Fiona Griffin, 67, is returning to the US again this summer for another J1 stint after a fantastic experience last year.

Griffin, from Tralee in Co Kerry, is returning to Camp Clearwater in Wisconsin in the US to be an of Activities Counsellor again this summer.

Ahead of her summer gig, the Irish granny will also be making stops in Mexico and Washington, DC.

Speaking with The Kerryman newspaper, Griffin explained how she “loved” her J1 experience last year, “but I honestly didn't know whether I would do it again or not. 

“But after a while, I really missed it [camp life], the community spirit, the family atmosphere, and all of the fabulous friends I made."

The 67-year-old said two women from the camp reached out during the year to see if she’d be interested in returning and that they’d “love” to have her back.

“So I thought about it and said, 'You know what, why not?'"

Griffin reckons she's "the oldest person ever to get a J1 because I've Googled it a few times and I'm always the one that comes up.”

According to the US State Department, exchange visitor (J) visas are nonimmigrant visas for individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs. In 2022, there were 21,810 new camp counselor exchange visitors in the US, with 1,229 from Ireland.

Aside from Wisconsin, Griffin will be spending two weeks in Mexico to attend the graduation of a girl that she became very friendly with last year.

She’ll also be heading to Washington, DC to visit the J1 office after a woman who works in the State Department told Griffin “they'd love to meet me and hear about my experience last year."

After those two stops, Griffin will head to outside Detroit to meet up with a friend who she shared a cabin with last year to make the two-day drive to the rural camp together.

Griffin said: "I'm looking forward to getting back on the lake, on Lake Tomahawk, and actually in the last couple of weeks, I've learned how to drive a speed boat too so I'm hoping that they'll allow me drive this time around...after a bit of practice too of course. 

“As well as this, I've gone to archery lessons and I've taken it up as a hobby after doing it at camp last year. I found that I absolutely loved it.

"I'm hoping to put those extra few skills into practice!"

Griffin has already begun chronicling her exciting summer adventures on her Instagram account @retiree_on_a_j1_visa.

Related: Inspiring, Irish American