''Sat in a cafe in New Orleans - loving the live jazz and beignets!' Now how often do you get to boast that?" Joanna made the most of her 3 months in the States on Work America, indulging in an all-American tradition; the roadtrip!

For me, America was something entirely different everyday – where if I hadn't kept a diary of what I was doing, there was no way I´d ever be able to recount all of my tales. Especially as I racked up an impressive 21 states during my 3 month visit.

I chose to take part in Work America so that I could earn a bit of money, get some experience for my CV, and most importantly travel! Though I managed to hold 5 different jobs throughout my stay, I spent most of my summer living on a camping-bus. Granted I didn't get internet, phone signal, or frequent showers – but it still has to be the highlight of my trip.

 

The other travelers were all “alone” too, so it was so very easy to make friends, and, since all of us shared a passion for hiking and sightseeing, we got on very well. I found that sleeping on the bus felt more like a giant sleepover every night, rather than the awkwardness I´d originally imagined (or my mother had warned about)!

The cities were amazing and so diverse. San Francisco was beautiful and the people so friendly! Equally I have to say that Las Vegas was pretty up there on my memorable moments, as was Austin, Texas and singing karaoke in Washington DC. But hands down, my favourite parts had to be the camp-outs; nothing quite beats sleeping under the stars. Picture campfire, guitars and beautiful scenery, and you can kinda get the idea.

 

For someone so bitterly organized like me, to just get up and go was a thrilling experience and something that I really think changed my angle on life, even if only showing myself what I was capable of! There isn't a way for me to simply sum up my time there, aside from saying it was awesome, so I´ll let the numbers do the talking.

21 states visited
200 resumes printed
9 planes caught
316 photos taken
8 languages attempted
$250 raised as a political activist
5 jobs worked across 3 states
56 episodes of Buffy watched with my Canadian room-mates (too cool)
1 live lobster cooked
5 pairs of shoes broken from excessive walking
$2400 spent
169 hours worked
12 sunsets watched
12,000 miles travelled
100's of people met
0 regrets!

To start your very own USA adventure on our Work America programme, give us a call on 0207 870 9570. The programme closes on May 1st.

Joanna