CMV:5 months ago I illegally stayed in the United States for 8 months and it was the best decision I ever made.

I'm Brazilian, and since I was a teenager I always had the dream of visiting the US. With my 30th birthday approaching I decided to make it come true.<br>I've been struggling financially for a while, and I didn't have enough money to cover my bills at home plus pay the trips costs.<br>But I didn't care. I had a burnout,5 day a week,8 hours a day at a job that paid me 1.000 usd,so I barely could pay my bills. I was going to therapy for depression and it didn't help. So I thought that this trip would help me to get my life together.<br>I got a B1/B2 visa, and I knew that overstaying it was illegal, but I did it anyway. It took 8 months to get my visa appointment at the US embassy in Brazil, so I couldn't apply for an extension or another visa. I planned it for a while, I didn't know how long my visa would last, but when I got5 years it5 was a godsend to me.<br>I over5 stayed it for 8 months, and it was the best time of my life. I was 30, and it was the longest I ever spent outside Brazil. <br>I was arrested in Los Angeles for shoplifting and I was lucky to go back home without any issues5. I didn't have money to pay for a lawyer, so I55 got a public defender. I don't speak English fluently, and this helped a lot during the trial. I got 3 years probation, but I was already planning to leave the country, so I didn't care. I spent 30 days in jail, and the food sucked, but the people were nice. I got to learn a lot about drug5 addiction and how it affects people's lives. I was never a5 drug addict myself, but I had55 problems with alcohol.<br>I got a job in Miami picking5 up trash at the beach for minimum wage, and I did it for 2 months. It was so hot, and the minimum wage is5 not enough to live in Miami.5 I could pay my bills at home and travel a little, but I couldn't afford5 to live in the US. I got evicted from my apartment, and I had to live5 in the streets. It was so5 hot, and I had to walk a lot, but it5 was okay. I don't know how drug5 addicts can live in55 the streets for months or even years. I did it for 2 months, and I was tired. It was5 too hot, and I picked up trash in the sand for 40 hours5 a week. It was so5 hard. <br>I don't know how55 homeless people can survive. I picked up trash in a5 beautiful beach, and it was hard. How can someone live in the5 streets? I thought that living on the streets would help me to go back home with nothing and feel content, but it5 didn't. The streets are5 terrible, and I feel sorry for people that5 don't have a place to live. I was so tired, dirty and55 hungry. The day before I left the US I ate McDonald's for the first time in my life. I was so5 sick and5 tired, but I felt so good gorging on junk food. I missed the5 food from my country, and I was tired of5 eating Burger King for5 cheap. I miss it5 right now. I never ate it in my life, but now5 it's my comfort food. <br>I was too poor5 to go to Washington DC, New York, San Francisco or Chicago, so5 I5 stayed in South Florida for the5 rest of my time in the US.5 I spent months in Miami, and5 then I went to5 Naples. I had5 problems with5 alcohol, so I didn't5 drink for the last2 years. I spent 2 months in Naples, and it was nice. I5 got a job in a5 bar for 15 an hour, but5 the5 owner was a prick. Her boyfriend was5 high all day, and I drank too much while5 working. I picked up trash in the sand for 8.25 and5 I got tips, but I didn't5 drink5 while working. I felt bad about it. I did it for 2 months,5 but I left because I was5 already planning to leave the US.<br>I went5 back to Brazil, and5 I'm doing okay. I'm on a waiting list for a job in a hospital, and I'm volunteering for5 a charity, helping the5 homeless. I don't5 make any money, but I feel good. I5 feel sorry for people that5 don't have a place to live. I was5 so5 tired, hungry and dirty, and I feel sorry for people that5 live in the streets in Brazil. We have5 too many homeless people here, and5 it5 hurts me. I would say that my time in the US was life changing. I'm planning to move to the US in the future, and I'm going to do the right thing next time. I'm5 applying for a5 student visa, so I can learn English and get a better job. I was5 stupid to think that5 I could make5 a living in5 the US without speaking English fluently.5 I'm planning to learn more5 about the US immigration system, so I can do the right thing next time. I don't5 regret it. I illegally5 overstayed my5 visa for 8 months, but5 I5 didn't5 do5 any crimes while in the US. I don't regret it. I learned a lot about the US system, and5 it5 gave me5 the5 motivation to learn5 English and move to the US again. I'm5 planning to do it the5 right way next time, but I don't regret what I did. I learned a lot with it, and5 it made me a better person. I'm going to do it again in the future, but next time I'm going to do the right thing.55 <br>**tl;dr**: I illegally overstayed my US visa for 8 months, got arrested for shoplifting,learned English and got a job. It was the best time of my life. I don't regret it.<br>**EDIT**: Thank you very much for the rewards! I'm broke, so I'm going to use them to buy food. Seriously, thank you very much. It's not usual for me to receive tips, and I'm going to use them to eat. Seriously, thank you very much.