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Au Pair Work abroad

Work as an Au Pair

I worked as an au pair

"You'll come out at the other end as a different person. There’s no other experience like this..."

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Female travel

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Work as an Au Pair

Life as an au pair

Jessica Hopley writes...

"The idea to become an au pair started many years ago when my mum suggested it. Throughout my school years the idea was in the back of my mind and when an Au Pair in America representative came to my school and told us more about the programme, I knew then that this was what I wanted to do. I thought this would be a perfect break to gather my thoughts and ideas about life and a career. Seeing that my mum is a school teacher, I knew I liked being around children and I thought it would be great to take care of kids myself.

I live in a town called Vienna in the State of Virginia. It’s about 20 minutes away from Washington DC and I love living here. Vienna is a very safe area, and a great place to bring up a family. The town has parades and festivals, which have been fun.

My neighbourhood has a big lake and field; we also have a swimming pool and tennis courts, which are great during the summer! I go into DC to see the many sights and attractions that the City has to offer, as well as to party... There are places not too far from DC like Baltimore and Annapolis, which make great day trips, and getting to the beach is not a long drive either.

I’m so grateful to have the host family that I have; my situation is not a typical one, but that’s what makes it more interesting. My host parents are separated; there are five kids in the family and one dog! The children are with their mom half the week, and the rest of the week with their dad, who lives only two minutes away from us. I live with my host mom and go to my host dad’s house in the afternoon when the kids are with him. The host mom is a physician assistant; she is very understanding and she really tries her best to make my life as an au pair easy. My host dad is a real estate agent who sells houses in the area. Having so many children means things are never boring! My family is busy, sporty, fun and is always on the go!

A lot of shopping has been done on my behalf while here in America; there are such great sales that I can’t avoid the bargains! Other things I like to do in my spare time are watching movies, going to music concerts, reading and just relaxing.

I took an interior design and a computer class at a local community college. Going to college is a great way to meet new people and the ‘no pressure’ environment is a great way to study.

Jessica

I felt I had to see as much of the country as I could. A friend and I took a trip to the City of Angels, Los Angeles, and to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is one big party and I recommend that everyone goes there at least once in their lives! The day trip to the Grand Canyon was worth the drive; what you see is a mind-blowing sight; it is quite unbelievable that such a natural wonder is on this earth. Driving up Mulholland Drive in LA made me feel like a movie star and I love that I can say that I saw the Hollywood sign! I have been to New York numerous times and each time I go, I see and experience something new in the city that never sleeps! I plan on travelling during my 13th month; I would like to go back to Boston, as my first trip was too short, and I would also like to see other parts of the West Coast.

My favorite memory of my au pair experience would have to be all the friendships and relationships I have made. I was so warmly welcomed by my host family and they are so good to me, they will never know how much of a good impact they have had on my life. All of the friends I have made here, I believe are friendships that will last a lifetime. I am so grateful to share this time with them in America - it’s a real blessing!

Au Pair in America is a time filled with high and low points, but the high points definitely out-weigh the low ones! I would recommend the programme because the things you learn and experience will last you a lifetime. You learn about different cultures and to appreciate your own family, you become a stronger person, you make lasting friendships and have so many new and fun experiences, it’s something you will not regret doing!"

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