Romania: Travel guide, visas and free housing · 2026

YKYelyzaveta Komarovalizakom99 · Dec 16, 2018Read

I thought for a long time about how to start writing, because it's already mid-December, and the emotions still haven't faded. I want to tell you about my incredible and, perhaps, the brightest summer of my 19 years. So, my name is Liza and, as I already wrote, I am 19. The starting point of my story is how I decided to participate in the program. I believe in fate. And this story is my vivid example that somewhere, far away in the sky, everything is already predetermined. I decided to participate very quickly, as I wanted to go while still in my first year of university, but there was one "but" - the lack of company. And I was very afraid to go alone, because I thought it would be incredibly difficult. Later, I reconsidered this point of view and became convinced that it is not scary at all, and difficulties only make you stronger. So, I started looking for company and I found it. These were 2 of my classmates. Together we found out everything, together we attended orientations, together we prepared, dreamed, and worried. And then that long-awaited day at the embassy arrived. And here I was convinced once again of what fate means. I was the only one who got a visa, and what I was running away from (going to the States alone), I got. At the final orientation, I met the guys with whom we were supposed to spend the summer together, we exchanged contacts and looked forward to May 15th. It wasn't so scary anymore, however, the unknown was still frightening. The last days before the flight, I played scenarios in my head, worried insanely that everything would be bad, knowing that it wasn't so. After all, program participants are always happy! But, to be honest, the last night before the flight, a wild nervousness started and thoughts: "Why did I even apply?". After all, I was flying alone, I had to change 3 flights before ending up in America. But, after passing the check-in counter, confidence and a desire to fly across the ocean as soon as possible appeared. I arrived, met the girls, and we continued our journey, but I was no longer alone. I chose a place very, very far from what we called "civilization". But I could not even imagine how special and dear this city would become. So, North Carolina, the city of Avon. Arriving there, we were a little shocked. After all, the infrastructure is not developed, no car - no way to get to other cities and, essentially, to the mainland. There are no shops, and there are not many American youth either. We asked the guys who were coming to Avon for the second or third year with surprise: "Why?!". And at the beginning of June, everyone got the answer. At the beginning of the summer, students from all over the world arrived in Avon (Turkey, Philippines, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Colombia, Poland, Romania, Macedonia, Russia, and many, many other nationalities and countries) and this small town was half composed of students. Parties began, gatherings at each other's houses, bonfires with marshmallows under the sound of ocean waves. I don't remember a single day being like the previous one. And the burning question: "When and how to travel?" solved itself. We asked for time off from work for the last 10 days and managed to see everything we wanted. If you are still tormented by uncertainty and the question: "Is it worth it"? Here is an example of my ordinary summer day in America. I described it as soon as I returned home. I will note one point in advance: we lived in houses by country. Therefore, in our house, which had 2 rooms, a kitchen leading into a living room, and a terrace, lived 5 girls from Ukraine and one from Russia. … "11 days since I've been home. Emotions are slowly being drowned out by the hustle and bustle of Kyiv weekdays. How much this summer has changed me, how much it has shown, proven, and taught me. Avon. A place where in the first days I didn't want to be, as much as I didn't want to leave it. How many times have I said "for the first time" here. Perhaps more th

OOOralbek Otegulovjohnfkennedy · Nov 29, 2015Read

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

EKEkaterina Kudriavtsevakate_rina-93 · Nov 23, 2015Read

On the way to my workplace, I had time to dream and reflect on what awaited me next. Fortunately, I had already met three Russian students who, just like me, were headed to a cozy, quiet town on the Atlantic coast in Virginia – Virginia Beach. I will say right away that before leaving, I heard many not-so-pleasant reviews saying it was a very boring place. Let me debunk that myth! It can only be boring where there is no desire to seek adventure and make fun, interesting acquaintances! Yes, Virginia Beach is not Miami with all its gloss, expensive bars and restaurants, beautiful beaches, and pretentious energy. It is a quiet and cozy town that has its own atmosphere and its own "gloss," as well as, in my opinion, a sufficient number of entertainment options for every taste. And yet, the main thing is not the presence of bars or nightclubs in the city, but your environment! The greatest happiness I experienced while in America comes down to spending time with the people who surrounded me. Dozens of students from different countries who arrived through the Work and Travel USA program, Americans, as well as Russian-speaking guys who have been living in America for a long time, friends of friends, acquaintances of friends of friends, etc. – it's like you end up in a reality show where everyone knows each other, where everything reigns: from love and friendship, joy and fun to tears and partings. Therefore, first and foremost, a trip to the USA through this program is a good "school of life"! Of course, one should not forget that the Work and Travel USA program is, first and foremost, an international cultural exchange program! In addition to interacting with Americans, I met amazing people from countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey, Kosovo, Romania, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the Czech Republic, and Belarus. I became convinced that, no matter how banal it may sound, it really does not matter that we spoke different languages. Despite cultural characteristics, the mentality of each country, religion, and so on, we all felt like a single whole. Young, open to everything new, friendly, we shared stories about the traditions of our countries with each other, learned to speak and understand certain phrases in another language. It is pleasant for me to realize that I became part of the cultural exchange process, that I not only learned a lot about other nationalities but also contributed to others' knowledge of Mother Russia.