america!!

upthekingdom

Hey folks... well the story is absolutely dyn to head to america LA maybe and avent a clue about the visas, the american embassy website is just double dutch and last thing i wana do is go illegal... i wudnt qualify for a j1 which is real vexing... Im 20 a wee girl however, none of my girlfriends are heading away or want to... just wondering anyone in the same situation etc??!! let me know would love a travelling buddy around my own age up for a laff, think id be a bit scared on my own...! wouldnt go straight away a few months need to save abit!!...newho let me know....;)

TeletextPear

imo, id give la a miss, was there last year and it's the biggest kip ever. if you're looking to hit that part of the country, san fran is a lot nicer, still full of homeless but not quite as horibble. if i was you i'd hit miami - great nightlife, beaches, weather, etc. deadly city

upthekingdom

yeah i kinda heard that before about La, my sis and hubby were in San franciso and said it nice...! ive never considered miami, il take a look into it... cheers

Neamhshuntasach

Yeah LA is a bit of a dump once you go outside the main tourist parts. Still worth a few days though. San Diego is my favorite city in California.

Miami is great for nightlife but it gets tired after a while. And you'd really need a car to get around if planning on staying there for a while.

Also wait till you are 21 before going over. You won't get served before that age and if you do, you're extremely lucky.

estebancambias

Just on the subject of LA...I lived there for a couple of months when I was a kid....about 8....there is nothing to actually do in the place. People talk about Dublin, but LA is just industrial park after industrial park.

upthekingdom

and ave ya any idea about the visas? am i eligible for one etc?? please be great help...:p

Neamhshuntasach

You are eligible to go to the US for 90 days on the visa waiver program. There is no need to worry about arranging visas before hand with the VWP as it is done when boarding the plane or upon arrival. You just fill out the card and go up to the desk. Under this program you are not allowed to work or study. It is purely for things of a tourist nature etc. If you are going during summer months make sure you have proof of enough funds in case you're asked and also a return flight. This is because it is J1 season and a lot of people try head off without one to work.

RATM

I remember passing the Hollywood sign in LA 3 times in 2 days. I never saw it in its entirety cos the whole city seems to suffer from the same kind of smog problems that Dublin had in the 1980's. Still though if you can find some good parties in LA you'll love the place, if you cant you'll probably end up leaving thinking everyone there is plastic and stuck-up:)

We ended up going down to the old Doors hangout Whiskey a Go Go. Carmen Electra and the drummer out of Guns N'Roses were sitting just a few tables away from us knocking back a couple of bottles of tequila. Twas a great laugh and as the night wore on we got talking with their group and later about 15 of us from the bar went on to an underground psychedelic trance club that theres no way we would ever found on our own. The whole place was off their tits on acid, I just couldn't stop laughing at some of the shapes people were throwing. The tequila kept flowing till 5am, haven't a clue how we found our way back to the hostel.

For those reasons I loved LA but otherwise I probably would have said its a kip:D