Work and Travel: Living in Key West, Florida
My Work and Travel Program in Key West – Florida was for sure one of the best experiences of my life! For those who don’t know me, I l lived there for 4 months during a work and travel exchange program.
In this guide, I detail what is was like living in Key West on a work and travel program as a twenty-something Brazilian college student.
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What is the Work and Travel Exchange Program?
Work and Travel is a cultural exchange program of the US Government exclusively for college students. It’s an opportunity to spend your university vacations living and working abroad on a J1 visa.
Investment
My main expenses were:
- $1750: program fee, paid to Travelmate Curitiba, a travel agency in my city in Brazil.
- $160: J1 visa fee.
- $500 pocket money
- Around $550 for my plane ticket from Curitiba to Miami.
- $20 Greyhound bus ticket from Miami to Key West
Getting to Key West from Miami
It took a 20-hour journey to get from Curitiba – Brazil to Miami (stopover in Panama and São Paulo included).
I spent a couple of days getting to know Miami before heading to my final destination. To get to Key West from Miami, I took the Greyhound bus that leaves from the Miami Airport and takes about 4:30 hours to get to the Key West Airport.
Key West is the last island of the Florida Keys, which are connected to the mainland by the Overseas Highway (composed of 42 bridges). The highway itself is pretty amazing!
Key West: Living in paradise
My street
In my experience, Key West is an amazing place to live. It’s stunning, super safe and people are VERY friendly. You just have to keep in mind that it is a VERY touristy town, so most people you will see there don’t actually live there.
The island is quite slow-paced during the day but has great nightlife and beautiful beaches. Since it’s expensive to visit, a big part of the visitants are older (around 60 years old, I would say). Some of my favorite places to visit in Key West include: Fort Zachary Taylor, Dry Tortugas and Fort East Martello!
Book your adventure in Key West:
I loved living in Key West and miss the island lifestyle so much! It was usual for me to go straight to the beach after work. Truman Water Front Park (5 minutes away from home, great for running) and the community pool.
My job working as a Breakfast Attendant at the Southernmost Inn
While still in Brazil, I did a skype interview and got a job as a breakfast attendant ar the Southernmost Inn.
My job was basically to serve the breakfast in the morning, restock supplies during the breakfast hours and clean the kitchen and the breakfast hall afterward (the first part was okay, but the cleaning was very hard for me and I spent months with wounds in my hands due to the harsh cleaning products).
I worked entirely by myself, which was also not that nice because I really wanted to practice my English. Most of my coworkers there were illegal workers from Russia that didn’t quite understand what we (exchange students) were doing there. There was a lot of gossip and it wasn’t a nice working environment.
I didn’t enjoy working there at all but couldn’t leave because it was the job that gave me my J1 visa. I worked there for around 6 hours a day and got paid 13/hour.
My second job: working as a hostess at Willie T’s Bar and Restaurant
After a while I got a second job, working as a hostess at Willie T’s Bar and Restaurant, one of the most famous restaurants in town (it’s the one that is covered in dollar bills!). I LOVED working there and I’m so grateful that I did it.
The whole staff was so kind and loving, I made great friends there. My manager was amazing too. My job was basically welcoming people when they got to the restaurant and sit them. I also bussed the tables after they left. I practiced my English so much and met tons and tons of people.
I worked there as much as I could and got paid $12/hour + tips. After some time I started getting $18 + tips in overtime. Willie T’s will always be very close to my heart! <3
Housing
The housing was offered (and mandatory) by my first employer. The house was okay (considering we would only be there for 4 months), I shared it with nine other Brazilians.
The great thing about the housing was it’s location. Right next to Duval Street and 2 minutes away from Willie T’s. I paid 430 dollars of rent a month.
Highlights
Key West Sunset Cruise: In my last week of work, my employer took the exchange students to a sunset sail to watch the sunset in a 45 ft catamaran. It was an open food/bar thing, had live music and it was so much fun!
Dry Tortuga Island: I went by myself to the Dry Tortugas National Park, the less-visited national park in the United States. It was a day trip I will never forget!
Miami: I traveled to Miami after the program and spent a few days there. I thought I would go to Miami often during the program, but sadly 4 and a half hours it’s not that close.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely! I loved my experience living in Key West, but mainly because of the island, my second job and the friends I made there. <3 Can’t wait to go back to visit!
That’s a wrap! If you enjoyed this post, make sure to follow me on Instagram. See you next time!
You might also enjoy:
- The 5 best and most beautiful beaches in Key West, Florida
- The best 35 epic things to do in Key West
- Key West for foodies: places to eat on the island
- Dry Tortugas: exploring the most remote national park in the USA!
