America is still here! Or my first trip abroad ever! So, Most people plan and try to spend their summer PERFECTLY. After all, summer is a sweet, three-month slice of life every year. My summer in America was the most memorable one. I had been dreaming of a trip to America since 2012, when I was a sophomore in college. Back then, my friends were already flying there for short-term summer language courses. Their impressions of America not only motivated me but also led me to take action and achieve results. After entering the university in September, I immediately registered at the International Exchange Center for the Work and Travel USA 2017 program in Almaty. We were prepared very thoroughly for the trip; we were informed and explained all the rules step-by-step, for which I am very grateful to our coordinators. Everything was planned by winter: where we would live, how we would get there, who our employer would be, and how it would all happen. And finally, after a successful interview with the consul in April and receiving my J-1 Visa, I boarded a Lufthansa plane for the first time in my life. After landing successfully at the New Jersey airport “EWR”, we went to pick up other students from New York’s “John F. Kennedy” airport. There were so many emotions inside; America was truly waiting and hadn't gone anywhere. Right then, on the way to the other airport, I felt the breath of the city, the rhythm where everyone is in a hurry and busy with their own business, where it is immediately clear that time really matters to them. After all, they say TIME IS MONEY for a reason. The grandeur of this city truly met my expectations. Everything is just like in the movies: skyscrapers, humidity, friendly people, and so much more. A city that breaks many stereotypes with its culture and population. In America, age doesn't matter; if a person wants to enter college for a bachelor's degree even after 25, it's normal for them. Back home, it would look like the person had missed their years of education. After we met the other students, we had a journey ahead to Bethany Beach, Delaware. We reached our destination on a shuttle bus from E-Point, a company that specializes in meeting and seeing off J-1 students. And here we were in Bethany Beach. We settled in, and in the morning, we went to the employer to meet the local staff of our restaurant. Everything went as planned: gifts and souvenirs from Kazakhstan, friendly attitudes, and welcoming smiles. Our team consisted of guys from Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania, and Macedonia. It was interesting to learn not only about American culture but also about Europe. Even on the busiest and hardest days, it was a lot of fun working with them.
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