A big hole in the Earth

That's basically what I was told by some friends after their visit to the Grand Canyon in 2009, "it is just a big hole in the Earth, nothing special". I thought maybe my friends had mistakenly ended up in a different place. How could they say such a thing about the most famous canyon in the world? But then, they showed me some pictures and it certainly looked like the regular Grand Canyon we are all used to seeing. Were they right? Was the Grand Canyon so overrated? I was about to find that out.
I arrived in the morning and met with Michael, Staff Manager of Xanterra, the corporation that operates all the park accommodations where lots of Work & Travel students come to work every summer. He shared with me some interesting stories (and a sandwich), and showed me around the village, located at the verge of the cliffs! I didn't know there was a community that lives in the park all year round. They have their own school, a bank, a recreation center with several sport fields... and, of course, their own canyon. The moment had arrived! It was time to see the so-called big hole in the Earth. I took a few steps... and it struck me... To be honest, words fall short to describe the magnificence of the Grand Canyon, and images to show how huge and gorgeous this place really is. I went hiking and could not believe I was walking inside one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I must admit I only walked for a few hours, but I left the park with an unforgettable glimpse of what the Grand Canyon is about. I believe it takes a lot more time to get to know it in depth... maybe a whole summer working here? ;)

You can find more photos of my visit to the Grand Canyon HERE! 

Thanks for watching :)

What can I do in Chicago in half a day?

Arrive in Chicago at 16:30 by train

Visit the giant Jelly Belly

Take a picture of my reflection in the bean

Walk around the city

My friend Carrie told me that this fountain is the one that appeared at the beginning of the opening credits of "Married with children", does anyone remember it? :)

Photograph curious things, like what appears to be a 3-storey-tall suffocated Marilyn Monroe

Go to one of the tallest buildings (with a bar on the 96th floor)...

and get some drinks

and take some pictures

that's me :)

Take a picture to the pier...

and then go visit the pier!

Take more pictures of the city

For dinner, order Chicago's legendary deep dish pizza! :P

And, by midnight, find the work completed!

Chicago has a new attraction! and it was nice to be one of the first persons to see/appreciate it.

It was a good half day :)

Hello Wisconsin!

Hanging out down the street... what a better way to do it than with a convertible black mustang!

   

Yeap, me and Jenn drove around Wisconsin Dells and got to see some of the curiousest/craziest things I never thought I would find in a place like this. 
From a Trojan horse go-kart track to cheese flavored popcorn, and everything in between. They have their own White House (which, for some particular reason, they believed would be cooler to build upside down, and it worked!), a torture museum (unbelievable), and even an Argentinian restaurant, whose owner is from Córdoba, like me! (unbelievable too! It was nice to talk to him and hear the cordobés accent for a little bit).

One of the most interesting things is that there are hundreds of water parks! Almost every resort has its own park (most of them indoor!, also quite unbelievable, right?) and there are thousands of Work & Travel students working in these places, as lifeguards, housekeepers, cashiers, cooks, etc.

As you can see in the pictures, no matter whether you are on or off duty, there are hundreds of options to choose from in Wisconsin Dells. And I'm sure that, if it pleases you, you can always add some cheese to them!

 

As always, there are more pictures of Wis Dells HERE! 

Thanks for watching :)

 

At the Jersey shore!

 

This week I visited Wildwood in New Jersey. A really nice place for vacationing, and even better for working! There are around 1 thousand Work & Travel students in this town, and no wonder why: the place is pure entertainment!, enormous beaches, an old-style boardwalk covered with shops, video arcades, all kind of american food stores, and most important, a huge amusement park with enough games and rides to keep you thrilled for many days.

There are Work & Travel students everywhere, working at the shops on the boardwalk, others at different motels or resorts near the sea, and most of them at the amusement park, as lifeguards, cashiers, ride operators, ghosts, you name it! One thing they all have in common is that they are having a great time! and you can get contagious by just talking to them and listening to all they have to share about their experience working in the U.S.

 

Taylor and I visited the students working at Seapointe Village, Attaché motel and Morey's Piers, and here are some pictures of these visits.

There are more and more pictures HERE! including one picture of us in one of the extreme rides :D check them out!

