Au-pair: I want to see the world

Even while still in high school, I knew I wanted to spend a year abroad as an au-pair. From an advisor who offered workshops at my school, I learned about an agency called active abroad. To sign up for the agency’s U.S. au-pair program, you must be 18 or older, have a driver’s license, and have experience with childcare. It took a while for me to meet all the requirements, but I had a clear goal.

Shortly after contacting the agency and submitting all the required documents, I started receiving inquiries from host families. In online interviews we got to know each other a little and discussed our respective expectations. I decided to work for a family in Ridgewood. They are from Russia originally and liked the fact that I also speak Russian. In my native country of Moldova, you learn the language early on. In Ridgewood, I spoke English with the parents and sometimes Russian with the children because the parents want them to become bilingual. 

The boy and the girl in my care were five and seven years old at the time. We became close very quickly. I made breakfast and packed lunches for them and sometimes I prepared dinner. I drove the children to appointments, and we played at home or at a playground in their free time. I watched the kids from seven to ten in the morning and then again from about two to seven. My free time was after seven p.m. and on weekends. The schedule worked perfectly for me.

As part of the program, au-pairs are expected to take college courses on topics that interest them. I signed up for a photography class and one on U.S. cinema. We visited locations where movies had been made and replayed some of the scenes right on site, for example, from Home Alone, my favorite film.

I paid about 700 euros to participate in the program and that included the interviews and the agency fees. My host family assumed the cost for my return flight and the visa fees. I received approximately 200 dollars as an allowance in the U.S.A. and had to pay taxes on a portion of that. I set aside the rest for traveling and tried to spend as little as possible by not going to restaurants and by being thrifty. After twelve months of au-pair work I had saved enough money to travel for a month. I went to the west coast and to Florida and saw other parts of the country.

Of course, the year gave my English language skills a boost. Before leaving, I had heard from people returning that their stay abroad had changed them. At the time, I did not understand what they meant, but after my year abroad I noticed it myself. I have learned a lot about me, and I have become more independent. Also, I know now how important it is to communicate – it is the key to living together well as a family. I have learned to say what I like and dislike and that I need to set boundaries. My stay abroad also has awakened my passion for traveling. I want to see the world.