Category Archives: American Experiences

Homesickness – How to move through it and past it!

Believe in Your Dreams:

It is completely normal to feel homesick sometimes when we are far from home.  Homesickness comes from feeling disconnected from people, places and routines.  It is an emotion that passes with time.  Remember: It.is.normal.

Here are some things to do if you are feeling a little blue:

  • Be a tourist, get to know where you live, visit the local sights and explore just as you would if on vacation.  Start a list of favorite places. Check out the blog for ideas.
  • Plan a trip with a friend, a day trip or a weekend, get excited about doing something new with a new friend and before you know it you will be excited and chatting about the trip instead of talking about what you are missing at home.

  • Post in the cluster Facebook group that you are off on Saturday or Sunday and that you are looking for a buddy to hang out with! Don’t wait for someone else to plan it, take the initiative!
  • Go to your cluster meeting. It’s not just a requirement of the program, it’s a beneficial part of your experience. Cluster meetings are a great way to meet new friends and get a hug and support!
  • Not everything has to change.  If you loved jogging at home, do it here. There are some habits you love that you can keep. Played soccer at home? Love basketball or singing or digital photography? Ask me, I can help you find activities within the community to join!
  • Create a routine.  Having a routine will help you feel at home and settle into life here. It’s tempting to sleep in on the weekends, but you’ll miss out on fun! It’s okay some times, but remember, you only have 52 weekends here! Make the most out of them!
  • Get enough sleep! Go to bed at a reasonable time. Planning a quiet activity for the hour or so before bed can help you establish and maintain good sleep habits.
  • Get involved in activities that will help you meet Americans! Other than classes, consider finding a church with a young adult group, volunteer, join an interest group! Building friendships is important and you will have a richer cultural exchange as a result!
  • Do not stay home.  Get out and about, go to the gym, the park, a coffee shop, a movie, staying home alone will not help homesickness.
  • Tell your me that you are feeling homesick. I can help you! It may be a first for you, but it isn’t for me. I can help connect you with another au pair who was also homesick. There’s nothing better than talking to someone who has been in your shoes.
  • Start an American Dream album on Facebook, write your memories in a private blog, save a few special reminders – ticket stubs, postcards, small souvenirs, etc. from your year.  It will give you something to work on when you have quiet time alone and as your year progresses you will be able to see what an amazing experience you are having.  You’ll have a wonderful keepsake to have of you year (or two).
  • Most importantly, talk to someone, if you feel sad or homesick, talk to your host family, call me, or a friend.  Being part of a cluster enables us to help and support each other.
  • If you aren’t homesick, reach out to others who you think might be. Be a friend. We were all new once. That new girl nearby would love for you to pick her up and go to a movie or for coffee or ice cream. Dare to be bold. Dare to be fearless!
  • Keep the circle wide open for everyone to join in. Building friendships with people outside of your culture will richly reward your year here and your life in general. It’s a wonderful thing to watch au pairs maintain their cross cultural friendships after they go home.

Photos: Mark Hesseltine – Flickr,  U.S. Embassy Tokyo – Flickr

Halloween Fun Ideas!

Halloween is fast approaching! There are many ways that you can make this time fun and interesting for both you and the children you care for!

philip-james-flickrAu Pair in America has captured a wonderful array of projects you can work on together. You can find them on our Halloween Fun Pinterest board! Try making a collection of glowing pumpkins using jars from the host family’s recycling! You’ll need clean jars, liquid glue, orange tissue paper, some paint, black construction paper or cardstock and a strand of lights or battery operated tea lights.

mootsie

If you have a collection of plastic pumpkins for trick or treating, place them on a shelf or table and dress them up! baseball hats, party hats, tiaras, fire fighter hats, pirate hats and more will help you create a fun display! Dig through the dress up collection for some great options or make some of your own with craft supplies!

Check out the Pinterest board for some other great ideas like ghost bowling using toilet paper!  How about adding some fun to lunchboxes by slipping a Halloween joke in? Try making some glowing cups – Frankenstein, ghost and pumpkin! Try transforming some acorns into pumpkins using paint!

Photos by Philip James and Mootsie

 

American Experiences – Kindness Rocks and Community Service

This past weekend we gathered to have a classic American 50’s style diner experience! While we enjoyed the unique decor and the heavy presence of Elvis, we ordered sundaes and milkshakes and got down to creating art for our community service project! Each year we dedicate some of our time to doing something that benefits the local community.

