Σερβία: Ταξιδιωτικός οδηγός, βίζες και δωρεάν διαμονή · 2026

OOOleksandra Onystiukonystyuko · 10 Ιαν 2023Διάβασμα

Every marvelous adventure begins with a spontaneous decision. Once you’d like to try something new, even have a bit of fear or uncertainty, but then your lifestyle will never be the same. Young people are courageous explorers who are open to the world. Then, something that can change and fill the life of many students calls ‘exchange programs’. I’m not an exception, so I’m ready to get new experience in Work and Travel USA program. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” Exchange programs are about significant personal changes that have an important influence on the future. Students get an invaluable experience combining new culture, exploring a new city and country, new people and community, and learning new skills and many amazements. Definitely, these expand the worldview, but they can also help in finding yourself and your purpose in life. I’m convinced that youth trips also pump up everyone as a person, so after this experience, the difference with other peers who didn’t participate in it is palpable. So it is about growing up, and I’d say in a speedy, inconvenient at times way. Students are the drivers of change because they have the power to build a better society around them. Therefore exchange programs can be a great tool to recognize what best young people can take from other cultures and implement in their native land. During intercultural interaction in programs, students are able to share their own culture, traditions, and different features with each other, so the result is a combination of something greater. By the way, I hope in America, it is possible to learn and understand their world (I’m sure it will be 100%) and also get to know exciting things from other students from different cultures. Next, exchange programs are one of the most significant types of non-formal education. In schools or universities, we used to have typical studying with books, lectures, teachers, and other standard things, but in youth trips, students have practical lessons. New conditions force you to take care of yourself independently. This is a kind of school of life where students face many challenges – from organizing their budget to finding the necessary place in a new city. Nevertheless, the moment of really growing up also can be great thanks to youth traveling. Everything I described above related to my experience too. In July 2022, I was in Summer School “Waves and Ebbs of Democracy”: Lessons learnt from Central European 'There and Back Again” at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, and it was a great three weeks. Except that we had an educational plan, I spent a fantastic time exploring a new country and communicating with new people from Georgia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Serbia , Montenegro, and Armenia. Honestly, it was exciting to interact with them and share my thoughts and feelings about russian invasion of Ukraine. Sometimes I recognized that they didn’t understand the Ukrainian context, so my mission was to describe how it happens. I wanted first to introduce them to our culture and then tell them about our history and brave people. Nothing captivates people like food, so I decided to cook Ukrainian traditional cuisine borshch for the group. And they could give thanks by donating to our army. Two goals were achieved: in this way, we joined the victory of Ukraine, and international students learned more about my culture and Ukraine in general. (Video here) Furthermore, this program consisted of traveling in Central Europe, so we were in Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. The best opportunity to combine hard work and funny nights is to catch the moment as we did during our trips. Besides, I realized how similar we are: international students also can have responsible preparation for the test after a crazy night or submitting a task at the last minute. Because previously thought these related to Ukrainian students only, but fortunately, I

