Volunteer: Hazel Taylor
Programme: Work and Travel America
Dates: 02-06-2007 - 04-09-2007
 Work and Travel America
How was your experience in the destination(s) that you travelled to with Real Gap?
I first flew into New York and had 2 nights there for my orientation which was amazing as it was my first time in America and travelling alone; it allowed me to meet other people that were doing the same as me and make international friends. The orientation was very useful and informative and getting to experience a city like New York with the knowledge that there was someone I could call if I had a problem was reassuring for both me and my parents. |
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I travelled over to Ohio by Greyhound, which took 12 hours and was over night but I got to see Pennsylvania and was met by an employee at the bus stop and travelled to my final destination. I was working for Catawba Island Club (Ohio), my employer provided my accommodation and I was living with 2 other girls that were both American and very friendly and helpful and the local area was beautiful with plenty to do.
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What did you think of the programme?
The program was very well organised and any queries I had where dealt with very quickly. I am hoping to organise next summer with them again and would recommend the programme to individuals and groups. I got to meet people from all over the world that where doing the same programme as me, and everyone is so friendly.
The information given to me before I left about my employer was exactly right and everything I needed to know, the information that I was given at the orientation in New York was also very accurate and explained exactly what I needed to do to get to the destination. |
Also the information was given in such a way you had little goals to do and you were told exactly when to do everything in steps instead of being a list of tasks and dates they needed to do done by which made the whole process stress free and manageable.
What was the accommodation like?
The accommodation in New York was brilliant because it was right in the heart of Manhattan and within walking distance of a lot of tourist attractions, I made friends with 3 girls, 2 from Taiwan and 1 from Serbia and we all went round the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Central Park and Madison Square Garden together before leaving for our individual employment destinations.
| My accommodation in Ohio was also really good, I was living with 2 other American girls and in total there where about 20 young people living in 5 different houses all really close to each other and so there was always someone about to talk to or ask a question and everyone was so friendly. There was a wide variety of international people that had all travelled on the work and travel programme which meant that we all got to experience each others cultures, there was people from Czech Republic, Serbia, Thailand, Taiwan, Russia and me from England. |
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The rent for the accommodation was very low and taken straight from our wages which meant we didn't have to worry about saving enough money each month which also helped because once you got your pay check all the money was yours.
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Were you pleased you went with Real Gap?
I was really pleased I chose Real Gap to travel with because they made the whole process really easy and stress free. Especially when getting a Visa because I had never experienced the process that you need to undertake when applying for one. Also, getting them to find me a job worked really well because they found me one in a place I would never have thought of looking and it has proved to be a huge success and I am hoping to travel back to my employer this coming summer. |
What was the most memorable moment of your trip?
Apart from accidentally having anchovy oil split over me while working in the kitchen because someone tripped over me, which is very memorable and funny to look back on (it wasn't funny at the time).
Some of my best moments in Ohio are sitting with virtually the whole of the community in the state park watching the Independence Day Fireworks over Lake Erie and hearing all the boat horns going off when they finished, also swimming in the lake with a few friends watching the sun setting over one side and a thunderstorm rolling in from the other side. |
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My best moment in New York has to be when I first go to the top of the Empire State Building and looking at all the cars, buses and roof tops of the building that seems so large from the ground and they suddenly seemed so small compared to the size of the whole city!
Work and Travel America
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