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.
Tag Archives: wa
UW Strong Women Meet up with APIA Strong Women – Jan 2020
The 20s are off to a bang and this month, nearly 100 strong, female au pairs from around the world gathered to watch other strong women in action. Our UW Women’s Husky Basketball team. The sounds were loud and the athleticism inspiring. Au pairs made the big screen, complete with television interviews. One of our favorite meetings as proud APIA community counselors.
Lake Talks and Pride Parades – June 2018
A smaller group of au pairs headed to the lake to have brunch and soak our toes just talking and another crew headed to show their support and experience the Pride Parade in Seattle. The lake crew discussed some highlights and lowlights of their experience so far on program and what they have learned, experiencing all of them. We shared cross-cultural frustrations, memories of travel adventures, and personal growth moments. I personally appreciate the small group setting for getting to better know one another, but also loved there being a group experiencing the zeitgeist of Seattle.
US Government Cluster Event – February 2018
How many branches does the US government have? How often are Senators elected? What date is the President sworn in every 4 years? These and many other questions were answered in our video presentation and trivia game last weekend in Redmond. Au pairs walked away with more knowledge, but were admittedly impressively wise from the start! Then we ate pizza…
Spring Has Sprung in Seattle – April 2017
Seattle is known for its rain, but we are lesser known for the beauty that comes from the rain. Au pairs, now making Seattle their home, have discovered a secret those of us who have lived here for years know all too well. Our springs are gorgeous. The Bellevue Botanical gardens hosted our hike last Sunday as we strolled about, reading how the city, not that long ago, was a gigantic blueberry bush and looked inside an Armenian American home from long ago – some of the first farmers from overseas making a life here on the Eastside. We capped the day with a conversation about summer safety. Along our day’s journey, we talked about homesickness and culture shock. Our walking opened the parts of our brains we needed to in order to support one another in this year’s emotional (but wildly rewarding) journey into self discovery through cross-cultural exchanging.
Carrots Just In Time for Spring – APs Volunteer for NW Harvest
We were few on a Saturday afternoon when many others were resting or shopping or traveling, but we had a lot of fun. This dedicated crew came to NW Harvest to pack nearly 5000 pounds of carrots for hungry families around WA state. That translated to close to 4000 meals to food banks in and around Seattle.
These ladies shared the social services found in their home countries and we discussed the US system. I do believe nothing was solved that day, but families were fed and that is action enough! Proud of these women for sharing their valuable free time to contribute to this cause. I certainly hope they are proud too. Even in a hair net.
A Salmon’s Journey Upstream – An Au Pair’s Dilemma
This past Sunday, au pairs gathered in Issaquah to watch our WA salmon spawn – another quintessential Seattle experience for these world travelers. We talked with a fish docent to hear about how the salmon is born and returns at the end of their life to the same stream, feeling poetic for a group of young women leaving home for the first time, ready for life’s adventure away from home. We then crossed a bridge and sat in a patch of grass to discuss homesickness and culture shock. Au pairs also anonymously shared something they needed help with regarding child care- involving discipline, behavior around food, sibling rivalry or potty training. Their fellow au pairs then problem-solved these dilemmas real time, coming up with some solutions to the issue at hand and thereby supporting their fellow APIA community member. And this all in English – a second language for all… 
Rainier and her Marmots
This past Sunday was a bit cloudy, a bit rainy (some of us thought the sun may come out and donned shorts…ok one of us and it never did…), but a cheery day for an international community to come together to get to know one another. We found fewer views, but a plethora of animals. Chipmunks and marmots posed for us on rocks as the au pair crew of this 2016 hike ascended to new heights. Also of note, a nice sing-along to the top 40s, including our own Seattle boy, Macklemore. They are true Seattle-ites now!
Bainbridge Scavenger Hunting – August 2016
Au Pairs from around the world gathered on a small island in the PNW for a unique day of bonding and scavenger hunting. Our crew split up into teams and took to the streets of Bainbridge Island to explore and meet the locals while seeing the sites. The rain held up long enough for us to end the day with some delicious ice cream from Mora’s. A sweet end to a sweet day!
Host Family and J Day 2016
We had another big turn out for the APIA host family day at Lincoln Park this year in Seattle (over 150 people) and yesterday we combined an Au Pair In America 30th birthday with a celebration of J Day where au pairs from several of our 60 countries represented made dishes from their countries and families donated over 30 pairs of shoes for the Goodwill.
Cultural exchanges have always been at the heart of our US foreign policy and the State Department remains steadfast in its support of intercultural friendships through the J-1 visa programs.
“J Day is about celebrating the exchange visitors who enrich our local communities each year. They not only bring the world to our hometowns and boost our local economies – but also give back to our communities in meaningful ways.”
To our host families and their children, we want to thank you for opening your home to a virtual stranger, for helping your au pair with her English, her driving, her homesickness. For trusting us to find her and to support your program together. Hosting takes courage and an open mind.
And to our au pairs, we also want to thank you for traveling across the world for this program. For trusting us to find you a warm, loving home. 85% of last year’s au pairs nationwide said their au pair year was the greatest year of their life thus far. We thank you for allowing us to be on this journey with you. A journey that also takes great amounts of courage and an open mind.
#CelebrateJDay #eatplaygive
