Julianne's San Diego J1 Experience

Read about Julianne's San Diego J1 experience:

"My summer 2014 was spent in the Southern Californian paradise of San Diego! Although jobs and accommodation were tricky to find at first, my friends and I soon found ourselves settled into the difficult Cali life of sun, sea and an easy-going mindset. Jobs were difficult to come by, but by no means impossible to find with a bit of looking. Likewise with accommodation, with almost 1500 Irish students trying to find accommodation near the beach, it was a bit stressful. The Irish organisation in San Diego, Irish Outreach, were a big help. With a job and house sorted, we were free to have the best summer of our lives.

I worked in a large cafe in a museum in downtown San Diego. Some of my friends worked in Sea World, The Del Mar County Fair, Belmont Park and in shops and restaurants around the city. Days off were spent at the beach, shopping or seeing San Diego's numerous attractions, including Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park to name just a few. We attended a Padres baseball game and a few football games. Comic Con was crazy, with costumes, celebrities and events everywhere.

The highlight of my J1 experience was probably our roadtrip in August. My friends and I rented a car and drove to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, LA and Huntington before returning to San Diego and flying onwards to New York. The great thing about the west coast is all of these unbelievable places are within driving distance of each other. Its definitely worth saving up the money to do a good road trip at the end. 

I'd highly recommend the J1 programme because its a really good way to really experience the American lifestyle. You see what its like to work, socialise and see the culture of America. I loved every minute of my time in the U.S last summer and it really is an amazing experience.

Read more blogs: Mike's Chicago J1 Experience, 5 Tips For Making The Most Of Your J1 Experience, 5 Useful Mobile Apps You'll Need On Your J1, J1 Jobs: All You Need To Know.

Contact us: SAYIT J1 Cork +353 21 4279 190 or J1visa@sayit.ie. Dublin: +353 1 608 0072 or dublinJ1@sayit.ie.