Nantes: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

VIVioletta IvanovaDec 8, 2017Read

Did you sin at night, Desdemona? This is a question I could, and even should, have asked myself every time I went to sleep on that side of the hemisphere on the island of Nantucket. Nope, I was never known for a wild obsession with healthy eating. Balanced eating - sure. Everything changed after the very first COUPLE OF WEEKS in the States. America, America, what are you doing? And what it does, or rather what this country produces, is so many delicious things, unknown to us Russians, that you don't even notice how your body starts going crazy from all these tastings of American products. We need to start from the basics, so to speak. It's not that I hadn't been to large supermarkets at all, don't get me wrong. It's all about what you can find in them. Rapid heartbeat, palms start to sweat, and the right eye starts twitching quietly. No, these are not the sensations before a first job interview, and not even the feelings I experienced before an interview at the embassy. This is exactly how I used to sneak up to my favorite antidepressant on the island where I worked in the summer - Stop and Shop. Two words, one supermarket, just me and American goodies. (and a shopping cart in my hands, of course) BUT I'm not in a hurry to talk about those very tempting chocolates, or about that WIDEST assortment of ice cream (although no, I will say that you simply must try Ben & Jerry's ice cream). PS: I'll clarify - the Phish food flavor is my favorite :)))) Or how about roasting those very marshmallows over a campfire? And snacking on it with a legendary Hershey's chocolate bar. Yumm! So, what was I talking about? Ah, yes, the goal of my narrative is not at all to recommend products in supermarkets (you will find that out yourself upon arrival in the States at the first grocery store you come across). I want to tell you how, in my subsequent trips, I tried to avoid all this abundance. I don't deny it, it was difficult.. The fact is that healthy eating in America, and let's be honest, in Russia, is not something everyone can afford. Well, for example, if I wanted to cook myself dinner, a full dinner, the costs were no less than 15 dollars (I want to note that the setting is the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, where I spent three summers on the Work and Travel program). Since the picture on the right looked like my (and my friend's) "weekend" breakfast. It's an expensive business.. but it's worth it. The cutest, atmospheric place called "Island kitchen" is just a big concentration of care and love, which is so lacking far from home. But, of course, you can't eat like that every day. Photo on the left - independent attempts at a quick and healthy breakfast. Of course, oatmeal, sir, and lots and lots of cinnamon (I mean A LOT, we are in America after all ;). They really love it there. Surely, I'm not the only one who noticed.) Let's return to the topic of "price-quality" of products. For comparison, something like "dry rations" or semi-finished products cost me 4-5 dollars. A significant difference, right? Right. But, now for a second, it should be noted: a) the time spent on cooking while having several jobs was quite significant b) pizza, sandwiches, ready-made fried chicken, and crackers after a while began to manifest themselves brightly in the wrong places. So, all those stories you've heard from your Work and Travel friends are true. Bringing back extra kilograms from America as a bonus along with good impressions from the trip is very possible. The second and third time I arrived on the island, I cooled down a bit towards my antidepressant - the supermarket, and no longer rushed to it headlong after a hard day's work. I found a way out in very convenient and accessible ready-to-eat food delivery apps. There are a lot of them in America. Just as many as there are types of ice cream. (oops) But still, I won't hide the fact that it was my bitter experience in the first year of getting to know America that pushed me to find the answer t

