We were set to spend our amazing summer just outside the capital of Massachusetts, on the Cape Cod peninsula, in a small town called Sandwich.

So, from the moment we got our J-1 Visa and bought our plane tickets, we also started actively looking for housing. Oh, if only we had known for sure that in such a small and, at that time, not very popular place for J-1 students, it would be quite difficult to find housing on websites, we would have certainly started searching at least a couple of months earlier. We might have managed, by the time we got our visas, to have scoured all the American websites or written to all of our friend's American acquaintances (and believe me, she made plenty of them last summer while working on the same program in Cape Cod) asking for help finding a place for the summer. But I’m used to believing that everything happens for a reason. And I certainly became convinced of that later. Since we didn't find a room or a house in advance, luckily, my friend's sister agreed to take us in for a while. However, we couldn't stay in her house for the whole summer because, firstly, it would have been difficult to get to work every day with only a bicycle :) (she lives quite far from our workplace), and secondly, we wanted more independence and autonomy. Therefore, at the beginning of the program, we indicated the sister's address on the DS-2019 form, as we planned to live with her at first. Later, when we had already found our own housing while in America through acquaintances, we changed the address on the IEC.Exchange website.

So, just two weeks later, we met an incredible person, our landlady, who became more than just a landlord to us—she became a true friend and a source of support in everything (though, as it turned out later, most Americans are incredibly responsive and kind). We paid $500 per month per person for the room ($125 per week), considering that we could use absolutely everything. At our disposal were a kitchen with all the utensils, a washer and dryer, a private bathroom, a living room with a TV, a hammock, and lounge chairs in the backyard, and much more. Besides that, she very often gave us rides wherever we needed to go and also happily showed us the famous sights of Sandwich.

On average, housing prices across America vary from $90 to $150 per person per week. It all depends on the state and city. For example, in Orlando (Florida), you can rent a room in a hotel for employees (like J-1 students) for $130 per person. And in New Jersey, for example, the price for housing is $95-115. There are also options for renting housing from an employer. Some employers provide housing completely free of charge, while others charge a symbolic fee, for example, $50 per week.