Outer Banks: o que há por perto, como chegar e quando ir · 2026

ДЕДарья Евдокименкоevdokimenko_dari · 21 de mai. de 2016Ler

It wasn't my first time going abroad, but I was still a bit nervous about heading to a foreign country for a full 4 months, especially to a tiny town called Avon in North Carolina (Avon, NC), which I'll try to tell you about. After googling for weeks on both Russian and American resources, I couldn't find any particularly useful information. Knowing what it's like to go alone into the complete unknown, I want to share my experience working in the small town of Avon and the Outer Banks islands in general. The first thing I did was check the island's location on Google Maps. I have to say, I wanted to cry right then and there... So much for my dreams of California or Florida! A tiny dot in the ocean—that was my home for 4 months. To get to the Outer Banks, I took a bus from New York to Washington, and then from Washington to Norfolk (the trip takes 9-12 hours). Actually, I stopped for two days in Washington to do some sightseeing, because I had 4 free days before starting work. You can take a direct bus from New York straight to Norfolk. Important: buy your bus ticket in advance (best 3-4 weeks ahead), not at the bus station. It will be twice as cheap. Greyhound.com - prices change constantly. My route New York - Washington - Norfolk cost me $32, and there is Wi-Fi. Gotobus.com - $35, takes 9 hours, but no Wi-Fi. By the way, in America, just like in Russia, buses are constantly late. And one more thing: don't be afraid of getting lost at bus stations—if anything happens, passersby will see your confused face, realize you need help, and won't leave you in trouble. Once in Norfolk, my employer met me, and then there was a 3-hour drive to Avon itself. The red dot in the ocean is that very Avon. It got worse from there. Satellite photos. Since I didn't have much of a choice with full service, I decided to keep a positive attitude. After all, it's summer, the ocean, America—what could be better? Actually, it turned out not to be so scary. The photos were likely taken in winter, and I barely remember a day without sun all summer. Of course, my worries and doubts vanished as soon as I arrived in New York :) But even upon arriving on the island, I realized from the first day what a wonderful summer awaited me! I'll say right away that if you are going to North or South Carolina or Virginia—all these states are pretty much the same. The first thing that catches your eye is the heavy Southern accent, which makes it hard to understand everything for the first week. Friendly people for whom chatting with a stranger is a rule of good manners. And an incredible number of obese people (they even have carts you can sit on and ride around the supermarket!). In general, you don't get used to that right away :) Another feature is the one-story wooden houses. Everything looks very cute and homey. Coffee shops and bakeries on the island are one cuter than the other! Towns (or villages) on the whole island are very small (with one main street)—besides the ocean, tourist cafes, and souvenir shops, there is little entertainment. No shopping or even a cinema. The last month we were counting the days and hours until departure, life on the island had become that monotonous! I biked to all the neighboring villages. The road one way takes about two hours. Now do you understand what kind of boredom I'm talking about? The definite plus in this situation is that you have nowhere to spend money except at the supermarket or on Amazon, so we saved quite a bit. Next up: about $$$, jobs, and employers.