VIVioletta IvanovaDec 1, 2017Read

"Wait, you're going there again, Viol?" EVERYONE would say to me. I am exactly that person who, while descending the airplane stairs at the Kaliningrad airport, is already thinking, "Okay... tomorrow I'm going to the agency to submit my application for next summer." The diagnosis is clear. Hi, I'm Viola and I have an America-addiction. It all started out cute. I'll go, I'll see what it's actually like over there across the ocean. Well, look at how I imagined the West back then. Oh, that mass of stereotypes like "all Americans eat McDonald's, and for breakfast, it's only donuts or cereal. And it's all washed down with Coca-Cola or coffee from Starbucks, of course." Three years ago, that was all the information I had about the hyped-up States. Guys, attention! I will never be able to convey the true reality in which I lived for three summers in a row. Now, a moment has come in my life when, while filling out my personal data on the "Your address" line, my hand inadvertently starts writing "Nantucket, Massachusetts." Why? Because for four months a year, this place was my home across the ocean. Three years in a row, I found myself on the main street of this island and, with tears in my eyes, said, "I'm back... I'm here again." Yes, it gets you hooked. Yes, all those opportunities that open up for you in this country are tempting. Starting with the incredibly accessible retail industry, whose representatives are ready to deliver anything you want, whenever you want. I am, of course, referring to online shopping, which didn't pass me by. "Typical girl," you might say. No, I was just taking advantage of the moment. How many troubles I went through with the Russian Post in an attempt to get my hands on coveted branded items and cosmetics that you can't find in my hometown... it's scary to remember. In America, such things are so refined that you can't help but be happy, though you can't earn enough for all these purchases. To be useful, and not just wordy, I want to recommend a couple of websites to the girls and boys. There are always great deals at 6pm, Lulus, Zappos, and Sephora. Next, I'm telling you directly what to expect from your linguistic abilities. To understand, my background in this regard was quite decent. I always studied English diligently, passed international exams well, and had been to English-speaking countries before visiting the States. And now, a confession... I thank my first Work and Travel USA for realizing how useless our knowledge is without practice. All those present and past tenses, and especially the present perfect, etc., are useless to no one when your vocabulary is a bit thin, or when you, in principle, haven't practiced your speaking even once. Just speak, and speak again. Fact number 1. I understood everyone and everything. Fact number 2. No one understood me. Accent. Incoherent speech. That's what I observed in myself during my first month in America. And I thought that once I started babbling, there would be no stopping me. Practice saved me. There were no Russian speakers in my circle, not a single person. So, after a couple of weeks, I started speaking like a pro. And you will speak too. And everything will work out. "Oh, I'll go to America and then I'll have American friends," we think. And you will. And yes, they are just as friendly as your acquaintances tell you. Yes, they will always say hello and wish you a good day. Yes, that's the mentality, and their friendliness isn't always sincere. But it's all done with good intentions and you can't help but be flattered. Let's be honest now... it's much more pleasant to see snow-white smiles than their gloomy grimaces every day on the subway and buses. I think you understood my hint... alas, this is something I would really like to see in our country. Every time I arrive at Moscow airport after an American summer, this is what strikes the eye. Then you don't even notice how your smile of all 32 teeth is replaced by an upside-down smiley face. What

VIVioletta IvanovaDec 1, 2017Read

"Wait, you're going there again, Viol?" EVERYONE would say to me. I am exactly that person who, while descending the plane stairs at the Kaliningrad airport, is already thinking, "Okay... tomorrow I'm going to the agency to apply for next summer." The diagnosis is clear. Hi, I'm Viola and I have an America-addiction. It all started out cute. I'll go, I'll see what it's actually like over there across the ocean. Well, look at how I imagined the West back then. Oh, that mass of stereotypes like "all Americans eat McDonald's, and for breakfast, it's only donuts or cereal. And it's all washed down with Coca-Cola or coffee from Starbucks, of course." Three years ago, that was all the information I had about the hyped-up States. Guys, attention! I will never be able to convey the true reality in which I lived for three summers in a row. Now, a moment has come in my life when, while filling out my personal data on the "Your address" line, my hand inadvertently starts writing "Nantucket, Massachusetts." Why? Because for four months a year, this place was my home across the ocean. Three years in a row, I found myself on the main street of this island and, with tears in my eyes, said, "I'm back... I'm here again." Yes, it gets you hooked. Yes, all those opportunities that open up for you in this country are tempting. Starting with the incredibly accessible retail industry, whose representatives are ready to deliver anything you want, whenever you want. I am, of course, referring to online shopping, which didn't pass me by. "Typical girl," you might say. No, I was just taking advantage of the moment. How many troubles I endured with the Russian Post in an attempt to get my hands on coveted branded items and cosmetics that you can't find in my hometown... it's scary to remember. In America, such things are so refined that you can't help but be happy, though you can't earn enough for all these purchases. To be useful, and not just wordy, I want to recommend a couple of websites to the girls and boys. There are always great deals at 6pm, Lulus, Zappos, and Sephora. Next, I'm telling you directly what to expect from your linguistic abilities. To understand, my background in this regard was quite decent. I always studied English diligently, passed international exams well, and had been to English-speaking countries before visiting the States. And now, a confession... I thank my first Work and Travel USA for realizing how useless our knowledge is without practice. All those present and past tenses, and especially the present perfect, etc., are useless when your vocabulary is meager, or when you, in principle, have never practiced your speaking. Just speak, and speak again. Fact number 1. I understood everyone and everything. Fact number 2. No one understood me. Accent. Incoherent speech. That's what I observed in myself during the first month in America. And I thought that once I started babbling, there would be no stopping me. Practice saved me. There were no Russian speakers in my circle, not a single person. So, after a couple of weeks, I started speaking like a pro. And you will speak too. And everything will work out. "Oh, I'll go to America and then I'll have American friends," we think. And you will. And yes, they are just as friendly as your acquaintances tell you. Yes, they will always say hello and wish you a good day. Yes, that's the mentality, and their friendliness isn't always sincere. But it's all done with good intentions and you can't help but be flattered. Let's be honest now... it's much more pleasant to see snow-white smiles than their gloomy grimaces every day on the subway and buses. I think you understood my hint... alas, this is something I would really like to see in our country. Every time I arrive at Moscow airport after an American summer, this is exactly what strikes the eye. Then you don't even notice how your smile of 32 teeth is replaced by an upside-down smiley face. What IS the next opportunity? Work and inval