New to us this year is the Kindness Rock movement! What is the Kindness Rocks Project? Goal #1: Inspire others through randomly placed rocks along the way. Goal #2: Recruit every person who stumbles upon it to join in the pursuit of inspiring others through random acts of kindness. Rocks bring happiness, meaning, comfort, etc to their recipients. Mostly, they bring a sense that they matter, they they are loved. By participating in this project, the au pairs are expressing their creative side, joining in an activity that fosters happiness, lending support, and brings people outside and connecting.

Our au pairs created special country flag rocks along with artistic, supportive and happy rocks. Each au pair left the gathering with finished rocks to hide somewhere in their specific community. As we were preparing to depart from Bert’s Diner, we spotted a Kindness Rock sitting outside. We picked it up, napped a picture and placed it back for someone else to find and share a smile! Our au pairs know all too well how important a random kindness can be, how much a smile can change a day. #fearlessglobalcitizen

This year, we are continuing to support Sending Smiles. Sending Smiles is a local 501C3 charity started by local sisters and their cousins! Their mission is to send messages of hope to sick children and their families. We want to help those who are battling cancer, sickness, or other conditions to SMILE by sending them crazy fun postcards!! To date they have sent over 25,000 postcards to children and families across the United States. You can check out the amazing work Sending Smiles does by visiting their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/SistersSendingSmiles/

Celebrating the 4th of July!

Known  as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

Washington, DC is a spectacular place to celebrate July 4th! The National Mall is the center of all of the Independence Day Celebrations in DC. There are events all day, beginning with a parade along Constitution Avenue and ending with a fireworks display over the Washington Monument.

Sara, a host mom in Maryland, has shared some links with information to help au pairs plan for the upcoming holiday.

Great list of local activities:
http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/4thofJuly.htm

Getting to the National Mall & security info:
http://dc.about.com/od/4thofjuly/a/GettingtoMall.htm

The Capitol Fourth concert has a dress rehearsal on July 3, that while secure and crowded, is easier to attend than the concert on the 4th, as with July 4th, the gates open at 3:00:
http://thedistrict.com/sightseeing/events/a-capitol-fourth-4th-of-july/

A blog post that may be of interest:

http://blogs.rollcall.com/after-dark/washingtons-independence-day-patriotismpalooza/

American Experiences – Kayleigh

Kayleigh hails from South Africa and has been an au pair in Maryland for almost two years now! She shared some reflections on the impact of her time in the United States.

12219506_10203704806659427_3316523613192065837_n“I’ve grown a lot since the beginning of my adventure I’ve grown spiritually, physically and emotionally so I guess that’s what I’m taking with me when I’m done.

The skunk experience was my funniest experience! I have never smelled skunk before so it was interesting. Now whenever I drive and the skunk smell enters I’m like,  it’s awful but if it wasn’t for America I’d still be nose blind to the smell of Skunk.

The strangest thing might be that people here interact differently most people don’t talk to people they don’t know which in most cases is sad because it’s hard to start a friendship with someone who won’t talk to you. This has impacted me in so many ways; before this I had just lost my grandmother so I was dealing with life without her so I wasn’t sure I’d ever overcome it, but being here I’ve learnt to appreciate the time I had with her rather then mourn the loss of her.

It has shaped my future, yes, given me the strength to do something I’ve always wanted to do which is travel the world, be a better person and let people know that there is still good in this world. Social Working has always been where my heart has been, but until this adventure I wasn’t sure if I would actually do it so until now I’ve been on the fence with it. Teaching has always been a big part of who I am and I’m so glad I could teach my host family and my American friends more about me and my home country.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year in johnny-flickrthe United States. It started as a harvest festival and has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789. The most important part of Thanksgiving for American families is to spend family time together. Here are some fun facts about this special holiday:

· The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and lasted three days.

· The first Thanksgiving was eaten with spoons and knives — but no forks! Forks weren’t even introduced to the Pilgrims until 10 years later and weren’t a popular utensil until the 18th century

· Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners! In 1953, Swanson had so much extra turkey (260 tons) that a salesman told them they should package it onto aluminum trays with other sides like sweet potatoes — and the first TV dinner was invented

· Presidential pardon of a turkey: Each year, the president pardons a turkey and spares it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. The first turkey pardon ceremony started with President Truman in 1947. President Obama pardoned a 45-pound turkey named Courage, who has flown to Disneyland and served as Grand Marshal of the park’s Thanksgiving Day parade!

· Why is Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November? President Abe Lincoln said Thanksgiving would be the fourth Thursday in November, but in 1939 President Roosevelt moved it up a week hoping it would help the shopping season during the Depression era. It never caught on and it was changed back two years later

· How did the tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving start? The NFL started the Thanksgiving Classic games in 1920 and since then the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted games on Turkey Day. In 2006, a third game was added with different teams hosting

· About 90 % of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day

· The ‘wishbone’ of the turkey is used in a good luck ritual on Thanksgiving Day.

