Summer 2010..so much choice! :D

Jasonsc

Hey guys and girls,

So its my first year in college and already i have to say without a shadow of a doubt that it is 10000 times better than school. Also one thing ive been looking forward to a hell of a lot is traveling, and i figure i shouldnt waste any time and get straight to it this summer.

Theres so many choice, which is great..but its a little confusing also. Me or my friend dont exactly have a lot of money so ideally id like to go somewhere for a month or 2, where i could get a job to try and pay for some of (if not all!) my expenses.

I kinda had France in mind for a long time cause im kinda sorta half-arsedly studying french in my spare time. France sounds cool, ive been to the alpes there but never to the main part of the country itself and i definitely want to eventually. But how should i say, after researching a bit, it has slipped down my priorities list.

Im thinking Boston (i have some relations here) maybe..or Switzerland (odd i know, but id love to go there). And then theres loads of places id like to go in europe..i couldnt even list them all, so many cities and countries.

So basicly id like to know what some of you have gotten up to over your summer breaks, where youve been, did you get work? how much did it cost, would you do it again, did you meet many people. So far ive just narrowed it down to somewhere in mainland Europe or northern America. But again, theres so much to choose from and im not really sure where to start because of my limited amount of money..look for a job first then some place to stay? or...?

Any input would be great, thanks


A quick edit: Can you apply for a J1 more than once? As in, if i go to America this year, could i go again next year using a J1? (any info on J1's also welcome!

macca1983

I presume you are 18 - don't bother doing J1 so quickly - can't go for a beer until you are 21 and they ain't like here ie they tend to be a lot stricter serving under age people.

Switzerland is tres pricy.

Try raise some funds and inter rail around Eastern Europe for 4/5 weeks or possibly try South East Asia.

Of course there are plenty of other places but for first time travelling just go with a well travelled route.

Jasonsc

thanks for the reply I take it from the way you worded it that i can only do the J1 once?

macca1983

Jasonsc wrote: »

thanks for the reply I take it from the way you worded it that i can only do the J1 once?

I am pretty sure there is a J2 also. Get stuck into your research! Personally i think first year is a bit young for the J1 but tis up to yourself...

Jasonsc

Well im not necessarily looking to defo go somewhere in America this summer, Europe is maybe a more reasonable goal. But if the J1 could be used more than once i wouldnt mind giving American a whack perhaps ..Ill have a search now..when i type "J1" into the search here it says its too short to find any answers..but ill have a gander elsewhere.

Edit: from the J1 website..im fairly sure that you can use it as many times as you like as long as you still meet the criteria..someone confirm please?

dory

How much money do you think you could save? No matter where you go it will be difficult to find a job. Lots and lots of Irish people, even in the 'good times' came back to Ireland during the summer due to lack of work.
I hate to be negative, just suggesting that if you put away 37 Euro a week for the next 27 weeks, you will have 1000 Euro in the summer, on which you could have a lot of fun, and not have to worry about searching for a job (and then working!).

I myself would go to India. I know people last year who got flights for 300 Euro, mine were about 400. I know people who spent 500 Euro for two months while volunteering in Kolkata. If you got got the 300 flights you could do a good bit of travelling around on 700 Euro.

Jasonsc

Heya Dory, thanks for the reply.

I think i could manage 1000 euro if not more, thats if i dont let my driving instinct get the better of me and buy a car :S I dont think India would be for me to be honest, i wouldnt might a week or a little less while just passing by, but there would be a lot of other places id like to go to first.

My grandmother has 2 nephews in Boston who will be coming home at christmas so ill talk to them about over there for sure.

Id like to go somewhere in europe as well...the old problem is the languages, though i think most speak english over there now, but not having the native tongue would make it very hard to get a job i would think. Although my french is coming on, but not conversational just yet...dad tells me he knows a bar owner in nice though, so maybe ill get lucky there.

