VICIRAGE : THE AMERICAN DREAM

A N D W H Y I S I T P U B L I S H E D 4 M O N T H S L A T E R

This summer break was exceptional, it was nothing like before. I would like to start this very personal and taught for me article with a little story. When I was a little girl I was very curious about the world, always asking my parents tons of questions. I loved traveling, but there was one time they couldn't answer. Why we never visit our family in this whole " America ". We just welcome them to our house from time to time, but we never visit them. I found it sad and frustrating when they answered we can't, we need visas. I always heard amazing stories about the country of opportunities, I knew my family was happy there, so the desire of going there was growing inside me as I got older and older.

Someday, at the end of 1st year of high-school, I suddenly found out that it is possible to study in the States without IB, which isn't offered in my high-school. I made a plan, plan on going to University in states. Working my ass off to prepare for the SATs fully on my own I came across the term " summer school". And the idea came to my mind, what if don't have to wait until university, I applied. In March it was all figured out, I was going to make my deepest dreams come true, I was flying to Miami for 5 weeks in July! I was beyond happy and excited.

After finishing the school year, passing SAT Subject Tests and recovering after some staff I describe in the previous post the day came. The 19th of July. The most exciting day of my life, first time flying to America, first time flying this far on my own, first time leaving my parents for this long. After total 11 hour flight I arrived, at the airport, my aunt was waiting for me, but I hadn't known yet that she is going to do so much for me during my stay in the country of dreams.

It started off with 6 days of vacation with my aunt, she showed my Miami, made me meet her friends and took me to Sarasota on the Gulf of Mexico. It was all beyond perfect. Then I left for school, the campus was located on South Beach, actually ON THE BEACH. I spent most amazing four weeks at the school, met beyond amazing people from all around the world, partied in best clubs on earth, was swimming in the ocean day and night, having fun at the pool, cycling around the city and watching most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. For the first time, I was so grateful, that I was crying out of joy almost every single day.

During the weekends I was leaving campus to go back to my aunt's place. Weekends were even more perfect than the school-week. She took me over to Key West, the most southern island of United States, NYC! to show me the city I want to study and leave in and many more breathtaking places. Thanks to her I met many amazing and inspiring but also caring people. I really felt at home, I was dying thinking about going back.

After 5 amazing weeks, there was a time of saying goodbye to all friends and going back home.I can't remember being sadder in my life than on that flight back to Europe. I promised myself, I am going back there. This trip was the best proof that the American dream still exists and that my place is the: in AMERICA.

The aftermath is pretty simple: I met people from all continents, had roommates from Peru, Denmark, Tunisia, France, Italy. I smiled 24 hrs a day, I barely slept, because there was always something exciting to do, I brought home friends from Poland, who I met 8 k km far from home, I gained memories for life.

Sorry for such a v e r b o s e article, but it is its shortest version trust me. 5 weeks of heaven can't be described in one post. It is a very emotional post for me, because coming back to normal life was beyond difficult for me, for a very long time I couldn't even look at photos or listen to certain songs without crying instantly.