Traveling to the United States can be an exciting and overwhelming experience. These pages serve as a guideline to help you have a successful trip to the United States. We hope to answer some of your questions about preparation for your upcoming adventure!

PACKING: WHAT TO BRING, WHAT TO LEAVE BEHIND

All passengers on international flights are permitted to check two pieces of luggage up to 32 kilograms each, with a maximum volume of 157 cubic centimeters. However, there will be times when you will need to move your luggage quickly from one place to another. We strongly advise that our participants limit their luggage to one suitcase (no more than 16 kilograms) and one carry-on bag (that fits under the airplane seat or in the overhead compartment - no more than 4.5 kilograms). You must be able to carry all of your belongings without help or hassle! All luggage should be clearly labeled with the owner's name, address and phone number. It is a good idea to use the address of Project Harmony's International Headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont when you are traveling to the United States. Any costs for additional or overweight baggage are the responsibility of the participant.

Business-Related Materials
You should bring business cards and pamphlets or other promotional materials that you have about your business or place of work. This is a good way to help people get quickly acquainted with your job and your place of work. It may be a good idea to get business cards in English, but make sure that they are accurate. It is probably better to give someone an accurate business card in your native language than to hand them one that has mistakes on it in English.

Toiletries and Personal Items
Bring along any toiletries or personal items you commonly use, such as toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, mouthwash, shampoo, shaving accessories, comb or hairbrush, contact lens supplies and feminine hygiene products. Towels are provided in all hotels and by host families.

Gifts
You will probably be wondering what gifts to give to your host families and other people whom you meet in America. While you may not know the exact makeup of your host family before you arrive, you will probably stay with two adults who may or may not have children. Gifts such as photography books with lots of pictures are very well received, especially if they are related to the area in which you live. Folk arts, such as hand-sewn mats or rugs, matryoshki, and khokhloma, are also tremendously popular. While you may find that many Americans drink very little, alcoholic drinks are also appropriate gifts for adult family members.

Medicines
It is wise to bring a small supply of basic medicines (pain reliever, cold medicine, motion sickness tablets). These are readily available in the United States, but it may be easier for you to take medicine that you are familiar with. Any prescription drugs that you are currently taking should be in their original containers. Be sure to bring a supply that will last the entire trip - it is expensive to replace prescriptions in the US and some drugs that are readily attainable in your country may be difficult to find in the United States.

Miscellaneous
If you bring a camera, bring enough film to last for the entire trip. Bring work-related materials like business cards, brochures, or advertisements Other good ideas of things to bring if you have them are a battery-powered or hand-wound alarm clock and an umbrella.

CLOTHING

Functional and practical are the two words to keep in mind when planning your wardrobe for the US. You should be sure to bring comfortable clothes for leisure as well as more formal clothes to wear to meetings or to your internship. The dress code in businesses varies widely - at some you will be expected to wear a suit and tie every day. At others, the boss may show up in shorts and a T-shirt every day. It is generally a good idea to wear business attire for the first day and observe what everyone else is wearing at the business. Then you can dress appropriately for the following days.

Seasoned travelers to the US recommend bringing casual clothing that conforms to Americans' informal lifestyles. You will be spending a good deal of time in a van for most programs, so you should bring clothing that will not be too uncomfortable. You should also be sure to pack a bathing suit, even in the winter, because most of the hotels that you will be staying in have indoor swimming pools. While most of your time will be spent at work or at meetings, do not forget to bring clothes for play, too. You may have the opportunity to go hiking or to play sports during your stay.

Keep in mind that you can easily do laundry while in America. Every family will have a washing machine and, most likely, a dryer. No one hand-washes clothes, so do not feel like you will be putting any burden on your hosts by asking them to wash some of your clothes. If you want to do your laundry, simply indicate that to your hosts and they will either show you how, or do it for you themselves.

WEATHER

Depending on the time of year and where you are traveling, you will need to pack accordingly for the weather. Please refer to the sections with specific information for Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont to find out what the weather will be like where you are traveling.

JET LAG

Jet lag refers to the physical and mental effects the body suffers when traveling a long distance over a number of time zones. Jet lag takes place when the body's natural rhythms are disrupted. There are many different theories about how best to beat jet lag. Project Harmony generally recommends that participants drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine or too much alcohol on the airplane. It is very important to try not to sleep during the daylight hours upon arrival in the US.

When figuring time changes, remember that the NIS is ahead of the United States. If the time is 16:00 in Moscow, it is 08:00 in New York that same day.

SHOPPING

As you know, the primary purpose of this program is to give you the opportunity for professional growth. You will, however, have time to go shopping during the program, during free time. If you plan on buying much while you are here, you should bring your own money with you. You will not have any extra money from Project Harmony to use for personal purchases; and if you spend all of your per diem money, Project Harmony cannot supply you with any additional funds. You should keep airline baggage regulations in mind when buying gifts to take home with you. While some participants have been able to return home with bicycles and other large gifts, some have had to pay hundreds of dollars of their own money just to put one extra bag on the airplane.

ELECTRICAL DEVICES

The current in the United States is 110 volts. Most electrical equipment will require both a plug adapter and a voltage adapter, which is often prohibitively expensive. You should take this into consideration when packing equipment like video cameras, as well as when considering purchases of electronic devices here in the US. Most new computers are compatible with both systems and some video camera battery chargers are also compatible.