ESElena Shikinaalena_shikina · 30 de nov. de 2015Ler

I was in 10th grade when I first heard about the Work and Travel USA program. My English tutor spoke about her trip with such enthusiasm, and in that very moment, a little girl had a dream that took about 5 years to come true. I only managed to go to America after finishing my 3rd year of university. With excitement and anticipation, I told my friends about it, and, catching my dream, they decided to go too. There were three of us: me (Alena), Karina, and Anastasia. So, three young women, who had practically never traveled outside of Russia, set off on their first big independent journey into a world of everything new, unusual, and amazing... New York Our plane lands at a New York airport, our eyes greedily looking out the porthole windows; it is getting dark. Seeing a guy on the plane in an INTEREXCHANGE branded t-shirt (thanks to CMO for this), we immediately introduce ourselves and head together to the Hotel Pennsylvania, located in the city center. The guy's name is Pavel; I am glad we met, and we still keep in touch. We spend the next two days in New York, getting to know the city better and better, sightseeing, and walking around Times Square. Blinded by digital billboards, shocked by such a large flow of people at night, people dressed up and not so much, cartoon characters and movie heroes trying to get us to take pictures with them for money, we walked with our mouths open, unable to fully realize that we were on the other side of the globe, that finally, each of our dreams had begun to come true. When I was 12, I had a friend named Sasha; we were the same age, but unfortunately, he had no parents and grew up in an orphanage. One day I found out that he had been adopted by an American family and he left for America; we never saw each other again. 9 years have passed since then... And now, being so far from our homeland, I see an adult, handsome, statuesque blonde man in front of me. I run to meet him, hug him, and my heart is pounding wildly; I have never been separated from anyone for so long in my life, and I doubt I can find the right words to describe everything I felt at that moment. We spend the whole day walking around the city, visiting the Statue of Liberty, climbing the Empire State Building, and our happiness knows no bounds... But the time comes to part ways, and we promise each other that we will definitely meet again this summer. North Carolina, Grandy So our independent life and working days began. We live in a small town called Grandy; I would rather call it a village. The picture I constantly saw in movies, this real rural America, I was able to fully feel and soak up in Grandy. Waking up in the mornings, I always looked out the window in search of our morning "guests" - rabbits and squirrels. This was the first thing I fell in love with in America – you can very often meet animals right on your property or on the road. Moving on to the description of the work, I want to say that our employers were a kind, responsive elderly couple who ran their own fruit, vegetable, and pastry shop on the highway, on the way to the Outer Banks resort; Americans loved to stop by their shop. We worked 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. We constantly dedicated our weekends to exploring new surroundings, went to the lighthouse, to the Wright brothers memorial, went hang gliding, bought clothes in malls, and definitely warmed up in the sun on the beach. North Carolina has wonderful, clean, and uncrowded beaches, some of the most comfortable I have ever visited. The water in the ocean was warm, and we would "catch" the waves with squeals. But there was one danger: sharks, that was who we were most afraid of in the world and we tried not to swim far. One evening, while riding our bikes, we arrived at a house whose owners had several horses and a donkey. We stopped, mesmerized, and we wanted so much to touch them, to pet them. The owner was mowing the lawn at the time and was wearing headphones; he didn't notice us, and we jumped

VViktormorfeus929 · 5 de nov. de 2010Ler

That's it… We had already visited all the interesting spots on our route. All that was left was to cross America. We woke up around 6 AM and hit the road. After driving all day, we reached a very interesting state in the evening – Oklahoma. At one gas station, we discovered that our car tire was worn out again. And quite badly. It had to be changed. But it was already evening. So, we decided to put on the spare, drive to the nearest town, stay in a motel, and change the tire in the morning. But how to put on the spare? It turned out the jack that Alex had kindly lent us was too small. We needed to find a suitable one. We asked all the truckers at the gas station – nope, they didn't have one. Just then, a cop pulled into the station, and we had the idea to ask him. He gladly agreed to help us – he lent us a jack and tools. He just asked for my license and then gave me some paper stating that he had indeed helped us. Apparently, he needed it for his report. We changed the tire, found a cheap motel, and crashed. We still had about 30 hours of driving left to the Atlantic Ocean. We spent the night in a provincial Oklahoma town called Sapulpa. What a dump. In the morning, we found a shop in the center that could change the tire, paid the guy who did it 20 dollars. We gave him a 3-dollar tip, he was a very nice guy, and we drove on. The people staying at the motel with us could hardly believe that such a trip was real. They even took photos with us and the car. We drove all the next day and decided to drive through the night for the first time – time was running out. At night, we worked on a rotation – one drives, the other sleeps in the passenger seat. We had to drop the girls off in Baltimore, Maryland, and return to the Outer Banks before the bank closed, since it was Friday, and we needed to pick up and cash our final paychecks from the restaurant. We drove as fast as we could – we were speeding like crazy – there was no other way. But we made it and got our money. Then, barely able to stand, we drove to Alex's place. I calculated then that we had been driving for over 30 hours non-stop. That's how our trip ended. It ended where we started. We were tired but happy… WE DID IT – WE CROSSED AMERICA BY CAR BOTH WAYS. #roadtrip #usa #adventure

VViktormorfeus929 · 4 de nov. de 2010Ler

That was how our saga with the court and Mr. Beatty ended. And then began one of the most peaceful and joyful periods of my brother's and my stay in the USA in the summer of 2010. We had a job, money, and a car. But ten days later, by court order, we had to move out of our old house. It took 3 days to find new housing. My brother, of course, decided to move with me. We found 3 housing options and eventually chose to live with an acquaintance of mine from the previous year – Alex, an immigrant from the USSR. He had escaped from there in '78, Alex was about 55 years old, and he lived with a fake American wife. It was a long commute to work from his place, but since we had a car, we decided to move. Living with him was calmer than in the previous house. But since it was already mid-August, we started thinking seriously about a trip to California. Since we hadn't really traveled anywhere for 2 months, just dealing with our troubles, we really wanted to go somewhere, preferably far away. Somehow, we arranged a trip to the neighboring islands in our car. In general, the Outer Banks archipelago consists of several islands. We decided to go to its extreme point – Ocracoke Island. The route there included ferry crossings (completely free). It was fun. And there was also one bright party at the end for Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24th. Also a lot of good memories. Then it somehow became boring, or something. The problems were over. There was nothing left to solve, and we started preparing for what had seemed absolutely unreal to me from the very beginning: a road trip across the entire country, from one ocean to the other and back, to sunny California.

