Vanessa | February shenanigans

by Au Pair in America

You know you’re an Au Pair in America when… your February is one of your less eventful months in the US, even though you get to go see “Disney on Ice” and the Super Bowl 😄

A pink, heart-shaped balloon in the middle of a bright room.

Just like clockwork: Every year, Americans all across the country celebrate the love they have for one another on February 14th, Valentine’s Day!

Welcome back! This past month admittedly felt like it was not as eventful as the previous one, mainly because I got really sick half-way through. But I had a great February nonetheless! On February 4th I got to watch the Super Bowl for the first time! I had no idea how the game actually worked, but I still enjoyed the atmosphere and the experience in general. Just a few days later, Valentine’s Day happened! I had have never celebrated Valentine’s Day before, because it’s not a big deal back home in Germany, especially compared to the USA! I got some chocolates and a super sweet card from my host family. My host kids brought even more candy home from school.

Two different American Football teams facing each other on the field, about to kick off the game.

The most anticipated event of one of the five big sports leagues in the US: The Super Bowl!

HOSPITAL VISIT

As I’ve mentioned, I got the flu and basically had to stay in bed for a couple of days. But hey, now I can also tick off ‘doctor’s  visit’ from my USA bucket list… Even though I personally never wanted it on my list in the first place, to be honest. I was feeling fairly poorly, so my friend took me to the Urgent Care on a Friday morning. They did a bunch of different and really weird tests on me. Probably for the better though, as they eventually managed to figure out what was wrong with me. They gave me some medicine that immediately made me feel a whole lot better. It was pretty expensive, but luckily my insurance covered everything.

COLLEGE CREDITS

In other news: I also started my weekend college class in February! For all those of you who are wondering: I’m taking two different classes at two different universities: a weekend where we’ll get to visit the Niagara Falls one weekend, and a drawing course at another university. This month my travel class started – but obviously we did not get to travel right away. The way it works is, we have to go and attend a few preparation classes on campus, before we’re eventually going on that trip together. I’m glad that my friend Franzi is taking the same class as I do. But on the other hand, you will meet so many other au pairs and full-time college students in general, there is nothing you have to worry about if you are attending a college class by yourself.

A girl wearing a white shirt and a jeans jacket, carrying some text books.

Right on track credit-wise thanks to the Niagara Falls!

My first prep class started on a Sunday morning where, we started off by getting to know each other as well as the Niagara Falls. We also spent a little while discussing our homework -yes, prepare yourself for the possibility that you might get assigned some sort of homework. After a short lunch break, we got to watch a movie about the falls. The class lasted for six hours in total, which might sound like a lot – but then again, we don’t have to attend any classes throughout the week, so in the end it all adds up. The following class was held in Washington D.C., which was a little different. We went to three museums and afterwards we had to write a review about what we had learned that day. As I’ve mentioned in one of my California blog post, I’m not a big fan of museums. But I have to admit that I really liked the ‘National Portrait Gallery‘ in D.C..  I can’t wait until June to finally go to Canada!

Niagara Falls at sunset.

Some prefer the American side, others the Canadian side: the infamous Niagara Falls!

FUN IN D.C.

One thing that I really loved this month was staying at a 5-star-hotel in Washington D.C.. My friend’s host grandma was so generous to invited us. We even got to enjoy some dinner at a fancy restaurant downtown! We spent the night there and everything,  it was a pretty great weekend! And last but not least,  Disney on Ice “Frozen” happened! I got to with my local community counselor and a bunch of other au pairs from my cluster. You might think that this is something that mainly kids would enjoy – but NO, far from it! I absolutely loved this show and I would definitely go see it again.

Else and Anna from Disney's Frozen, represented by two professional ice skaters!

Discover the full story of Disney’s Frozen like never before at Disney On Ice presents Frozen! Photo credit & more information: disneyonice.com/frozen

I hope you enjoyed this post. As Al Green once said: “I’m thankful for every moment”.

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