YTYauheni Turavetsevgeniytyrovez · 15 Δεκ 2017Διάβασμα

A little bit of everything Cape May is a cozy little resort town, the southernmost point of New Jersey, located right on the Atlantic coast. According to Wikipedia, the population of Cape May as of 2010 was 3.6 thousand. But in the summer, this number usually grows to 40 thousand, and that is truly the case. According to Travel Channel, Cape May is among the top 10 beaches in the USA. Standing on the ocean shore for the first time, you catch yourself staring at the mighty water element, spellbound, simply enjoying the moment. It’s impossible to put into words, although, of course, it doesn't compare to the impressions of seeing the REAL New York for the first time. But more on that below. Beauty of the Atlantic Ocean The house where we lived We lived outside the city, renting a room on a summer veranda for four people. I had the chance to work in one of the best restaurants in Cape May – 410 Bank Street restaurant. We got to work by bicycle. I worked as a kitchen prep – in Russian, a kitchen assistant. My job involved cleaning and chopping vegetables and fruits, making salads, and peeling shrimp. I liked the work. But at the same time, there were some difficulties – I’ll be honest, I hadn't really held a knife in my hands before. The chef demanded fast and precise task execution. I had to learn everything quickly, so the first week became a very serious test of resilience and patience, which (I believe) I passed quite well. In the restaurant, I worked with people from different countries: Serbia, Puerto Rico, Romania, Italy, and Russia. At work, I spoke mostly in English. It was not only a good experience interacting with people of different mentalities but also excellent practice for my English and expanding my vocabulary. For the first two weeks, I had to learn the names of products on the fly and remember where everything was in the kitchen; I had to ask things two, three, or even more times. It is worth noting that the chef was friendly and always ready to explain and help. My conclusion is: don't be afraid that you will do something wrong and get fired for it. Americans are very friendly, open people, ready to listen to you and help with words and deeds. The main thing is to be hardworking, self-confident, and just believe that everything will work out! After some time, I knew exactly what I needed to do and how, and the chef appreciated it, which also led to a raise. At first, I earned $9.5 an hour, so to speak, I was on probation. After 3 weeks, my salary was increased to $10 an hour. I tried to give my all every day, working more than the 8 hours stipulated by the contract. I also want to say that our restaurant had so-called overtime. After working more than 40 hours a week, we received $15 per hour for each hour of overtime, which, of course, was very pleasing. And now a few words about the second job. At the second job, I also worked in a restaurant. The Blue Rose restaurant, according to Google, was among the top 5 restaurants in Cape May in 2016. I worked as a dish-washer, which, in my opinion, is one of the least favorite positions among students. My workday started at the first restaurant at 8 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m., then at the second – from 5 p.m. to 12 p.m. I had one day off a week, very rarely two. One week I even had to work all seven days. At Blue Rose, I worked as a dish-washer for more than 2 months, and it was a kind of record because, before that, no one had worked that long in this position. Honestly, it was quite hard because I was on my feet all day. Most of all, I lacked sleep – we slept 4-5 hours a day. But I proved to myself that I can and I know how! There were also funny incidents at work. Together with my friend (we both worked at Blue Rose), we had to unload a garage full of accumulated paper. We didn't even notice how, out of nowhere, a skunk appeared!!! And what do you think, this stinker kept us from working. It kept walking around us, entered our garage, and we couldn't do anything)) Af

GSGaliyabanu Seytimovabanu1995 · 12 Δεκ 2017Διάβασμα

Friends are so important in my life. I am a very friendly person, but it is so rare to meet people who are truly kindred spirits. This trip gave me kind, fun, and loyal friends from the USA, Turkey, Mexico, Belarus, and Serbia. I'll start with the Americans. As it turns out, they are truly a very sweet and responsive people. If a person offers you help with great enthusiasm, or smiles at you as you walk by... or even when someone shouts "hi" from across the street, even though they don't even know you, rest assured - they are American!!! I found a true American friend! And I know for sure that this is for life! As for the Belarusians and Serbs, they are already close in spirit to the Russian people, so making friends with them was as easy as pie. Mexicans are a very cheerful and positive people... who know how to enjoy life! And that is what I want to strive for... We are planning to visit our friends in Mexico soon. Spending weekends together... sunbathing on the beach, going shopping, trying American food, meeting new interesting people, practicing languages, traveling, watching sunrises and sunsets by the ocean... All this is immeasurable happiness... Especially when you have such friends with you!!! They are now always with me in life! And that means America hasn't gone anywhere...

