After having such a good time in Edison, New Jersey during my first visit, I decided to return in the summer of 2012. It was during this visit that I adopted Edison as my second hometown. Edison is the home of Thomas Alva Edison’s famed Menlo Park laboratory where the incandescent light bulb was perfected and sound was first recorded. That summer, I worked for the same swimming company and for the duration of my stay was co-located with other six new co-workers. Shortly after my arrival, Chris Passalaqua, an American supervisor of the company, moved into the same house with us. I thought this was great for communication and culture development. In addition to my lifeguarding duties during those summer days, I also taught swimming lessons at the community pool. I made more money as a swimming coach than by lifeguarding. It was a great time.
An Indian friend allowed us to borrow his car, so I began to feel like a fully-fledged American while in Edison. Having a car also opened up new possibilities to travel and explore different parts of the beautiful area. In addition to my frequent visits to the monument dedicated to Thomas Edison, I spent a lot of time in New York City. I loved to travel to the city’s Penn station by train. To this day, I am still in touch with some New York City residents whom I met along the way.
Spending my summer in this region deepened my knowledge of the American culture and experiences of living on the American continent. I improved my English language skills and became more confident that I could be successful in the United States.
