It is worth believing - dreams do come true!

I don't know about you, but sometimes it happens to me that I want to pour my heart out on a white sheet of paper. Just write, write what's happening around me, what's happening inside... It's just like what happens to women sometimes - you wake up in the morning and realize that today you want to look more beautiful than you usually do. I want to and I don't know why. I can't find a reason or explanation for it. And today I want to write, I want to tell, I want to inspire...

I understood what I wanted to do in life a long time ago. When I was just seven years old, I met my first psychologist, who left an indelible impression on me. A man who changed my life, inspired hope and faith. A man who showed me the power and strength of psychology. Even then, I realized that for me it was something more than just science. In the seventh grade, my inner voice whispered to me that this was exactly what I wanted to study. And from that day on, I never doubted what studies I would choose. My mother looked at it somewhat skeptically. Not wishing anything bad, she told me that it would be much easier in America, but in Lithuania with this profession I would remain unemployed. She had no idea that these words were only pushing me towards a dream. America has always been something incredible to me. A country where my soul yearns. Only it all seemed like a dream of an elephant. One that is good to have, but it will always remain just a dream.

At a party, I met a guy who left a lasting impression on my life. He showed me that this pink dream is not so unattainable, that it can turn from a pipe dream into a reality. Within a few months, I had already booked tickets to the United States.

That country fascinated me… I spent a month there, celebrated Christmas and New Year… It was an invaluable experience. Leaving this country was incredibly difficult. My flight was delayed at least three times and each time I thought that maybe this was a sign to turn around and run back… Never leave this country. But I left, I left with great pain in my heart.

I returned exactly a year later. And again the winter holidays passed in a dreamland. It is indescribable, the emotion surrounding me is simply breathtaking. A month has passed incredibly quickly. And again I am sitting in a car moving towards the airport. I am leaving this country again. This time I could not hold back, tears were falling harder than rain during a storm. I promised myself to return. This time I knew that I would not be able to do it after a year, so it was unusually difficult. My last year at school awaited me. The whole journey to the house, where I no longer felt like home, I could not control the pain in myself and consoled myself that after receiving my school leaving diploma I would be free and would be able to pursue this dream.

Unfortunately, we plan - God laughs. My plan fell apart the day it was supposed to become a reality. But I couldn't let myself give up. I stayed up all night looking for universities in America, looking for all possible ways to move towards my dream. But my mother broke me and I stayed in Lithuania. Even when I was accepted to study in America, I signed a contract with VMU. I promised my mother to try to love Lithuania, to try to experience student life here. I decided that it wouldn't be too late to escape. I also knew that I would be able to try the Work & Travel program, which would show me a slightly different side of the USA. The side of the country where people really work hard for a living.

I don't know if I'm a lucky child or if I really belong to that country, but everything turned out exactly the opposite of what I expected. I loved my job with all my heart, I went to it every day with a smile on my face and the greatest joy. Soon I started looking for a second job. And the day I found it, my life turned upside down. I thought I was lucky just because of my first job at the hotel, but when I got a job at a pizzeria, I was speechless. Managers both jobs were extremely good and friendly, but the pizzeria… There are no words for it, to this day we keep in touch, talk every day and can't wait for the day when we will meet again. Almost every day after work we went to parties together, accompanied or greeted the sun on the beach… I rushed to work with enthusiasm and love, I asked not to give me days off, because work was my rest and joy for the soul. My last days at work made more than one person cry, and the farewell hugs from chefs were incredibly warm, strong and sincere. I left Miramar Beach and Grimaldis Pizzeria promising them I would return. My colleagues accompanied me to the airport, wished me a good vacation and a safe journey home, and said they would wait for me when I returned.

I went to visit my friends, whom I had been looking forward to meeting all summer. For almost a month, we traveled through one of the most beautiful places in the United States and enjoyed life. It is impossible to tell you how many wonderful things happened during the summer and that month of travel - each of you must experience it for yourself.

I was even lucky enough to meet a person whom I fell in love with with all my heart. This only pushed me to pursue my old dream. And now I am sitting in front of empty suitcases, impatient to pack my things again. My love for this dream has only grown stronger after the summer. When I left, I expected to see menial work and hardship, but I got only happiness and love. I found inner peace and joy of life. Every day in Lithuania I try to rejoice as if it were my last day. I am trying to say goodbye to everything and for a long time. I am looking for ways to fulfill my dream, and this time I am more determined than ever before. This time no one will talk me out of it. When you really want something, there are no obstacles. From that passion, I have managed to find six ways to leave there and back again. At least four places to stay. And God only knows how many opportunities to stay longer fate has given me.

Pursue your dreams, don't let others change them, and never give up. What's worth striving for is never easy. So gather all your courage and strength and go towards your dream. Don't stop believing and know that all dreams can become reality. The most important thing is not to stop pursuing them. This is my story towards my dream, and I will tell you more about America itself in my next article. Buenos noches!

Author: Simona Naujokaitytė