OOOralbek Otegulovjohnfkennedy · 29 Νοε 2015Διάβασμα

America was created for everyone and it is full of fun. You can live there as you want. Of course under the American laws. You have the rights and duties. If you are under 21, you can’t drink alcohol. It’s prohibited by Federal law. During my trip in America I found a lot of friends from different countries of the world. Most of my friends are from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Turkey etc. We are still keeping in touch. Some of them invited me to see their countries. And I decided to write something about them. The first person who I met in Rehoboth Beach was Mirela Balan – helpful Balkan girl. She is very friendly, intelligent, attractive, beautiful and clever. She is from Romania and she has been living in America for some years. When I was working in Corner Grille as kitchen assistant, she also worked there as waitress. She is really nice person and true friend. I dream to see her again and I believe that my dream will come true in one day… Rehoboth Beach is full of students from all over the world. We meet most of them on the street, on buses, in churches. The next friends I met were Monika Mageranova and Didi Ilieva from Bulgaria. We met while we were going to the Walmart supermarket. Monika helped me choose a phone. Before that, I walked around for 3-4 days without a phone. Yes, walking without a phone is not an easy task. At this moment, I realized that our lives are completely tied to mobile phones. When we are in our country, if something happens, we immediately run to the phone. Following this habit, I also reached for the phone in my pocket, took it in my hand, and only after looking at the screen did I realize that it couldn't help me here. Only then did I wake up. Even though there were people all around, I felt lonely. I really had no one there. I didn't even have a phone with Wi-Fi to access the internet. Others at least had these phones. But I had nothing at all. The French language, which I had been struggling to learn for years, was of no use. My only weapon in my hand was the English language. From this moment on, I realized that it is a very powerful weapon. Only when I mastered this weapon freely did my life improve. Yes, English is truly the most powerful weapon in the world. If every Kazakh child masters this weapon perfectly, no enemy can defeat us. I met many people in America. It is impossible to write about all of them individually. I will only briefly touch upon the most noteworthy ones. One of the people who left a special impression on me was a Kosovar girl, Arjeta Zabeli. I met her on August 20, 2014, when I went to the state of Pennsylvania. - Hi! - Hi! - What’s your name? - Arjeta. - Oralbek. - Nice to meet you! - Nice to meet you too! Where are you from? - Kosova. - Kosova? Oh, really? - Yes… Do you know Kosova? - Yes, I know Kosova. - Where is it? - It’s in Balkan Peninsula. Between Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia. She was wondered and said: “You are the first person who knows Kosova. Nobody knows Kosova here”. - I know. It’s new country… That’s why most of people don’t know about it. - How do you know Kosova? - I like politics. I know your President Ibrahim …(I couldn’t remember his last name) - Ibrahim? Our President is woman…. - I know. Your first President… Who was his last name…? - Do you mean Ibrahim Rugova? - Yes! Ibrahim Rugova. He was very nice person… She was very surprised when she found out that I also knew about Ibrahim Rugova. Because even about Kazakhstan, which gained independence in 1991, many people in America do not know much, let alone Kosova, which gained independence only in 2008. If they know, they only know from movies. Yes, Ibrahim Rugova was indeed a good person. But he did not live to see his country gain independence. He passed away 2 years before independence, in 2006, at the age of 61. I never thought I would meet people from a small country located on the Balkan Peninsula in America. I met such a pure creation of nature for the first time in

