Rena,
I understand your fear, I moved from the U.K. to the States and it was a big culture shock to say the least. Think of it this way. You have the opportunity to discover this new country for a year while trying to sort out your papers. You can set up your home at your leisure, explore the countryside, do research on the IT companies, and surely there must be a way for you to stay up with the advances in the industry. You can do all of this honey, and the best part of it is you will be nicotine free. Having to be financially dependent on someone is also scary, but surely since he is willing to support you for that period, that must mean that he cares about you very much!
Hang in there, and try to look at the wonderful opportunities that you have been offered. ALL OF THAT AND SMOKE FREE TOO!!! You can do it Rena, and I'm sure that everything will turn out the way that you want.
Txgranny
smoke free since 05/11/01