Teresa is about to start her year as an au pair in NYC! She tells us how she felt preparing to spend a year in the city that never sleeps…
So… here I am. On the plane to New York City – the City, that never sleeps, the place of all the romantic adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and Blair Waldorf. Sinatra grew up here and today I am on my way to start this amazing opportunity of spending one year in the Big Apple. I still can’t believe it. The last few months have completely flown by. I was trying to enjoy them as much as I could, but still – the day of my departure came earlier than I expected it to.
I finished my application on New Year’s Day. It took another month to complete the interview and other application checks and then my profile was sent to host families. Then, just like that, three weeks later I matched with a lovely host family from a suburban area of NYC. In the following months, I did all of the preparation for my year abroad; new passport, applied for my visa, took copies of important documents, completed the pre-departure online training and finally I packed my suitcase, went to Frankfurt airport, said goodbye to my mom and grandparents and now I am sitting here, my face still wet from a mixture of joyful and sad tears.
I know it will be hard, sometimes frustrating, but as I watch the animation of that little plane flying from Frankfurt, Germany to New York City on the display in front of me – I know that becoming an Au Pair in America is the best decision I have ever made! I’m not just going on an amazing vacation… I will have a home, a daily structure, people who (hopefully) will love me and will be able to adopt me into their family and culture. How can a vacation even try to compare to that?
Even though I had to leave behind so many people I love, like the three little girls I have cared for over the last four years, I am SO excited to finally start my au pair journey. I’m confident that I will enjoy the time being an au pair for two adorable host boys as much as I did being a Babysitter for the cutest girls in the entire world back in Frankfurt.
As I think about all these things (and watch a bunch of Disney movies), the pilot says that we will land at NYC JFK airport soon and then it hit me… Me, Teresa, a 18-year old German girl, will be living and caring for children in the most exciting city in the entire world! It’s actually happening!!
As Sinatra so wisely said, “I’m gonna make a brand new start of it!”
Teresa will be blogging for us through-out her year as an Au Pair in America and we can’t wait to see how her adventure in the Big Apple goes!
Want to explore NYC for yourself? Register on our site and begin your application today!