IBIuliia Balchinovafdsapoiuytrewq · 19 Δεκ 2014Διάβασμα

Oh... Wildwood... :)) I just want to sing songs to this wonderful city that gave us amazing memories. Now, in winter, I especially often remember those sunny days and I really want to go to the ocean) By mid-June, we started working on our offer while looking for a second job. The second place turned out to be a bakery. Yes, yes, those very donuts... aaa... it's just lovely. We worked there on weekends because, I repeat, the season was just beginning. My friend stayed to work full-time, and I found a job at a pizzeria. So, to manage to make all the donuts, cinnamon buns, sticky buns, muffins, and other goodies, my friend started working at 4-5 AM. We almost didn't see each other because I would come home after two jobs at 11 PM when she was already asleep, and she would leave when I was sleeping) By July, when the town was filled with tourists (the Americans themselves), the harsh working days began. Everyone was busy at work, so there was no time to lounge on the beach. But... work is work, but you also need to have fun)) It all started with my birthday. For the first time, I celebrated it so far from home. My guys woke me up at five in the morning with a bouquet of roses, balloons, and a huge cake with candles. So nice :))))))))))) A few days later, fellow countrymen from New York arrived. And as a gift, they brought tickets to the Six Flags amusement park ^) Real roller coasters...!!! Watching the videos here at home, I experience the same emotions again, or rather: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!". Haha. During all this time, each of us managed to make a bunch of acquaintances from different cities of Russia and other countries. In general, the program gives an incredible chance to meet people from all over the world... For example, my friends became guys from Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Egypt, Romania, Turkey, Slovakia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. And I am incredibly happy about this. And of course, friends from Yekaterinburg, Ufa, and Penza were added. Speaking of Penza. I met Nastya at work at the hotel, and she was the one who invited me to the Russian Party, which was held every Thursday at the local club, the Deck. That's how our party August began. Of course, no one forgot about work! :) Gradually, we started going out to Atlantic City, which is an hour's drive from Wildwood) Atlantic City is a smaller copy of Las Vegas. The second gambling center of the USA. But I wasn't interested in casinos, but shopping... Heaps of brand-name stores and eyes running wild) I think the girls will understand me. Although our guys didn't lag behind either :) Also in August, I started to realize that in 1.5 months it would be time to return home. Therefore, we tried to live every day to the fullest :))) All this time we lived as a friendly Buryat family. The most important thing is that when you come home from work, tired and exhausted, and see the faces of your guys, who also weren't lounging on the beach, it gets better. Especially when they greet you with a delicious dinner and cheerful chatter about how the day went :)) A huge THANK YOU to them for this! :)))))) p.s. While working, don't forget about parties :) Meet people, smile, have a blast. Such a summer is a gift)

IBIuliia Balchinovafdsapoiuytrewq · 10 Δεκ 2014Διάβασμα

8 pm. Wildwood Bus Terminal stop. We finally arrived in what is now our FAVORITE city. This is exactly where we were going to work and hang out all summer) Back in Russia, I was looking for housing, i.e., I found a house and agreed with the landlady about our arrival. She met us, brought us to the house, we discussed all the terms (don't worry, we spoke in Russian because the girl is from Ukraine) and went in search of food, otherwise our stomachs would have digested themselves. Wildwood has a famous Boardwalk, i.e., a street along the ocean where there are a bunch of shops, cafes, and 6 amusement parks. That's where we went. We thought for a long time about which cafe to go to, and in the end, terribly hungry, we ran into the Hot Spot pizzeria. At that time, I didn't even think that later I would become friends with a guy from Serbia who was our waiter that evening. That evening we walked along the Boardwalk and couldn't believe our eyes. Everything we had repeatedly searched for on the internet back home was real and tangible at that moment. Plus, we arrived during the holidays—Memorial weekend—so there were a lot of people and it was very fun..:))) The next day we went to work. Wildwood is quite small, but we looked for our hotel for a long time) Finally, we found it and talked to our employer. Americans are indeed very smiley and positive. The hotel owner was no exception. But we were only supposed to start working on June 15th, because the season only started then. In the meantime, she advised us to look for a second job. The weather was wonderful and, of course, we went to gaze at the ocean. Oh....... it's such beauty!!!!!!:))))))))) By the end of May, the rest of the guys (from Ulan-Ude) arrived, and the issue of housing became urgent. The conditions that the landlady offered us, to put it mildly, did not suit us. In general, the situation ended in a small conflict, and we started looking for other options. Fortunately, our employer suggested where we could find housing for the same money. We immediately ran there, and the owner of the house, Tim—a real American—accepted us. We paid $600 a week for the whole apartment. Yes, it's a bit expensive; in principle, you can find a place cheaper, but we didn't bother. And we did the right thing. We lived there all summer:))))))))))) Although the situation with our first housing turned out unsuccessfully, it gave us the opportunity to meet cool guys from Kosovo. The guys are cool, smiley, friendly, and their English is head and shoulders better than mine. So at first, I felt uncomfortable talking to them; more precisely, I was shy about my English. The guys, moreover, are very hospitable. During the few days we lived in the same house, I kept many pleasant memories. We went grocery shopping as a whole gang, played Twister (laughing until we dropped), and even managed to throw a party. It was cool:) I want to say, guys, don't be afraid of troubles, they will undoubtedly happen) Just enjoy the trip. And then in any problem, you will be able to see its pluses. p.s. We still keep in touch. We chat on Facebook))

