The "Au pair" experience of a French girl in Australia I Issue #1 (verified)

AUSTRALIA part I

I have to go back to four years ago, when I was 20 years old. 

I think I can assert that it is the time when I started to have this dependence on travel. I was young and naive and it was my first trip far away from home. 

A few months before the departure, I started looking up on internet and learned more about au pair agencies and read various accounts of au pair experiences. I have to tell you that, four years ago, I couldn't barely speak in English. I wasn't fluent at all, but I was determined to improve myself. In fact, the au pair job was a good idea to learn English. 

What is an "au pair" job ?

For the ones who don't know what is an "au pair job",  I should clarify this point. An au pair, is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a monetary allowance for personal use. In other words, the au pair is looking after the children of the family with which she or he (the au pair) is living with. The au pair does also some cleaning and cooking to help the parents who are generally working long hours. The au pair gets paid every week and doesn't have to pay for food and accommodation. 

It was indeed a cheap way for me to travel abroad. At the same time, it was an excellent idea to learn more about the Australian culture and discover the wonderful landscapes that offers this country. 

My Au pair experience

I was an au pair in such a friendly family in Sydney. I was looking after two beautiful kids of 6 and 4 years old. The oldest one was a girl and the youngest one, a boy. I remember getting them ready for school, preparing their breakfasts, bringing them to school and going to the park with them in the late afternoon. We would go back home, watch TV and then I would get ready their dinner before the parents would come back, as they were working late. I was feeling really comfortable with them. I have to say that at the beginning I was scared to feel ill at ease with an unknown family, but they welcomed me as a member of their family. During my stay in Australia, I also travelled to some other places.

I 'm sharing with you a picture of me taken in the Whitsundays Islands, which are located in Queensland, in the North-Eastern part of Australia. 

Quite amazing, don't you think so ? The place was indeed paradise-like. 

I still remember the feeling I had when I arrived to this Island by boat with my friend Marine and other people who had paid this tour. I felt a relaxed sensation, as if I was at the edge of the world, nothing could reach me, it was true happiness. I tell you something personal - you're going to laugh, but one year ago, having some eating disorder, I decided to go and see a psychologist for nutrition problems. She, in fact, told me to close my eyes, to breath deeply and to think about the best moments I had in my life in order to relax and lose control of myself.  So I remembered this moment at the beach lying down on this white sand, looking at the clear blue water with my friend Marine. It wasn't a civilized island, there were only nature, that's why we had to go there by boat. I guess I'm truly a nature's lover and I can only reach real peacefulness while being surrounded by natural surroundings. 

Here is a picture of the beach in the Whitsundays Islands. 

You can find some intriguing wild animal in Australia ! (Picture of me taken in Queensland with a Kangaroo, you can actually see its baby in its pocket, such a good memory)

Of course, in Australia the weather is almost always warm, even in winter. It is such a nice temperature and so you always want to get your bathing suit, go to the beach and take some pictures of yourself. 

I 'll keep posting about my Australian trip in the coming days. 

Andra.

Instagram page : https://www.instagram.com/andraslife/

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