So you’re all set to go on a J1 summer visa to the US. You have your flights booked, your visa sorted, you’ve decided on a destination; what now? It’s hard to find practical tips for your summer other than those necessary passport/visa/flight issues, so here are a few things you should think about before heading away, from someone who learned the hard way, believe me....
1) Learn to bartend or wait tables.
If you’ve got enough time, get service industry experience in right now. It’s the easiest work to find and the tips can be astronomical. If possible, stretch to learning a few key cocktails too. It’s worth the effort.
2) Email workplaces before you go.
And email them a LOT. My employers later told me that I already had the job before my interview, just because of my persistence before I’d even arrived in the States. The interview was purely for vetting, and I was working within 7 days of my arrival.
3) Eat your greens.
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Eat healthily before you go, because you will not see a scrap of veg for the whole summer. Not just because you’re lazy and there are 14 people in the same house trying to use the same kitchen, but because the only safe vegetables in the States are “organic”, and by “organic”, I mean expensive. Hot Pockets and tater tots will be your staples, and you WILL put on weight. That's just a given.
4) Boredom happens sometimes.
You might not do that much every day. Remember you’re there to work and if you want to travel at the end, you'll have to work your ass off. A lot of days will be spent preparing for, or coming back from work, sleeping and attempting to find food. Still, it’s amazing because you’re doing it in Santa Barbara/Chicago/New York/wherever. You won’t remember those boring days when you’re reminiscing this time next year. Promise.
5) Turn 21.
I’ve heard reports for and against this, but in my experience, the month between arriving in the States and turning 21 was the longest month of my life. Despite being my group’s resident bartender/alcoholic, I had to hang around outside liquor stores waiting for them to buy my alcohol, I couldn’t pour drinks at the restaurant I worked at, and I had to stay home after pre-drinks. At the very least, go if you’ll turn 21 at some point in the time you’re there.
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6) Don’t buy phone data.
Data plans in the States are crazy expensive compared to regular call & text plans and everywhere has Wi-Fi anyway. If stuck, walk 20 feet or follow a basic bitch and you’ll find a Starbucks. Problem solved.
7) Go with good friends.
And by good friends, I mean people you can tell to f- off every once in a while without causing massive drama. You will argue and you will irritate each other, no matter how hard you try to relax. It might also help to go in a group that fits nicely into one or two cars in order to avoid leaving people behind on days out as that will only add to the drama.
8) Go where you want.
Don’t be afraid to travel by yourself, especially at the end if there’s somewhere you’re dying to see and no one else is interested. The US is very easy to get around, most major cities have decent transport and there are always other tourists alone so you’ll make friends in hostels. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.
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9) If you do travel…
Airbnb, Couchsurfing, Lyft and Uber are your friends. Use wisely. The more you have it planned out and settled in your head, the easier it'll be to actually enjoy the travelling, and really look up and see what’s around you. If travelling with friends, go with like-minded travellers. There's nothing worse than a third of the group panicking, a third trying to reassure them that it’ll be grand and the rest of the group actually left to figure it out.
10) The tip on tipping.
When in doubt, tip everyone. Waiters and bartenders in most states earn only two or three dollars an hour, if not less, so they really need your tips. 10% minimum where the service is only alright, then more if the server excelled, and if you’re more than 4 people, at the very least 15%. Plus, add on a dollar per drink made by the bartender. Give and take, guys. In return, coffee, iced tea and soft drinks almost always have free refills in restaurants. Use and abuse.
11) Get a good camera and photograph absolutely everything!
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Come this time next year you’ll be pining for your summer away and you’ll need enough photos to piece all your memories back together. Consider buying a cheap Go-Pro to really record your more outrageous experiences, and if you don’t already have a good camera, check out places like Best Buy when you arrive, as they have amazing deals on great cameras at any level.
12) Keep a Diary.
It doesn’t have to be a “Dear Diary…” but at least mark off what you did each day. When you get home and everyone you know is asking how the summer was, you’ll have no idea where to start; a diary will remind you of all the hilarious stories and awesome places you went.
13) Go with nothing to lose.
Unless you’re making absolute bank in your job, don’t try to bring money home. Spend it. Travel. Have fun. Do stupid touristy things. Don’t bring your fancy new laptop or your Michael Kors watch. No one gives a crap what you have/wear/look like, so just go and enjoy yourself and make the most of every single moment.
