ENG: MY TRIP ACROSS AMERICA

One of the best parts about going on a J1 is the travelling after work. Today, I wanted to show you my trip across America. I hope this post will be useful for you in regards to planning your own trip.

Sooo! Everything, of course, started and ended in New York. After camp, we travelled to the La Guradia airport and from there we had our first flight to Miami. We stayed in Miami for two days, and then we got our cruise to the Bahamas. Yes, you heard me right, THE BAHAMAS! I still cannot believe I was actually there. I will tell you a bit more about the cruise itself in a separate post. After the cruise, we ended up back in Miami in the early morning. Our flight to Las Vegas was in the evening, so we pretty much spent the whole day at the airport. We were picked up by our friend in Las Vegas, as we have rented a car together for the next part of travelling. We spent two nights in Las Vegas, and from there, we went to see the sunset at Grand Canyon. It was one of the most amazing moments in my life! After susnet, we drove for the whole night and arrived in Los Angeles in the very early hours of the morning. We spent two days in Los Angeles, and then we headed towards San Francisco. On our way there, we stopped in Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. We planned to stay in San Franciso for a bit longer, and then to travel to Yosemite, but because of the incident that happend (basically, our car was broken into and robbed), we decided to head back from where we came and spend some more time in places we already knew. Afterwards, my cousin and I separated from our friends and got a bus from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and from there we flew back to New York, where we spent three more days before our flight home.

NY - MI - BS - MI - LV - LA - HLWD - SM - BH - SB - SF - LA - LV - NY

As you can see, we really manged to see a lot during our travels and the three weeks of travelling were very intense. To be honest, I didn't really feel relaxed after all of this, I felt exactly the opposite! Tired, or exhausted to be more precise! I was dreaming of my bed. But I wouldn't like to have it any other way! It really showed us what travelling is about and that it is not always so good, there are bad days as well and times were you end up with no place to sleep, or you get robbed. You can't plan everything. But to sum up, I did love every minute and I am happy we did everything the way we did! I learned a lot and I have memories which will last forever!

So, are you up for it? Or would you prefer something more laid back? Let me know!

Talk to you soon,

Klaudia.. X

ENG: ALL ABOUT CAMP!

Hey guys,

I hope you are all keeping well. As I promised, this post will be all about camp and what I did! To start off, I think it would a good idea to tell you a bit more about the camp itself first. It was a beautiful place and I already miss it. I worked at Ramapo for Children, and it was a summer camp for kids with special needs, situated around two hours drive from New York.

The camp was surrounded by forest and had its own lake, which was a great place to spend your breaks during some really hot days. The phone signal was weak and the Internet worked only in some places and at certain times, so we definitely  got a chance to discover how life on camp really feels. Have a look!

(few minutes later)

As you can see, we looked happy! And we really were. Every day on camp was special and we have created many amazing memories, which will last forever. One of the biggest and most important advantages of working on a camp are the friends you make. You know you can always count on them. I will tell you a bit more about this in a seperate post, as there is a lot to tell! But I looooooove these people with all my heart. I will also create a photo diary post, where I will show you much more, so keep tuned!

Back to work! What did I do? I was a dining hall staff member, and as the name suggests, I worked in the dining hall. My job consisted of setting up the dining hall for a meal, serving the food and obviously cleaning up afterwards. The work itself was very demanding and hard at times, because it involved doing all of this three times a day for five days a week. But! With a great team evertyhing seems easier and that's how it was in our case. We were there for each other and gave support to anyone in need and somehow we managed to keeping going for the whole summer. We learned how to work as a team and this helped us to get through everything.

How did our days look? We woke up around 6.30/7a.m. every morning and finished work around 7.30/8p.m. It seems like a long day, but we had a break in between breakfast and lunch and another break between lunch and dinner. We worked six days a week and had one day off per week, followed by the morning off the following day where you started at 10a.m instead. It might seem like a lot of work and it really was. But once you get used to the routine, you learn how to manage your time, your breaks and when to rest. You also learn a lot about yourself! Whether it's breaking your boundries or working under stress. It's a great experience and a great thing to put down on your CV.

