Life as an au-pair in the US

I cringed saying, “I want to be an au pair”, expecting the worst. I had reached a point in my young adult life where a decision had to be made about my future. The general consensus (my entire family) was toward me going back to school to complete my Bachelor’s degree. Of course, I didn’t want to do that. After explaining what the au pair program was about, my decision – to my utter surprise – was supported.

I went to the seminar with my three choices being France, England and Holland respectively. Once I got there, I met a group of au pairs who had just returned from America. AU PAIRS WERE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL TO AMERICA. How could there be any other choice?! America – the land of plenty; the land of the sitcoms, movies and Hollywood. And best of all, NEW YORK CITY! I had to go to America; there was no second or third choice anymore. I hung onto every word the former au pairs spoke, envisioning myself as one of those who got to travel to a foreign country. At this point, the only obstacle was acquiring a driver’s license. You see, my philosophy was that I would never drive, on account that I was a nervous wreck. So, this was a huge obstacle; however, it was one that was quickly overcome.

Then came the interviews with the agency, the tests, sending the application in, and worst of all, making a choice once the families called. It actually all happened very quickly. After a number of phone interviews with prospective host families, my options were narrowed down to two. One family had six children aged two to sixteen, who all sounded so sweet. They were in the state of Connecticut, situated between New York and Massachusetts. The second was a family with three girls in Winchester, Massachusetts. I’m sure you can guess my choice – the family of six. Just kidding!! I’d have to have Red Bull strapped to my head the way Homer Simpson has Duff beer strapped to his, just to cope.

No, I chose the Mullen family with their three beautiful girls – Hillary, five, Lydia, two-and-a-half, and Alexandra, eleven months. Winchester is a little town just outside of Boston, fifteen minutes north to be exact. After orientation in New Jersey, my new family picked me up and it was a long uncomfortable four-hour drive back to Winchester. Once there, they showed me around their two-storey Tudor style home, which was relatively large compared to standard South African homes. I immediately fell in love with my bedroom. I had a wall to wall closet (heaven!), a rich green carpet, and the furniture was a deep cherry colour. I loved my space, as did my friends.

My counselor came by a little later to introduce herself – Karen Connolly. She told me about the cluster meetings held monthly; what Winchester and Boston had to offer, and also a little about the other girls. I was so excited to meet them. (I forgot to mention that I arrived in the middle of August, the height of American summer. It was wonderful. Before I knew it, I was into a routine with my girls. Hillary would go to school for half the day and I would spend time with the younger two. Between play-dates, naps, painting, playing, reading, baths, more playing and walks, we were never short of activities.

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Summer quickly turned to fall (autumn) which is the most beautiful sight ever. People come from all over the world to see the New England foliage. The leaves on practically every single tree change from green to amber, golden and caramel; you can only imagine. Simply breathtaking! But with it comes the cold, something I was not ready for. I remember buying a thick coat thinking it would be sufficient for the winter, but it was discarded by the end of November. That first winter was freezing! You have to invest in thermal underwear, turtlenecks, jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, you name it.

October is Halloween and there is so much excitement with choosing costumes. I was a cat, complete with the face make-up, ears and tail. My girls looked so cute – Hillary, a Chinese girl; Lydia, Cinderella, and Allie, a panda bear. Allie wasn’t too keen on the head gear and kept pulling it off. November brought Thanksgiving which is celebrated by all America, in remembrance of the Pilgrims coming to Massachusetts. As a cluster, we visited the reservation where actors dress and live the way the Pilgrims did. I celebrated my first white Christmas. It was simply beautiful. It had snowed heavily two days before and everything was white. Trucks plough the road regularly, which makes for easier driving conditions.

By the time my birthday came around in February, I was fed up with the snow and the cold and on the brink of depression. It didn’t stop me from going out with my friends – I socialized a lot. The weather started changing in April, not quite warm yet, but not winter-cold anymore. Also, it was closer to me leaving and I hadn’t started saving any money. I was enjoying myself too much. This was also the time the family told me about my replacement, and I remember feeling both jealous and sad. I didn’t want to know that somebody else would be staying in my bedroom. But it was better that way because I was psychologically prepared for it.

During the summer we went to upstate New York for a family reunion, and drove up to Canada’s Quebec City and Montreal. Both were so beautiful, that I still vow to go back there, to this day. When we got back to the U.S, I had to get ready to leave. I packed my bags in a state of disbelief that my year was over. I had a going away party which literally brought me to tears. There had been many goodbyes before this, what with au pairs leaving all the time, and at the same time tons of welcomes. I had already made the decision not to go home but to travel to London instead, on the Holidaymaker working visa. But that’s a story for another day.

My initial year in America was the best year of my life. I experienced so much culturally, visited so many different places; as far south as DC and north to Canada. NYC was definitely my favourite. All my friends were international and we all had one thing in common – foreigners in a foreign country with just each other for support and a penchant for having lots of fun. Would I suggest this to anyone? Yes, absolutely – to everyone! You do have your ups and downs, especially with homesickness, but it’s the best experience you’ll ever have. If you’re from Durban, don’t go to Boston – it’s just too cold. Unless, of course, you’re into skiing.

And to think it all started with a little ad in the back of the Sunday Times magazine….