Travel as a Meaning of Life 1. Introduction In the age of digital technology, we have the opportunity to find anything we can think of. Thanks to the internet, we can also travel abroad and discover new horizons. There is so much information online about student exchanges and working abroad. The goal of student exchange programs is cultural exchange. And, of course, those who participate in such programs gain invaluable experience. In the first months of this year (2022), I was looking for programs where I could go abroad for the summer and work at the same time. Thus, I found so many programs with the opportunity to go to countries in Europe, America, New Zealand, Turkey, and more! My name is Alisher, and I am a participant in the Work and Travel 2023 program. Since I was finishing my second year of university in May, I chose seasonal work in Bulgaria for the 3 summer months. Enjoy reading, everyone. Let's get started! 2. My First Trip. I went abroad for the first time. Starting my journey on June 23rd from the city of Khromtau, I traveled by train to Astana for a day. Upon arriving in the capital, I had to get to the hostel. There, for the first time, I met people from other countries. I spoke with one of them in English in person, which was a great experience for me. I spent the rest of the day walking around the city until late at night. The next day, I went to the airport well before my flight time (it was my first time flying on a plane). After sorting everything out, I was ready to depart. But the plane didn't take off due to technical issues. I found people who were flying to Bulgaria to work just like me, and we all started thinking about what to do next. Eventually, after a few hours, our tickets were rebooked, and we were supposed to fly out in 2 days. But the question of where to sleep remained open. We gathered together and went to ask this question to the company through which we were supposed to fly. After talking to them, they offered us a 3-star hotel on the right bank of Astana with 3 meals a day for two days. The next day, we went for a walk around the city. Getting to know our new acquaintances better, we had a great time in the capital. After 2 days, we finally flew out. I don't know how flights work, but first, we flew from Astana to Shymkent and from there to Istanbul, one of the largest cities in Turkey. Upon arriving in Turkey, I felt a bit unwell. Because it was my first time flying, I had ear pain. At the airport, the most difficult part at that moment began. Some of us (including me) went to look for a bus to the bus station (Bayrampasa). As soon as we finally found it, we went back to tell the others. But something went wrong. We couldn't get in because they wouldn't let us through. The person who wouldn't let us in didn't even listen to us, and since we didn't have a connection, we couldn't call and tell them the whole situation. A couple of hours later, they came out themselves, and we finally moved on. We arrived at the bus station late at night. Some of us (especially me) managed to sleep for 2-3 hours on the seats before our departure. By the way, my ear pain was still bothering me :( At 9 a.m., we successfully boarded the bus and headed towards Bulgaria. During the 10 hours on the road, I tried not to fall asleep and to look at the cities, villages, and nature. I tried not to fall asleep until the moment we were supposed to leave Istanbul, but I couldn't 😐, the city is too big, and I fell asleep without waiting for that moment. When I woke up, I saw so many villages where things were very bad; the locals lived in very poor conditions, which was a shock to me. Entering Bulgaria after checking documents, I immediately noticed that the local nature is very beautiful and mesmerizing. Forests, hills, and mountains. I also noticed many buildings from the USSR era. I also want to add a couple of words about the bus we were traveling in. Despite the fact that we were on the road for a long 10 hours,


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