Arménia: Guia de viagem, vistos e alojamento gratuito · 2026

OOOleksandra Onystiukonystyuko · 10 de jan. de 2023Ler

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

GGuestUser16 de dez. de 2018Ler

- Hi! How ‘r u doing? That’s exactly how every morning in the States started, with those very words😃 And not just at work, but even before reaching it. Our neighbors would always chat with us while walking their dogs in the morning, and it set the mood for the whole day! Speaking of stereotypes. Yes, they really do smile all the time, and they wave for no reason from their cars while waiting at a traffic light. For someone from Russia, this seems wild and hard to process, but that’s only at the beginning. After all, it’s much nicer to see smiling people than those who are grumpy and eternally dissatisfied with their lives! (I generally don’t understand people who whine). Now a little about the little girl who dreamed of this trip since childhood, sitting in front of the TV screen watching Disney cartoons. I always studied English, but I didn’t love it because there was no real practice, and nothing motivated me.. Last year, my best friend went on a Work and Travel USA program, and after listening to her, I started studying absolutely everything and thinking about where to find the money 💰 Thanks to my family, who fully financed me. And by the way, for those who are afraid that the program won’t pay off: it all pays off!!! Especially if you aren’t lazy, and if you put in the effort, you can even make a pretty good profit there! Believe me! And don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. I was supposed to fly with two classmates; we were all in our 4th year, meaning this year was essentially the last chance to get to the States. But things didn’t work out for my friends, and I was left all alone literally right before the visa interview. I said to hell with it, packed up, and went to get a ticket to my dream. And yes, hooray! I heard that very phrase: “your visa is approved” 😍😍 My journey began on June 2nd. As the Americans later said about me, “travel of a little Armenian baby,” ahahaha. I was headed to an island in North Carolina. I didn’t even really understand on the map where I would be living for 3 whole months. I had a good flight (thanks to Aeroflot👍), but when I had to explain to the customs officer why I had arrived, where I was going, etc., I felt for the first time what a language barrier is! Everything we study for so many years in schools, universities, and courses is complete nonsense, guys. Language is practice, practice, and more practice! When I reached the island, I realized that I would be living for 3 months like Robinson Crusoe (almost, just with Wi-Fi). I arrived at the house where I was supposed to live, and there was no one there, and that was the only address I had. Then I tried to look up the address of the hotel where I was supposed to work. We drove there, I ran in with my bags, and started asking in a panic, “Where am I? Did I get to the right place?” Phew, thank God, it was the right destination. They looked at me very strangely because they couldn’t even pronounce my name. When they finally took me home, I looked around the island and only then realized that on one side was the bay, and on the other, the Atlantic Ocean! And it is unrealistically mesmerizing! About work. The rate was $9.25 per hour. In principle, it was enough for everything. We were clever, worked longer than necessary. Sometimes we goofed off. I forgot to say, I worked as a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn Express. The team was good. Of course, not without rats and snitches, but on the whole, we were very lucky. Americans won’t argue with you; they just go and immediately tattle on you to the supervisor or the hotel’s general manager, for example. And if you really don’t get along, Black women might explain things to you differently and put you in your place. In general, it’s better not to show off too much there, at least in the beginning. I was paired with a Black girl named Deja, and I absolutely didn’t understand what she was saying. Dialects across America are so different that sometimes my head was spinning. They g

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · 1 de fev. de 2015Ler

This is where the hardest moments of the entire season begin. Saying goodbye. Life in Glacier has returned to its usual harmony. The season has ended, just like summer. There are fewer visitors here, the restaurant's profits have dropped sharply, and there is more and more free time. At the same time, the weather in the surrounding mountains is getting worse and worse, and at night you can already feel the rapid approach of winter. And it is so quiet around the restaurant that wild animals are coming out of the forest more and more often. In September, everyone quietly starts packing their suitcases and telling you about their plans for the coming weeks. And usually, from mid-September or even earlier, the daily departures of your ex-colleagues home or to travel begin. They all want to see something else. Places like Vegas, LA, Seattle, etc. You understand yourself that it is terribly difficult to see all this. Especially since it turned out that I left with a group of friends as one of the last ones, leaving only 3 people behind. We had a girl from Armenia who also once arrived on a program and somehow stayed to live in the States. And now, for the 8th year, she comes to work at this restaurant for the season from California. And every year she promises everyone and herself that she will not get attached to anyone, because parting later takes a heavy toll. Yes, at that moment I understood her. Even those people you didn't really appreciate and spent little time with, you suddenly realize how much you don't want to part with them. Or you sit and look at the packed belongings of your only local compatriot, which adds extra weight to your heart. At such moments, you think it's best to leave early and not think about all this. Perhaps it's better to go traveling earlier, but you don't want to leave either. The problem of choice. You choose, and people leave, hanging extra weights on your heart. Then, one fine day, two of my three closest friends left. Including Evgeni. Then, the next day, I couldn't find a place for myself at all. It also happened that I worked alone all morning, so I thought a lot and felt nostalgic. In short, it was a bad idea.