VViktormorfeus929 · 4 de nov. de 2010Ler

I decided to start preparing for the North Carolina state driver's license exam right away. All you need to pass the test is to read the small “Driver’s handbook”. You can get it for free online (http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_services/drivingpublic/applying.html) or at the location where you will take the test (it contains all the traffic rules). Then you must go to the Driver License Office and ask to take the test. The procedure is completely free and consists of two parts: the first is a written test on traffic rules, and the second is the driving test. The written test consists of 25 questions with 4 answer options each. You can try taking a practice test online at: http://www.dmv.org/nc-north-carolina/practice-tests/. But that is paid. In my opinion, it is best to just read the “Driver's handbook”. The questions on the written test are something like this: 1. If your right wheels are off the pavement, __ A. gradually turn back on the pavement. B. brake lightly. C. hold the wheel firmly and steer sharply to the left. D. all of the above As you can see, there is nothing complicated here. I managed to pass this test on the first try. I made 5 mistakes, which was exactly the allowed limit, and the woman who proctored the test told me I passed and could move on to the driving portion. Hooray. You take the driving test in your own car. In principle, there is nothing difficult about it. Since the town of Manteo, where I took the test, was quite small and didn't have much traffic, it was easy for me. I just had to drive where the female instructor pointed and do everything she said (make U-turns, brake). Since our Mazda had a manual transmission, I got an extra bonus, as it is very rare for an American to drive a manual. Thus, I passed the driving test, they took my photo, I paid 4 dollars, and I received my American driver's license. At first, they gave me a paper one, and they promised to send the plastic one in two weeks. In total, on August 5th, we started driving our car completely legally and without fearing the cops. That was our first victory))). In America, a car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation. For example, in a place like the Outer Banks, the distances between everything are very large, so you need at least a bicycle or a scooter. And even then, it would be difficult. In 2009, I used to ride 20 miles a day on a bike to get from home to one job and then to another. Then I got tired of it and bought a scooter for 500 bucks. Sold it for 600. You need a car. Everyone can afford it. Buying a car doesn't require special knowledge or a lot of money. If 3-4 people chip in, it's pennies, but the benefit of having a car is huge. Gas costs pennies; for 20 dollars, we drove wherever we wanted for a week. People, buy cars!