Remember, if you have any questions you can always email me at kulakowskaklaudia@gmail.com! I will be happy to answer and help out! :)

Also, make sure to follow my Facebook page! (here) 

Kisses,

Klaudia .. X  

ENG: AMERICA - WHAT? HOW?

Hello everyone!
I'm back and have a lot to tell you, but I think the best idea is to start right from the beginning. A lot of you have asked me about my trip, how did I organise all of it, where did I work. Basically, how did I do it? This post will answer all of your questions and hopefully make everything easier for you if you decide to go (if you're still wondering whether you should go - you should!)

The first and most important point is - you have to be a STUDENT. Unfortunately, the J1 programme is only available for students.

Student? Want to know more? Keep reading!

First step!
Go to https://www.campamerica.co.uk/ and register! You will be asked to fill out an application form and sections such as:   

Background Checks

Personal Details    

Contact Details

Passport & Flight Choices

Language & Current Education

Education History

Work History

Furthemore, you will have to record a video, in which you will have to tell a bit more about yourself, your hobbies and interests and basically why you want to go! All of this takes time, especially because you really should fill every section as best as you can. This mostly refers to work history and the experience you have gained over the years. By doing this, you will find the perfect job for yourself. So, take time!

One of the decisions you have to make is whether you would like to work as a counsellor or as a campower. Counsellors work directly with children, take care of them and basically make sure the kids have the best time of their lives at camp! So if you really love children, this is the perfect job for you! I have chosen to work as a campower, due to my previous experience. Campower works more behind the scenes - the kitchen, dining hall or houskeeping, but is as equally important in the life of a camp. And of course, it also gets a chance to meet the kids and make friends with them!

Remember that Camp America will be there to help you at all times and whenever you have a question you can always call or email them and will be helped straight away! This is really good, because all of this can become a bit stressful and complicated at times, especially when you are a student, who also works at weekends and never has the time for anything! But keep one thing in mind at all time, it will all be worth it! And you are not on your own.  

Once you have everything filled out and completed, your application will be sent to various camps across America. As soon as a camp becomes interested in your application, you will be informed and will have the final say whether you want to work with them or you want to keep looking.

Found the perfect camp? Then, the next step is.. VISA! But don't worry. Again, Camp America will make sure you have everything you need for the interview at the US embassy and will assist you with filling out the online application for the visa as well. You will be guided on what to do step by step. Once you have the application completed and pass the interview successfully, that's it! You are set to go and the only thing left to do is to count down the days to the best summer ever!

And another frequently asked question! How much does it cost?

• Pre placement - 180€
• Post placement - 763€
• Non Camp Amrica fees - approx. 140€

TOTAL = 943€*

You can see more detailed information in regards to costs here: https://www.campamerica.co.uk/costs/costs-process-explained/first-timer-costs

*This can change slightly, it depends on various factors, but it will never increase too dramatically

I hope I answered at least some of your questions and remember that you can always email me at kulakowskaklaudia@gmail.com and I will be happy to answer any other questions you might have.

I really, really do recommend Camp America and honestly there's not one single bad thing I can say about them! I was looked after from the very beginning to the end, and even now, when I'm thinking of going back, I am already taken care of.

And! One more thing! If you cannot wait until the summer and you would like to have an oppurtunity to meet your potential employer and get a job on the spot, go to Camp America's job fair! Every year, Camp America organises a job fair where various camps come to look for their ideal workers. This is a great opportunity and that's how I got my job! Make sure to check out Camp America's website for any updates on where it is going to take place this year and when.

Soooo what do you think? Would you like to go?

In the next post, I will tell you a bit more about life and work at camp.

Talk to you soon,

Klaudia.. X