Kingston: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

ASAyaulym Seidollaayaulym210103 · Jan 10, 2023Read

"If you want to change the world, start with yourself." M. Gandhi Every person always strives to be better, stronger, younger, and more beautiful. They want to change themselves, their surroundings, and their lives for the better as much as possible. For example, people always strive for higher-ranking jobs, want to earn more, and even if their mobile phone is not outdated, they try to buy a new model every year. I was one of those many people. I was looking for opportunities that, with the resources I had, would provide food for my life, bring fresh ideas, and, most importantly, change my perspective on life at a wider angle. That is why, on October 9, 2021, while returning from my first debate tournament of my student life, I met a graduate of that year's Work and Travel program and decided to take a big step. And it took me a whole week to convince my mother, who didn't even want to send her only daughter to study in Almaty, let alone snowy Karaganda. Once this goal was achieved, Ayaulym, having rolled up her sleeves, started with the first step — getting a passport... Even when I was applying for the program and getting my visa, I didn't believe that I would go to the USA and see that place. For me, a simple girl from a simple village where no one in the family had ever seen abroad, this was an absolutely impossible dream. My first reason for wanting to go was that I wanted to prove to myself that it was possible to go abroad. I have many dreams, like showing my mother all the best things in the world, and to believe that my dream would come true, I had to go abroad myself first. Secondly, I dreamed of meeting people who look at life through a completely different prism. Their consciousness has been raised in a different mentality, in a different society and environment since they opened their eyes. Just think, for new people, the meaning of the value of friendship that we are used to is completely different. Their dining etiquette and even their greeting etiquette are completely different. It feels like falling into another world. While interacting with them, you notice how they look at every little thing; maybe something that is unimportant to you is equal to the whole world for them? Thousands of such questions did not give my mind any peace. I longed for that world so much that it became a habit for me to imagine in my head how a person raised in a different mentality would react to every situation happening in my life. (Maybe this is what visualization is?) As for my budding career, new acquaintances and friendships, and even a new place seemed to be an endless experience that this program would provide for teaching and understanding students with different characters that I would encounter in the future. The more places I visit and the more I try to get to know people, the easier it will be for me to understand and teach my various students. As you can see, I had very high hopes for the USA. I believed that it would change me completely and have a positive effect on all spheres of my life. Yes, that's what happened. As soon as I arrived, the people, the streets, and everything that was new to me began to teach me a new life. But what changed me the most was something completely different... It was only the 5th day of working at a seafood restaurant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where I went. My friend, with whom I lived and worked, and I set off for our 5 p.m. shift. We used to go to work by bicycle from a town called Kingston to Plymouth, 7 km away. Since there were no bike paths on the whole road, we were riding on the sidewalk. After riding 2-3 km, I lost control of the bicycle handlebars, fell from the sidewalk onto the road, and landed on my right knee. The bicycle fell right on my knee, and my right knee was "sandwiched" between the asphalt and the bicycle iron. Not fully understanding what had happened, I just stood up and started cleaning the dirt from my bleeding arms and legs. I got back on my bicycle and wen