You are here

What is it like to work on an island?
Well, I never had the chance to experience it, but most of the students that are working at the grocery store in Block island had worked there before and now they decided to come back again... so, I think we know the answer. 

The island is gorgeous and the islanders are very friendly. Uncle John is one of them and he took us on a tour around the island. Here are some of the beautiful spots he showed us

The Work & Travel students also showed us around

Uncle John and his boat

One of the lighthouses on the island

There are MORE pictures of the island and the students HERE! Enjoy :)

 

At the Cape

Early morning, Jay and I visited Cape Cod Commercial Linen Services. We were received by a huge (really huge!) group of Work & Travel students, some reporters and a pizza party!  I took a group photo, Jay was interviewed by the press and the students were interviewed by us too.

 

You can find some pictures about all this by clicking HERE! :) 

    

New New York

I have been to New York a few times before, but this time it felt totally different because I was not visiting it as a tourist. I had some appointments and work to do. In a way, it felt like I was living in the city. I walked by the Chrysler building a couple of times and it didn't catch my eye, do you know what I mean? It was nice to be busy doing photos, videos and interviews in this environment.

During my stay, I met with some interns that are in fact living and working in New York. They are doing an internship for a year, working on what they have studied and living the city!, isn't that cool? After all, I may also say that my experience in New York felt like a 5 day internship ;)
 

This is just a glimpse of the uncountable things I got to see during my walks around this city.

Lifeguarding

It was my first time at a Water Park. We arrived at Splish Splash in Long Island, New York, and at the entrance, you could hear a speaker repeating once and again the same message... warning parents that "the park is bigger than it looks"... they certainly weren't lying. We walked around the place looking for Work & Travel students, and quite often we ended up in the wrong path. We didn't have the chance to hop in any ride, but we had time to meet some cool lifeguards and ask them a few questions about their job. You are probably wondering: if Bay Watch had taken place in a water park, would it have been in Splish Splash? Well, I wouldn't say 'yes' because this job is really different and easier, and I think Pamela Anderson would have had more fun in this place ;)

 

As usual, you can find pictures of this experience HERE! Check them out! :D

At the island

 

Last day in Maine. 7am, we went to visit some Interns and some Work & Travel sutdents that are working at the Chebeague island inn. The owner of the inn, Casey, showed us around, it was a good way for us to get to know the island. We did some CIEE style interviews and we took some funny pictures with the filipinos interns :)

 

 You can find more pictures about the island HERE! [Interviews are soon to come!]

A day in the life of an awesome host family

On Friday, I could spend the whole day with a host family in Yarmouth, Maine. It was one of the greatest experiences I've had in the U.S. so far!
First, I met with these siblings, Jack and Phoebe (18 and 16, respectively), and with Néstor (17), their Spanish new brother, who came from Spain after being granted a scholarship, and who has been living with them since last August. The three of them took me to some cool spots in Yarmouth and they told me a bunch of different stories and facts that these places conceal. Then, we went to their house and we all had dinner, the 3 siblings, their parents (Nico and Ellen), and I (I don't know what "title" could describe my position, but I can say for sure that "stranger" is not an option). In just one day I learned a lot about the lifestyle of these young students and their family. And one of the most interesting things was the atmosphere that this family created. I felt integrated right away. They shared all their experiences and knowledge with me. By the way, I must say that these kids looked really mature, and I confirmed this idea after hearing/participating in all the debates that took place during dinner. I am not sure if this attribute, the way they see the world and life, is part of what makes them such a great/cool host family, or if being a host family is what  contributes to their interesting/cool vision of things and life. Maybe a little bit of both.

On Saturday, I was walking down the street when I heard 'Eze!' (I never thought I would be given a shout in Portland!), I turned around and there they were, Jack and Néstor. It was nice to see them again. :)


Here is a small peek of Néstor's experience living with his American family...

And here's a similar video of Jack's opinion on the experience of studying abroad:

This may sound a little trivial or, actually, a little nerdy, but one of the most interesting places we visited was their high school building! I know all my friends in Argentina are probably wondering about this, and the answer is: 'Yes, the school looks exactly the same as in the movies':

...and you can see more pictures by clicking HERE! :)