Memories of North Myrtle Beach,SC - the beginning

USA.SC.North Myrtle Beach.Work and Travel Program. 20 y.o. girl. Great experience.

The next few articles won't be about what to do or what to see or where to go somewhere in the World. They would be about some of my feelings and thoughts in my 4 months stay in The States. I'll skip all the preparation of the big journey and start with my landing in USA.

Every day for 4 months I was enjoying that view

Even stepped on American land I already felt different. Was it because of the date - Friday 13-th, or because of the wide dark boulevards of New York City, or maybe because I hadn't slept for more than 24 hours, or maybe because I was alone in those big city thousands km far from home, I don't know. I only know it was strange and extremely exciting. After a good long sleep in Columbia University I had to go on my journey to North Myrtle Beach where I had a contract with a restaurant to work as a waitress or a retail or a food runner or a hostess, I didn't know what would happen and what should I expect.

Anyway, I found myself at the bus station in NYC, bought my ticket to Myrtle Beach and started to look for baggage storage. I had 8 hours to the bus and Manhattan was waiting for me. Unfortunately I couldn't find such, they told me that after September 11-th they didn't let people leave their luggage. I stood there in the middle of the station with 2 large bags, ready to cry as I didn't expect this situation at all. Well, I couldn't go anywhere with that heavy luggage but I met an Albanian guy who spent all that time with me. I had no idea(and still don't have) what have been his intentions and what has he pointed at but I'm glad I had a nice company during my long stay at the station. He even sent me on the bus telling me that he was going to wait for me when I go back, lol. It was funny of course but it's always nice to see that somebody is smiling to you.

Waiting...photo by in.com

The next 15 hours were really exhausting. I traveled 1100km, spent 3 hours in the middle of the night at bus station Richmond with some strange people, couldn't sleep good, was hungry,...all those negative things about a long journey. Finally around 11.00 am I got off in Myrtle Beach and called the manager of the restaurant to pick me up. A lady came, not really smiling and friendly, but at least she took me to the house where Vessi had already lived (Me and Vessy got to know each other few months before that).The lady (she was one of the restaurant's managers) told me to be in the restaurant the next morning at 10.00am.

Highway 17 South, photo by aaroads.com

The same day Vessi met me with few girls from the house(from Belarus) and she gave me some information about what was happening there. First of all, I realised that I need to buy a bike! Wow, I hadn't ridden such thing for 8 years. But there was no other chance unless I wanted to walk 5 km to the restaurant each direction every day. There was one guy, I think from Poland, that had a motorbike and he drove me to the nearest store, which was like only 8-10km far from the house, that I could buy a bike . He left me there and I bought my bike. On my way back I was riding on the highway trying to focus on riding in a straight line which was almost impossible. Cars were passing around me and I was feeling so miserable and lonely. And after that shocking experience for me I was told that they don't sell alcohol on Sunday in South Carolina...and I needed a cold beer to relax at least at the end of the day. Luckily we were close to NC where they didn't have such low and the Polish guy went to buy a pack of beer.

It was only the 3-d evening of my travel but I had already experienced so much. At least I felt like that. And I was ready to meet my summer and the new things that were going to happen to me.

To be continued