In this Home and Away story, 𝐃𝐢𝐭ė 𝐏𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐢𝐭ė, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟒, takes us along on her 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐔𝐒𝐀 experience — from the first days of working in New Jersey to discovering that America is both very much like the movies and nothing like them at all.

 

Her story is about travelling, working, culture shock, unexpected encounters, homesickness, and discovering a place beyond the version we see on screens. Most of all, it is about finding out what happens when you stop watching someone else’s American dream and go to experience it for yourself.

 

Here is 𝐃𝐢𝐭ė's story:

“I was 13 years old, watching my favourite influencers casually hanging out on Santa Monica Beach, surrounded by palm trees and bright orange sunsets. Now, ten years later, I’m 23 and living my teenage dream.

This summer, I decided to explore America and, once and for all, find out for myself: is it really like it is in the movies?

I spent the first part of my summer working in New Jersey, in a movie-like amusement park where families came to relax by the ocean, ride huge roller coasters, and eat cotton candy. Experiencing the American work environment was probably one of the most interesting parts of the summer from a cultural perspective. During our training, I was taught that a good customer experience meant positive energy, engagement, and, of course, a lot of small talk.

This made my inner Lithuanian shiver at first. I was not used to casually talking to complete strangers so often. But honestly, it was really nice to be surrounded by that kind of friendliness every day. And after three months, I think I became a professional at small talk, which, sadly, is probably not the most useful skill to bring back to Lithuania…

 

During our time there, my friends and I wanted to see as much as possible with the little time we had. And America definitely gave us a lot to see. For example, Las Vegas fascinated me because everything felt so unreal and artificial. The glitter, the shows, the casinos, and even the people seemed almost like characters in some kind of movie. Then came the complete opposite: the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls, which made me feel incredibly small in front of nature. It is one thing to see these places in pictures, and another to actually stand there and realise how enormous the world is.

And I think that was one of the most interesting things about the whole trip. Everywhere we went seemed to show us a completely different side of America. And in the end, it turned out to be much bigger and much more complicated than the version I had known from movies and social media, and I think that was exactly what I wanted to discover for myself.

 

And maybe one of the things that made the experience even more interesting was how far away from home I actually was. Although even there, it was almost inevitable to overhear a Lithuanian sentence here and there. When you are thousands of kilometres away from home, suddenly hearing your own language makes you realise how familiar it feels and how much you appreciate it.

After the summer, I came back feeling like I had seen a lot, but definitely not enough. I just know that I will be coming back. So, was America like I imagined it would be? In many ways, yes. I stood in front of the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge, places I had seen countless times in movies and pictures. But I also realised that those iconic places are only a small part of what makes a country what it is. The real experience is everything in between. The people you meet, each with their own background and life story, the unexpected places that reveal social problems you would never see in a movie, and all the little moments of simply existing somewhere so far from what you know. Some of those moments were exciting and beautiful, while others were difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes genuinely sad. And I think all of those things together made the experience feel real.

 

I can tell you about my experience, show you my pictures, and try to put it all into words, but I don't think that is ever quite enough. You only really understand what it feels like once you experience it yourself.

Thank you, Ditė, for sharing your beautiful story with us.