Building on skills by Kate O.

Having visited so many cities and various places, I gained too many different experiences, and I have an idea about each city, people and their activities, local and not only food and, of course, living together with other participants of the trip. It was a grandiose trip, because at the time when I first heard from my mother: “Katya, you are flying to the USA,” I was stunned. I always dreamed of visiting New York and Los Angeles as a tourist, and it even happened that they opened up to us as if we had been living here for a long time. Our program was so full that there was no time for rest, and what’s more, so many different events happened that not all of them can be remembered and reproduced in memory. But despite this, the time passed quickly, because there was never a dull moment. Talking about the things that I liked about this trip, you can touch on the topic of constant communication with our companions, compatriots, friends from other countries, which makes this trip even more useful. Improving my communication skills, overcoming the language barrier, the fear of communicating with unfamiliar people, and getting rid of complexes – all of this unexpectedly materialized in my life. In fact, it makes it a lot easier to understand certain things in everyday life. Also, adding to the topic above, I personally liked the contrast of the chosen cities with each other, especially the discovery of both sides of the coin of each city we visited, because America is a huge country, with a huge number of people and interests. Thus, there is a chance to see all the pros and cons of living in a certain city and studying there. therefore, pleasant feedback was always present from people nearby, who constantly helped, tried their best to create a comfortable atmosphere and show everything from the best side. To be honest, it is very difficult to remember what could have been done better in this trip, because only the best, brightest and most memorable moments were left in the memory. But, of course, sometimes it was difficult to get along with everyone and agree to visit one place, because we had different interests and ideas. Speaking of which, there wasn’t enough free time to visit the places we wanted to see so much. For example: take a leisurely walk in the park without a guide; do longer shopping; instead of certain places that we have visited before, learn something new and so on. But still, most places and cities were just a must visit! It was they who created a whole impression of the trip. I can’t say much about the bad, I’ll come back to the unforgettable! The city that simply conquered my heart is San Francisco. I was surprised that it was the city from which I will have the most impression. Because the greatest expectations were probably from New York. Yes, they are somewhere in the same position in my rating, but because of incredible museums, receiving interesting, new experiences, magical nature around, pleasant and homely atmosphere, I give it 10/10! It was there that I felt the most comfortable, the most joyful, there were moments when I seriously thought about not returning home from there. I will really miss those evening gatherings, the legendary bridge, the flight over the breathtaking city and, of course, the people I met there. I don’t even know how to thank you because words just aren’t enough. I cried while writing this text, remembering everything that happened to me during that month. And, I think this ride is perfect in its flaws and all the moments that happened along the way. Because if it weren’t for them, it wouldn’t have existed, moreover, the journey wouldn’t have been what it was for me and for all of us.