СМСергей Мигинmigin94 · 19 Δεκ 2014Διάβασμα

From East to West. Once I decided to attend a conference on student recruitment for the Work and Travel program, I realized that very same day that this trip would radically change my life and me as well. You know, that is exactly how it turned out! For the first time in my life, I crossed the Atlantic Ocean. And I remember the turbulence zone near Greenland... Oooooh, how I sweated during those minutes) Twice I was left alone on the platform and thought: "Should I just leave and go wherever my eyes take me?!" And at that moment, for some reason, I kept remembering the words of my father, who said that if I stayed, he would come for me and take me back anyway... Hmm, I guess that's why I didn't stay after all) Three times I visited New York, and, yeeees, this city never left me indifferent! Four times I flew on a plane, and twice I crossed the states from East to West and back. Five times I almost played roulette in Las Vegas with my last money) Six times I swam in the ocean all summer, am I an idiot for doing it so little? Seven times I fell off my bike until I learned to ride without hands. Eight times throughout the summer I returned home from a party in the morning, but upon waking up, I didn't remember how. Nine. That's how many miles I walked on deserted roads with the help of GPS. Ask why? I was looking for the port where the ferry to New Jersey departs. And finally, I visited ten states all summer, and honestly, for a person who was in the USA for the first time, I consider it a success. I'll start, perhaps, with how I arrived in New York after a 16-hour flight from Astana via Moscow. It is impossible to describe in a couple of sentences the feeling when I walked down the ramp, meeting people with signs, just like in the movies. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I completely forgot my English... After fifteen minutes of being in my best emotions, I even forgot that I hadn't slept for almost 26 hours since the moment I got into the car and went with my parents from my native Ekibastuz to Astana, full of hopes and plans, especially the anticipation of seeing what I could only dream of a year ago while sitting at another conference meeting about participating in the program. Continuing to look at the signs with names, I realized that I didn't see my name, just as I didn't see the name of the organization that was supposed to meet me and take me to the city where I would have to start working: Ocean City, Maryland. And here I slowly begin to return to reality and realize that it is already 3:30 PM, and I have to be at work tomorrow at 12:00 sharp! And it takes at least 7 hours by bus. And that's when panic started to set in! Along with this, I tried to remember reasonable English sentences to explain at the information desk that I needed a phone for an urgent call, to which a pleasant woman in a blue-and-white suit replied to me more than once with such a French accent: "Do you happen to speak French, guy?" Realizing that I definitely wouldn't get to Ocean City like this, I started asking people who were sitting and possibly waiting for their flight. I was actually very amazed by the kindness of Americans; every person I asked something helped me one way or another. After numerous calls from various numbers to the organization that was supposed to meet me, I finally found a way out. To be specific, they redirected me to another terminal, to other people who also arrived from different countries like me, waiting for instructions and a minibus. After a half-hour wait with my new "waiting friends," a man named Damian arrived. I even thought: "A strange name for an American." And he turned out to be Romanian. He directed us to a minibus, and my new friends from Turkey, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and, I think, Serbia, with whom we exchanged a couple of sentences, were already sitting and falling asleep in the minibus in anticipation that we would soon be there, in a new home, and with new people... After waking up 7 hours