Adventure awaits!

By Tanita Dos Anjos

Only 10 more days until my feet will be on American soil, in the oh-so-sunny Florida! I’m sure I’m not the only one who is feeling overwhelmed by excitement and nervousness for this exciting chapter that is to come.

My name is Tanita dos Anjos and soon I’ll be arriving in Florida to begin work at one of the most prestigious golf courses in America “Boca West Country Club”! The journey leading up to this has been just as overwhelming as the countdown to leaving!

It all started with a presentation that left many in awe and eager to apply to get a chance to experience “The American Dream”. After that, it was interview after interview, each time the stakes would get higher and higher, and we began to climb to the ladder to the end goal-working in Florida. The most nail-biting interview was definitely the one with Boca West. 

Butterflies erupted in my stomach as I moved closer and closer to the interview room and as soon as I saw my interviewer I set my eyes on the prize and somehow managed to calm myself enough to seem like-able and suitable for the job. The weeks thereafter I checked my emails 24/7 and I constantly had my phone on loud, waiting in anticipation for any news if I had made it or not. Then the day came, it was quite ironic, because for a split second it was completely out of my mind and that’s exactly when I heard the buzzing on my phone and saw the number, from the head office in Cape Town, calling and my stomach flipped! “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to work at Boca West! “A smile grew upon my face and I couldn’t wait to share the news with my loved ones! My excitement was uncontainable! 

From there on everything moved so quickly! Filling out forms about who’d I’d like to share accommodation with and zoning for the medical exams followed by an orientation, organizing all the paperwork for the VISA and to add more stress on top of that, I’m a student, so I had to tackle exams too! Once my exams were done, orientation was completed, and all VISA paperwork and medical papers were compiled the last hurdle was getting the VISA. It doesn’t seem like a difficult thing to obtain but the embassy was almost as nerve wrecking as my interview with Boca West! However, as soon as I heard: “Your VISA has been approved” it was like I could finally picture myself in Florida officially working and gaining experience!

The next call I’d be getting from Cape Town would be the call to tell me my date of departure and ever since I’ve received that call my emotions have gone into turmoil! Happiness, excitement, nervousness and uncertainty of what will happen, all mixed into one! All that’s left to do now is pack and prepare for the adventure abroad and if it’s anything like what I picture in my head I know that I won’t ever regret it!