Do you think 1000 euro would get me far? Although i would hope that with my relations in boston maybe i could score a job somewhere. I still need to be fully sure i can use the J1 more than once though, just so i know...im fairly sure i can.

Jasonsc

macca1983 wrote: »

Try raise some funds and inter rail around Eastern Europe for 4/5 weeks

Sorry i skipped over that sentence for some reason before, that sounds like a cool idea, but really im not sure i could afford that this summer, defonitly an idea for next summer though!

blow69

You can do the J1 Visa multiple times.

Jasonsc

blow69 wrote: »

You can do the J1 Visa multiple times.

Thanks for confirming!

Jasonsc

Still looking for any and all ideas / opinions btw

byrnsey

hi i'm thinking of going to the states on a j1 next summer!! at the moment i'm on my own but hopefully will be able to convince some of my friends to come! thinkin boston at the moment... any ideas???:)

Jasonsc

Boston? im thinking the same...i have relations there so im going to chat with them over christmas and see what the story is..il pass on any info i pick up from them

byrnsey

thanks jasonsc! i have family in conneticut myself which isn too far away so gonna see if they hav any connections too!

Frisbee

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia are all dirt cheap and was the best experience of my life.

megamegatubby

Frisbee wrote: »

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia are all dirt cheap and was the best experience of my life.

is Thailand really that cheap? I'd love love love to go there next summer but I'm on a serious budget! Around hw much wud accomm and travelling the islands be?

macca1983

megamegatubby wrote: »

is Thailand really that cheap? I'd love love love to go there next summer but I'm on a serious budget! Around hw much wud accomm and travelling the islands be?

Thailand is no longer dirt cheap - it has gotten much more expensive over the years. The islands in particular are not dirt cheap. Thailand is still cheap, tis just no longer in the dirt cheap category - the days of living like a king on 20 euro are gone! You can live on 20 Euro a day but not like a king, where as in Vietnam you can live like a king on 20 Euro.

Jasonsc

Thailand sounds interesting, but the way i see it is that ive got 3 or 4 years to have a good crack at all these places, and first and foremost id like to go to the states, ive never been before and always really wanted to. Then we'll see after that..maybe europe this yea either, if i can improve the french and get a job there. But im pushing boston atm

Jasonsc

so im gonna contact some companies this week and see what prices and stuff are like, im thinking either sayit or go4less..there is a third company i think? But its not as good i hear?

Jasonsc

Also..could someone advise me please on what is a decent price for accommodation in Boston, or the best locations for someone staying over a month or 2 and who wants to work and also be very social? I see a lot on craigslist...but i just have nothing to referenc the prices with

dan1988iel

Frisbee wrote: »

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia are all dirt cheap and was the best experience of my life.

is it possible to get work in any of the above?
what lanuage is spoken there mainly?
how much did it cost you to live over there? € if possible
and how long did u spend there?

macca1983

dan1988iel wrote: »

is it possible to get work in any of the above?
what lanuage is spoken there mainly?
how much did it cost you to live over there? € if possible
and how long did u spend there?

Are these questions for real? If so i would suggest not leaving Ireland.

dan1988iel

macca1983 wrote: »

Are these questions for real? If so i would suggest not leaving Ireland.

yes they are serious questions ya.

but i didn't ask you to answer them.

Frisbee

Main language is Thai....

It is possible to get promo work on the islands, but I really wouldnt bother, you get paid 300baht a night, which is like 6 euro...

I was there for 7 weeks and spent 1600euro, but thats including 200 for a scuba course.

So 200 a week accom, food, booze etc.

dan1988iel

Frisbee wrote: »

Main language is Thai....

It is possible to get promo work on the islands, but I really wouldnt bother, you get paid 300baht a night, which is like 6 euro...

I was there for 7 weeks and spent 1600euro, but thats including 200 for a scuba course.

So 200 a week accom, food, booze etc.

thats great, thanks.