So, I decided to start a travel blog about my journey to America. Maybe someone will find it interesting — or maybe it will help those who are planning to study abroad too.
Let’s start with how I packed my suitcase.
Since I was leaving for a whole year, I needed to take quite a lot of stuff. But the limit was 23 kg. We tried for a long time to fit everything in, but… in the end, it still went over the limit. 😅 I think it was around 29 kg. We paid about 7,000 rubles at Domodedovo Airport, and then we had to pay another 3,000 later — my parents handled that online.
Now, about the flight itself.
We bought tickets for both directions right away. As far as I know, it’s usually cheaper that way.
I had three layovers — in Munich, San Francisco, and then finally Redding. I’ll make a separate post about this with more details. When I landed in Redding, my host family met me with a sign that said: “Arina, welcome home.” It was unbelievably sweet! 🥹 My host family is amazing, but I’ll tell more about them in another post.
So that’s how it’s been so far. I’ve only been here for 5 days, but I already have so many impressions it takes my breath away! Right now, we’re in Nevada on vacation, but tomorrow we’re heading back to California.
School starts on the 13th!
And now it’s your turn! Imagine your own first days in the USA — would you be nervous, excited, or both? Start dreaming about it today, and maybe one day you will be writing your own exchange student story! 🌍