Explanatory note.
Greetings to everyone willing to spend some of your time and attention to listen to my stories from the good old days in this February edition. Of course, a couple of paragraphs is too short to write about everything that happened, if you would ask me. It also does not feel very natural to reflect and write in detail after a lot of time has passed. That is why I was ready for this moment as I started writing a diary, a bunch of my memories and feelings, right during my trips or time-being in general in the United States. These journals have been extremely useful for my Introduction to American Studies class, which I passed as a project. There are far more than just two paragraphs, but at least I made sure I did not miss anything important: neither emotional parts nor events. I think now it’s time for them to find a better place and become immortal within time.
So, this is just a little introduction to the whole story. What is attached to this is a whole personal adventure to which you find routes on your own. In my journals, you can find roughly anything: from culture shock contradiction, trip-guide around Wyoming not from a local person, improvisations to the self-change reflections and semiotic analysis. For convenience, I made a content list, where I reflected the names of topics and the core ideas of the chapters. Also, there is massive study research dedicated to Couchsurfing experience from both in the United States and some other places I have ever been to. This is also a nice gift to what you will see.
I pass my notes and travel writings to the legacy of the YEAR exchange program. I hope it will help to inspire and motivate people even more. Do not forget that there is a whole life after YEAR, and YEAR is just the beginning for it to become more colorful and filled.
By Anastasiia