Photo by: Johnny – Flickr

Thanksgiving – American Experiences

At Thanksgiving, we pause and express gratitude to others.  This year I want to thank all my au pairs and host families for the love and support they give each other every day.  I also thank each au pair for sharing with me and my family about their culture, for demonstrating their bravery for coming from far away places and giving so much to their host families and their friends in America.

loren-kerns-flickr

I appreciate the uniqueness of each of you. Your spirits, sense of humor, enthusiasm. It is an honor to be a part of your lives for this time and beyond. I love the relationships that have developed that last after an au pair returns home. I am thankful for the warm, caring host families in Southern Maryland who welcome some of the most wonderful young women into their homes and entrust the care of their children to them.  Host families who inspire, encourage, celebrate, cultivate and share their culture and customs. Host families that embrace each new au pair as a unique and special person. Host families that encourage an au pair to share her culture and customs and incorporate it to their family life. It is a beautiful thing to witness.

“The people-to-people ties and transfer of knowledge achieved through international education builds and sustains a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world that benefits the entire global community. International education and exchange is vital to our diplomacy efforts and establishes lasting ties between individuals today that translate into stronger relations between nations tomorrow.” -Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Evan Ryan

Some thoughts from au pairs current and departed about Thanksgiving:

“I didn’t know that thanksgiving was such a big holiday before I spent my year there. It was a really nice day. We started off with breakfast, cooking and baking in our pajamas and then we got ready and we were all dressed really chic and went off to my host mums part of the family in DC. There we had a lovely dinner with everything you can imagine! Everybody also had to say for what he or she is thankful, we were around forty people and it was so nice to hear about everybody.”

thanksgiving-dinner-plate-c-chan‘I was super curious on Thanksgiving and what it was like. It felt like something truly American and I had never tasted turkey or pumpkin pie before (which I had learnt you ate a lot of during Thanksgiving) since we went to Chicago and I got to meet a huge part of my hm’s family that was also something I really looked forward to! So the whole holiday was all food, food and some more food! And ALL kinds of pies! I believe there might have been around 7-8 different pies. I had a great thanksgiving!”

“Thanksgiving was actually one of my most favorite holidays in the states. We went to Ohio to spent it with family. Watching Macy’s parade while cooking the dinner and baking some pie. After eating the fantastic food watching some football and then of course some Black Friday shopping it was amazing!!”

“I really enjoyed Thanksgiving with my host family. It was as I imagined! So much food to try. Everyone got dressed up and shared what they were thankful for. It was so warm and special. The next day we began to prepare for Christmas. It was magical.” johnny-flickr

“I am really excited to be with the whole family. To see everyone gathered around the table. I am so happy thinking about the foods, some I have never tried. I am curious about pumpkin pie. I want to cheer football too and maybe shop on Black Friday!”

“I am looking forward to experiencing the traditions. All the family coming, sharing good things and food….my host mom says there will be so much food!”

I wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos by: Loren Kerns – Flickr, Cynthia Chan, Johnny – Flickr

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American Experiences – Navy vs Tulsa Football Game!

15049940_10209475440234218_1080918765_nThis past weekend APIA clusters from around the DC area gathered at the Naval Academy in Annapolis for a football game – Navy vs Tulsa. Navy won 42 – 40. For many of the girls, it was their very first football game! Here are the thoughts of four young women who were at their very first game!

“I love how Americans make their love for football be more than just a game. Everyone has a team that represents themselves. – their state or their alma mater. Passion, proud, tradition and rivalries are some of the reasons why I got really excited watching a sport that I still don’t know all of the rules, but I wanna dedicate some of my time to learn about. Navy vs Tulsa was my first football game and I can tell how much it’s impressive, their love and being Navy! Once their team got a score, the Navy Academy had to do some push-ups in dedication. They were supporting, singing, dancing and vibrating all the time. During the break, the cheerleaders along with the band got in formation of the USA initials in order to show the proud of being an American.”                 – Brazilian au pair

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“It’s always good to see how Americans come together when it comes down to sport. It’s like for a minute they forget all their differences to enjoy the game. I love the unity.” – South African au pair

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“It’s totally different in my country, they are happy, enjoy the game and sing. In Brazil they just say bad words and fighting. I really liked to watch the game. I hope I can go again! -Brazilian au pair.

“The feeling to be there because the crowd  was really motivated so it was good to see that, how American people enjoy football!”     -Spanish au pair

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