АБАлександр БолдаковVIRUS666 · 31 de out. de 2011Ler

Los Angeles!!!!! Since I was a kid, I had a dream to see that very Hollywood sign on the hill!! I had such a huge grin when it finally happened!! Anyway, let's go in order!! It so happened that those students didn't answer their phones, and I ended up walking around Downtown all night ))) ooh, I walked everywhere!! And with all my stuff too! By morning I got hungry, went into Jack in the Box, saw bulletproof glass, and realized I had wandered into a dangerous Mexican neighborhood ))) The next day I called, and it turned out the phone was under my pillow on silent! Anyway, I arrived, there were 7 people living there!! The apartment was right on Hollywood Boulevard!! I lived there for 2 weeks, I'd leave in the morning and come back late at night!! I walked around and explored the city!! First, of course, I walked the entire Hollywood Boulevard itself, which took a few days because I went into every little shop, filmed everything on camera, and looked at all the stars on the sidewalk!! The boulevard itself is several kilometers long, and there are stars on the sidewalk on both sides of the street!! Every day, there were flowers or candles lying by Michael Jackson's star! There were constantly some kind of amateur performances happening there on the boulevard! By the way, a few streets away from the boulevard is the 'Little Armenia' neighborhood, where mostly Armenians live! Next stop: Universal Studios. It's about a 20-minute subway ride from Hollywood Boulevard. By the way, the subway is very clean, unlike NY's. So, there are lots of shops with movie souvenirs there!! And crowds of tourists! And the third neighborhood I managed to visit was Long Beach. Nothing remarkable there. It takes about an hour to get there from Downtown by subway!! Such a quiet little place with lots of hotels, yachts, and ships! I'll talk about Downtown separately; it has the tallest building in California, 310 meters!! It's home to an architectural wonder of the world: the Walt Disney Concert Hall! Downtown is divided into old and new! Next to the new skyscrapers are old, restored buildings from the beginning of the last century!! Next to Downtown is Chinatown! Of course, everything is in Chinese there, Chinese people everywhere, and cheap clothes!! I bought 4 hats there )) the neighborhood is very clean, not like in NY. Basically, the reason I didn't manage to go anywhere else was that I spent so much time in clothing stores!!! I could walk around for hours!! I also visited a buffet a few times; the selection there was definitely much bigger than in Bakersfield! I spent an average of 2-3 hours in the buffet )))))) until I ate my fill twice!!! I can say about the city that it is very clean!!! And food prices are reasonable!! There was a case where I decided to ride the subway for free as usual, and suddenly 3 inspectors walked in at once, so I didn't even have time to get out; they walked in right before departure! Well, I didn't lose my cool, I confidently showed him an old ticket, and he didn't even look at it )))) Anyway, I got lucky, otherwise, it would have been a $300 fine! Damn, my money is running out, and I've already started thinking about how to get to NY cheaper. Completely by accident, I found an ad in a VK group from 2 students looking for a 3rd person to join their team ))) they were driving from west to east by car! Well, I jumped on it, they picked me up, and that's when my great American road trip began!!!

Gguest_160071 de out. de 2009Ler

Our next visits to Hollywood were more informative))) You know, the district itself consists of numerous neighborhoods, such as Little Armenia, Thai Town, etc. And on Hollywood Boulevard itself, you can meet all the nationalities of the world. Of course, most of them are Chinese)))) ahahaha))) they are everywhere))) On the boulevard, you won't believe it, there are more than 2500 stars. Every time I visited, I noticed a new star! Of course, the stars of the most popular and famous actors and prominent people are located near the Kodak, the Chinese Theatre, and the Highland Center. These are Charlize Theron, Tom Cruise, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, etc. There are even stars for Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Victoria's Secret, and the baseball team. In the Highland Center, there are some of the coolest shops. There are both democratic brands like Forever 21 and ones like Louis Vuitton. And there are a few shops like ones I haven't seen anywhere else. I don't remember what they are called, but they are very interestingly decorated and they sell very cool things. Photos from these shops can be found in my photo album. Another plus of the shopping center: on the square inside the center (it is semi-open), tickets for tours of Warner Brothers are sold, and most importantly – an excellent view of the HOLLYWOOD sign on the hills. From the shopping center, you can go straight to the Kodak Center. You can purchase tickets for upcoming events or a tour of the cinema, where they will tell you about its history, how and where exactly the famous Oscars are held. Opposite the shopping center is the El Capitan cinema. It belongs to Disney. Nearby is McDonald's-Hollywood. Inside, there are portraits of actors hanging, and at the exit, there is the star of Marilyn Monroe. It is rare to see it clean and shiny. But there are endless crowds of people wanting to take a picture with the star of the screen goddess. By the way, the most popular and beloved stars of Americans, as we noticed, are Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Their portraits and souvenirs with their image can be found absolutely everywhere. With Marilyn Monroe, it's a separate topic. Permanent exhibitions, performances in her honor, statues, and much more are constantly appearing in the USA, especially in Los Angeles. Also on the boulevard, you can meet guys, most of them are rappers, wanting to make it big. That's why they try to push their discs, already with an autograph, to everyone (naturally, not for free). You can also buy a ticket right on the street for a sightseeing tour of LA, which includes a visit to the Hollywood History Museum, Kodak theater, Celebrities houses, Walk of fame, and much more.