For J1 hell of a time, it’s got to be Chicago
The USA’s special working visa has become a rite of passage for Irish students and Mark Jackson says it’s an experience not to be missed
The moment I touched down at O’Hare International Airport, the promise of an extraordinary summer began to unfurl. Chicago’s rich cultural diversity greeted me right at the airport’s gates, its tunnel of flags proudly flying emblems from countries all over the world.
I had just arrived on my ‘J1’, a rite of passage for many Irish third-level students. The JI visa allows young adults in full-time education to work and live in the US for a summer. Getting the visa can be a long, tedious and complicated process – but it’s dead easy if you leave it in the capable hands of the brilliant Usit team like I did.
The reason I chose Chicago as my base for the next three months was because every person who’d gone there before me raved about the place. And it didn’t take long before I saw how right they were.
One of my earliest cultural adventures unfolded on Randolph St in the heart of the West Loop quarter of the city, just a 10-minute stroll from my doorstep, when I stumbled into the Taste of Chicago Festival. It marked the beginning of an newfound appreciation for American cuisine. Chicago’s vibrant food scene, with its deep-dish pizzas, hot dogs, and array of international delicacies, soon became part of my new daily life.
Among the most fun experiences during my summer was throwing myself into the American pastimes of baseball and American football. Twice, I saw the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. During my second visit, my friends and I were treated to multiple home runs and my pal Conor was lucky enough to catch a ball from the game. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric.
Following the games, a trip to Sluggers, the local sports bar, became a tradition. Upstairs, the arcade provided endless entertainment, while downstairs, music and the lively ambiance led to some great nights.
Any JI adventurer will tell you that the job – or jobs – you get can make or break your American summer. Networking is key – and I got lucky thanks to some friends, landing a great gig at Island Party Hut, a lively Tiki bar on Chicago’s bustling Riverwalk. My boss was always fair and I made great friends there from over the world. Full disclosure: I often had just as much fun behind the bar as the revellers I was serving!
On days off, I usually headed to Ohio or North Avenue Beach for a swim in Lake Michigan or a game of beach volleyball. When my mum visited, we took in the Adler Planetarium and The Art Institute, both well worth exploring.
Over the summer I also visited friends in New York, where I mostly hung out in Central Park. A two-day excursion to Montauk at the northern tip of Long Island, was a refreshing break from the madness of Manhattan. A serene beach hamlet in the Hamptons, life in Montauk revolves around the water. Its single main street is dotted with friendly bars and the atmosphere is so incredibly laidback, you won’t want to leave.
Towards the end of my time in Chicago, friends arrived from Dublin, and the five of us got to fully immerse ourselves in that oldest of
DEEP-DISH PIZZAS AND HOT DOGS BECAME PART OF MY NEW LIFE
J1 holiday experiences – cramming into a ‘cozy’ one-bedroom Airbnb. A lasting memory was attending the Lollapalooza music festival. I love music, so it was a dream come true, with the magnificent Chicago skyline serving as the festival’s backdrop.
As our time in Chicago drew to a close, the five of us gathered at the renowned Dearborn restaurant, indulging in by far the tastiest and most enjoyable meal of the summer. This restaurant is owned by the Lawless sisters from Galway and of course they employed a J1er to be maitre d’!
Probably the highlight of my summer was the road trip my friends and I went on towards the end of our time in the States, which we kick-started with two unforgettable nights in Las Vegas.
Our wallets lightened, we headed west in our rental ‘Four Winds’ RV, which took us on a tour of some of America’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders, including Zion National Park, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon – incredible sites that no TV screen can do justice to. We said goodbye to our trusty metal travelling companion in LA, squeezing in a visit to the world-famous Comedy Store club before heading south to San Diego.
Our expectations for San Diego were high, fuelled by glowing recommendations from friends.
Unfortunately, Storm Hilary coincided with our arrival, so we sought refuge in the local bars. Surprisingly, in San Diego our Irish identities didn’t seem to be as warmly received as we had become accustomed to elsewhere in America.
One last adventure was a trip to Nashville. The vibrant city streets were filled with cowboy hats, boots and roaring country music from door to door. Our evenings were spent mostly in Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk and Tootsies as we line-danced to a combination of rock and country music. While there we went to see the Tennessee Titans, where we tailgated with local fans to embrace the unique sporting experience that American football offers.
If you want to go on a J1, contact Usit and let them do the work. As for where you go, well, I can’t look past Chicago – it’ll forever be My Kind of Town!
I LOVE MUSIC, SO LOLLAPALOOZA WAS A DREAM COME TRUE