We had a wonderful joint cluster meeting with au pairs from around the globe as we “discovered” more about the Gates Foundation together. Au pairs were able to share the main export crops from their own countries and put together the bigger picture of how we are battling poverty and hunger and willing around the world. It was a nice day of witnessing what can happen when we work together to make big changes. We arrived curious and indeed left inspired.
The community of Au Pairs in Washington gathered up to watch another group of strong women – the UW women’s basketball team. Basketball, like cultural exchange, is full of lessons in teamwork, pivoting, communicating, and adapting. A fun day was had by all with close to 100 Au pairs joining the fun.
This year our cluster had monthly coffee days like last to get to know one another better than having just our one monthly cluster event. (Those tend to be very well attended and active, but less intimate!) I personally adore these coffee times – rotating around our cluster towns – with smaller groups sharing and getting deeper into their experiences and one another. And kids are always invited. 
A group of our best and brightest artists painted their hearts out in our first ever pottery painting cluster meeting at the University Village shop, Paint The Town. It was cathartic and relaxing. And the au pairs got some beautiful keep sakes or gifts for the holidays. Talent abounds in this crew!
Nearly 100 people, including host parents, host siblings and au pairs from around the globe joined their Seattle area Au Pair In America community to celebrate!
The au pairs brought down the house with a culture fair that had posters, food, dancing, language and all the smiles. We had representative from Zimbabwe, Peru, Panama, France, Colombia, Brazil, China, South Africa, and Germany showing their colors and sharing themselves. We enjoyed treats specially made from Colombia and Brazil and kids got to “travel the world” with their passports collecting country stickers. Host parents shared their stories about their friendships with au pairs and best practices informally with one another. We had a nice (but small this year) water balloon toss game (so many families with babies and nap times made this a bit smaller this year). The bigger kids colored, did word searches, a bingo diversity scavenger hunt, and got tattoos for kids of all ages. After the event, they headed down to meet our new lady troll in West Seattle. And the weather couldn’t have been better. All in all, it was a lovely day for the world.
As American as baseball…the remarkable APIA family of au pairs from all WA clusters gathered to watch the Mariners beat Kansas City in a sunshine filled stadium. We got to know one another a bit more in seventh inning stretch and won some big league chew. A gorgeous day of global, peace-seeking, adventure-driven community at the ball park.
What a nice day! The weather was warm and the company warmer. We played some get to know you, speed dating and trivia games and had, well, pizza in a park. Gasworks is iconic Seattle and our community enjoyed one another and the day we were given.
A small but mighty group went touring in our own town. We tried a new tour company and hit the streets to hear about what we didn’t yet know. They told us great stories of Seattle octopus, revealed the real “first Starbucks” location, talked through the Seattle fire and the newly built city and told tales of a man named Ivar and his eccentric ways (leading him to start the first fish and chips chain in the city.). 
Au pairs from China, Luxembourg, Guatemala, Thailand, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Poland, Germany, and South Africa gathered at Gates Foundation to learn about the work they are doing around the globe. Our gracious tour guides expertly talked through the data on world hunger, equity, pollution, parental leave, sanitation and disease. The young women of Au Pair In America (who will soon be adding their voices and efforts to the good fight for justice) learned about birthing methods and patient treatment around the globe, as well as water free toilets ready soon for market to combat ringworm. It was a great learning morning and wonderful part of this group’s journey while here in Seattle. They had smart insights and intelligent responses. The future is in good hands.
This strong group of independent women from Poland, Germany, Argentina and Brazil make up APIA on Vashon Island these days and bring the party wherever they go – even if it is just from this room to the next. Vashon Island is lucky to have this international childcare option and these folks are lucky enough to call the island home for a year.