VViktormorfeus929 · 4 de nov. de 2010Ler

Back to the car topic. As I mentioned before, on August 1st we finally got our long-awaited license plates, ceremoniously screwed them on, and started cruising around the island in our car. Of course, we drove without plates before, but it was sketchy. The cops pulled us over a few times, but we were always lucky. Not a single ticket in a month. We always managed to talk our way out of it. My brother had an international Ukrainian driver's license, while I had nothing. Naturally, when the cops stopped us and my brother was driving, everything was fine, but when I was behind the wheel, I would hand them either my ISIC or my brother's Ukrainian student ID, which didn't have a single word of English on it. At first, this trick worked. We still had to explain why the car had no plates, but we always came up with something. I thought all our troubles would end once we got the plates. There was this myth that in America, cops can't pull you over for no reason, and if you don't break any laws, nobody will bother you. That's what I was hoping for, since by the time we got the plates, I had already learned to drive a little bit. So, we got the plates and started living a full life. Driving wherever we wanted, picking up girls, etc. By that time, the car already belonged to my brother and me, since the two girls I mentioned earlier, who lived with us initially, ran away and moved to another house. Apparently, because we started setting off firecrackers in the house. :) So, the myth that if you drive and don't break any laws, the police won't bother you, was debunked almost immediately. And the cops started pulling us over systematically. For no reason. Just because they felt like it. Once, I was driving back from my job at the go-kart track to pick up my brother from the restaurant. And I was brazenly pulled over by 4 police cars. They started shining flashlights into the car and asking if I had been drinking. I said no, I hadn't. Because I really hadn't been drinking that day yet. The cops started lecturing me about my red eyes and how I had been smoking marijuana, to which I replied that I work 10 hours a day and naturally get a little tired. The cop says to me, "You're feeding me lines, I work 14 hours and my eyes aren't that red." I thought to myself, "Wow, what a tough job you have, eating donuts with coffee and reading newspapers." Actually, there is no crime on that island at all, and the Outer Banks are called the safest place in the United States of America. So, I tell those cops, "Well, if you say I was drinking, let me blow into the breathalyzer." They say, "Go ahead, blow." I blew, and naturally, their device showed nothing. Then they say, "You probably have weed in the car." I say, "Go ahead, search it." They checked the whole car, found nothing, gave me back my brother's student ID (I told them it was a license), and let me go. They didn't even question the "license." They gave me the mouthpiece I blew into as a souvenir. It's still sitting on my shelf at home along with a hospital bracelet – souvenirs to remember America 2010. The next day, when my brother and I were driving home from work (from the restaurant), a car started tailing us again, this time a sheriff's cruiser. I was driving, and for some reason, I got a little scared, so I decided to drive slowly. Seeing the parking lot of my track where I worked, I decided to turn in there just to be safe. The cop apparently didn't like that, so he turned on his lights and pulled us over in the parking lot. He got out of the car, said hello, and immediately asked me why I was driving so slowly and if I was drunk. I said I was driving that way because there was a SPEED LIMIT sign for 45 mph. He says, "Okay, the sign was 45, but you were doing 25, give me your license." I handed him my brother's student ID and my own ID. He went to his car, checked something for a long time, then came out to me with a piece of paper. He asked me to get out of the car and explained that it was

VViktormorfeus929 · 4 de nov. de 2010Ler

Let me tell you a bit about the summer of 2009 to tie everything together. In 2009, I ended up in the Outer Banks on a job offer at Dunkin Donuts, which my university agency kindly provided. At first, working there wasn't bad—it was just fast food, and I had nothing to compare it to. But two weeks later, I found a second job at a Go-Kart track (those little cars that go pretty fast, basically karting). The second job involved seating people in those cars and keeping track of their ride time. In principle, I really liked it, plus they paid more. But then my beloved fast-food joint started acting up, saying things like, 'You shouldn't be working two jobs – this is your primary job,' etc. Then I started having conflicts with the manager, who forced me to run around the yard in a big foam Dunkin Donuts cup costume and wave my arms. Naturally, I didn't do it. After that, my manager scheduled me for the evening shift the following week, exactly when I was supposed to be working at the kart track. Two days before that, there was another incident—I was riding my bike to work and got soaked in the rain. It took me about half an hour to get there. Well, I arrived, started working while wet, and the manager told me, 'Go stack boxes in the freezer' (a big refrigerator, the temperature is about -30 degrees Celsius). I said, 'Are you idiots? I'm soaking wet, I'll catch a cold!' The response was a smile and the words, 'We have a contract, you MUST go in there.' That was that. And just at that time, my boss at the kart track, Harry, offered me a full-time position. I agreed, spitting on Dunkin Donuts. Threats of deportation and so on followed me. It was scary, but I took the risk because I wasn't going to slave away and be humiliated there for pennies. As it turned out, the risk was worth it. I worked at that very kart track all summer in 2009 and earned a pretty decent amount of money. I really liked working there. Therefore, when I arrived in 2010 and realized that our schemes were starting to fail, I decided to look for work. My previous boss had gone bankrupt for some reason, so I went looking for work in similar places. And I found it. Almost immediately. Near the place where we lived, there was one of those Go-Kart tracks. They hired me almost immediately because I had experience. True, they gave me a few too few hours at first—only 20 a week—but they paid well—10 bucks an hour. I liked working there. Good people, ex-cons, absolutely all of them. You can talk to them about anything, they smoke weed, do coke, no managers for you, you could take a nap for an hour or two when there were no customers. Beauty, in general. But that wasn't enough, since my brother was still without work, so I looked for something else. And I found it—a restaurant needed a DishWasher. Without hesitation, I went there immediately. As it turned out, it wasn't a bad job—putting dirty dishes into a special machine and then taking out the clean ones. And they paid decently—9 bucks, plus free food, since it was a restaurant. Well, they gave me 30 hours a week there too. Later, I dragged my brother to work at that restaurant too. In principle, at that moment, everything started to suit me, and I decided to just enjoy life in America. But as they say, that wasn't the end of it...