquaintances and friends who are dear to me now. Honestly, this was my very first work experience; there were firings, misunderstandings with the employer, and some conflicts with colleagues, but the huge mass of positive emotions simply crushes this pathetic, pea-sized negativity. Working in a restaurant exclusively with Americans, my first stereotype about the USA was broken. "All Americans are stupid" is a very silly stereotype; working with my peers and older people, it was clear that they are very erudite and quite well-read. I was struck by one American woman, Laura, who started a dialogue with me about the Aral Sea problem; I was ashamed that a person living across the ocean was more informed about this problem of our country than I was. Americans may be fake, but they are absolutely not a lazy people; they start earning from an early age, which teaches them responsibility and the value of money. I gained a lot and realized a lot for myself; I started looking at things more simply and learned to be polite in any situation. Having honestly worked for 3 months, at the beginning of September we were already preparing for a grand trip across the American West. It wasn't easy to part with the routine I had gotten used to, with the people I had grown to love in my own way, and of course with our beloved "village" - Estes Park!