“An Unforgettable Year”

Written by Mareike Sander

German Au pair 09-17-12 through 09-17-13

“The wish to escape everyday life, the idea of being an au pair, applying for an agency, getting to know host families, matching, preparing, packing, saying “goodbye home, see you later – hello USA”, that’s all the exciting things we have done before the actual adventure started.

 My adventure takes place in Alpharetta. Parts of it are my host parents, three boys bursting with energy, a dog, two cats and fish. They never had an au pair before so it was new to all of us.  Now, my year is almost over and I am incredibly thankful for all the great things I got to do. I travelled through 16 states, saw East and West coast, had a sunny time in the Bahamas, visited the Capital of the US and enjoyed a couple weekend trips with my new friends. Furthermore I got to know my American relatives!

Being an au pair made it possible to get to know another culture in a very special way, I got a whole lot more self-confident and I improved my English. I attended a TOEFL class and took the test which allows me to now study English at the university of my choice, back in Germany.

 Certainly there are moments that are exhausting or you get homesick but to sum it up, this year was not just fun, exciting and unique; it taught me a lot of things that are important for life. I made great friends and we already have plans to meet some time soon. Also, I will miss my host family so much, they made me feel at home and I hope that I get to come back here in the future.

 I hope that all the other au pairs get the chance to enjoy an unforgettable year!”

Mareike