Testimonies
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Caro studies tourism and is doing the Work & Travel USA program for the second time, this time to work at Sonesta International Hotels and she tells us about her experience
Name: Carolina A
Age: 27
Profession: Tourism Student
Destination: Hilton Head, South Carolina
Company and position where you work: Sonesta International Hotels Corporation - Housekeeper
-We would like to know how you are and how you feel, as a participant in the Work & Travel USA program.
I'm all right! Working hard! The place is very good, I am on Hilton Head Island, which also works as a nature reserve. There is a lot of care with everything that is flora and fauna. For example, at night there is no light on so that when baby turtles hatch from the eggs in the sand, they can be guided by the moonlight and go to the sea.
-Is the work as you imagined it?
I had already done this program before, I did a Work & Travel in the food and beverage area. It is honestly better than I imagined. It is hard, but bearable. In the morning the tasks are to clean rooms and at night mainly to be at the disposal of the guests in case they need something (the latter is my favorite time).
-How is the work environment? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
The work environment is outstanding, in the morning they are all Americans, and they helped me a lot to get along, although with Latinos at night we are very cool. At night there are only two students from Peru, while the rest are Americans. So this year I had no choice but to speak English yes or yes haha. I am practicing English to die. Already on this trip I came with the ear and the ease of understanding well (being my second Work & Travel) and now with the spoken part too, I find myself facing the fact of having to speak English constantly. Now I am much more canchera listening and responding.
-What are the best things about your job? And the worst?
The worst thing about my job is the fact that I have to pay quite a lot for housing. Although it is very good, it is a giant house with five rooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, the house when we moved was brand new, we have washing machines included, etc., and I love it, it costs USD 130 per week.
On the other hand we have many positive things, for example we have a shuttle that takes us every day to work, bicycles available, and those at the resort care about us, in fact they came to pick me up from the bus stop to Savannah the day arrives.
Other of the best things are the facilities that it gives you, with the subject of the Shuttle, which give you extra hours if you ask for them, if your department does not want to give you overtime you can ask another department, the work environment is very good, and They also provide us with meals which is very good too (the hotel has a restaurant and it is included which saves me a lot of money).
-What do you do on your days off?
Cycling the island, other times I go to the beach, to the side of the lighthouse that is very nice, I go for a walk, it's like going to the coast on vacation, everything is very well cared for. Salgo de It is a destination for older adults and there is not much nightlife. And you see a lot of people riding a bicycle. In fact, the whole island has a bicycle. But I also go shopping, a month ago we went in a car that we rented with my supervisor to Orlando.
-Were you able to visit other places?
Yes. I was in Savannah, the closest city to which everyone goes (40 minutes away), it's very nice. The nightlife there is very good. We also rented a car with my supervisor and went to Orlando.
-What surprised you the most?
The island lifestyle and landscape. They pay a lot of attention to wildlife. For example, if you go by car and you come across a deer, you wait for it to cross and then continue. Also the fact that there are so many bike paths that you are in the middle of the forest. You are surrounded by landscapes, it is very different from a city.
-Any anecdote that you take as a souvenir?
We were at my house one afternoon and at sunset we went out to the garden to take pictures and there was a 2 meter crocodile!
Another memory that I took with me was when I spent my birthday here, and although I did a lot of work that day, later a lot of guys came to my house and surprised me with a cake that said "Happy Birthday Carolina", everything was cute.
-What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
I would recommend that if you want to come to learn English and you want to save, this is a very good destination, the truth is that the employer is very good. Here if you come from Work & Travel you have a little crown, they have compassion for you and they are better.
Age: 27
Profession: Tourism Student
Destination: Hilton Head, South Carolina
Company and position where you work: Sonesta International Hotels Corporation - Housekeeper
-We would like to know how you are and how you feel, as a participant in the Work & Travel USA program.
I'm all right! Working hard! The place is very good, I am on Hilton Head Island, which also works as a nature reserve. There is a lot of care with everything that is flora and fauna. For example, at night there is no light on so that when baby turtles hatch from the eggs in the sand, they can be guided by the moonlight and go to the sea.
-Is the work as you imagined it?
I had already done this program before, I did a Work & Travel in the food and beverage area. It is honestly better than I imagined. It is hard, but bearable. In the morning the tasks are to clean rooms and at night mainly to be at the disposal of the guests in case they need something (the latter is my favorite time).
-How is the work environment? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
The work environment is outstanding, in the morning they are all Americans, and they helped me a lot to get along, although with Latinos at night we are very cool. At night there are only two students from Peru, while the rest are Americans. So this year I had no choice but to speak English yes or yes haha. I am practicing English to die. Already on this trip I came with the ear and the ease of understanding well (being my second Work & Travel) and now with the spoken part too, I find myself facing the fact of having to speak English constantly. Now I am much more canchera listening and responding.
-What are the best things about your job? And the worst?
The worst thing about my job is the fact that I have to pay quite a lot for housing. Although it is very good, it is a giant house with five rooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, the house when we moved was brand new, we have washing machines included, etc., and I love it, it costs USD 130 per week.
On the other hand we have many positive things, for example we have a shuttle that takes us every day to work, bicycles available, and those at the resort care about us, in fact they came to pick me up from the bus stop to Savannah the day arrives.
Other of the best things are the facilities that it gives you, with the subject of the Shuttle, which give you extra hours if you ask for them, if your department does not want to give you overtime you can ask another department, the work environment is very good, and They also provide us with meals which is very good too (the hotel has a restaurant and it is included which saves me a lot of money).
-What do you do on your days off?
Cycling the island, other times I go to the beach, to the side of the lighthouse that is very nice, I go for a walk, it's like going to the coast on vacation, everything is very well cared for. Salgo de It is a destination for older adults and there is not much nightlife. And you see a lot of people riding a bicycle. In fact, the whole island has a bicycle. But I also go shopping, a month ago we went in a car that we rented with my supervisor to Orlando.
-Were you able to visit other places?
Yes. I was in Savannah, the closest city to which everyone goes (40 minutes away), it's very nice. The nightlife there is very good. We also rented a car with my supervisor and went to Orlando.
-What surprised you the most?
The island lifestyle and landscape. They pay a lot of attention to wildlife. For example, if you go by car and you come across a deer, you wait for it to cross and then continue. Also the fact that there are so many bike paths that you are in the middle of the forest. You are surrounded by landscapes, it is very different from a city.
-Any anecdote that you take as a souvenir?
We were at my house one afternoon and at sunset we went out to the garden to take pictures and there was a 2 meter crocodile!
Another memory that I took with me was when I spent my birthday here, and although I did a lot of work that day, later a lot of guys came to my house and surprised me with a cake that said "Happy Birthday Carolina", everything was cute.
-What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
I would recommend that if you want to come to learn English and you want to save, this is a very good destination, the truth is that the employer is very good. Here if you come from Work & Travel you have a little crown, they have compassion for you and they are better.
