When crossing a monumental item off your bucket list, do you make sure to revel in the moment that is currently happening? I was having a coffee in the Grassmarket, writing, with a stunning view of the Edinburgh Castle in front of me. I was fully embracing the moment as I was currently living abroad, I WAS DOING IT. Now an Au Pair to the most intelligent and adorable 2-year-old, I was reflecting on my first week in Scotland. I stepped off the train that day and into the most romantic and magical city I have ever experienced. I almost asked someone passing by to pinch me because it felt like a dream.
October 2017 – Kitchener, Ontario CA
Instead of paying more attention to my Media and Communications Law class, I was daydreaming about what to do after graduation. I started to stress about what my life would look like after being a student for the last 20 years. Do I start applying to jobs? Do I think about a post-graduate program? Throughout my internal battle, there was a nagging idea that kept popping up… my dream of living abroad. Nodding as the professor made eye contact with me, I found myself on www.aupairworld.com. I had a friend who posted her experience in Australia as an Au Pair online years ago and she had recommended the website.
An au pair is an unmarried young adult aged 18 to 30 years, who has no children and travels to a foreign country for a defined period of time to live with a host family. The au pair supports the host family with childcare and light housework – AuPairWorld
Growing up I have been extremely lucky to be surrounded by a big family with many younger cousins. They feel more like younger siblings than cousins and to their parents’ advantage they had me (babysitter) on speed dial. I have always loved children, and between babysitting and volunteering with various kids’ programs in my hometown, I believed I had enough experience that would benefit me and prepared me to be an Au Pair.
After class that day I took a chance and registered as an Au Pair online. To register, you fill out an online form with all your personal information and then create a personal profile. The profile is public for host families to see. You can then browse through the host families and message ones that you think would be a good fit or vice versa. When explaining how the site worked to friends, I would describe it almost like a dating website. You add your profile, pictures, and adjust the filters to your preferences…
Questions you should be prepared to answer before registering for your own AuPairWorld account…
- What Country and preferred region would you like to live in?
- City, Small Town, Country?
- Are you willing to do housework?
- Are you willing to work for a single-parent family?
- Do you mind if family members smoke?
- Are you willing to work with children who have special needs?
- The age range of children you wish to take care
- When would you like to work as an Au Pair?
- How long would you like to stay with your host family?
Your profile then goes under review and when approved you will get an e-mail when your profile becomes public. Once mine went live I honestly did not believe anyone would reach out. I messaged four or five families in hopes at least one would respond. What I never expected happened a few days later when I opened the site. I was shocked, I had about seven messages from different families who liked my profile. The excitement then began bubbling inside me as it started to feel like something real and achievable.
Not only does the website help you find a host family, but they have a lot of helpful information and resources. Most countries require you to apply for a Visa, and for the United Kingdom, I applied for the Tier 5 Mobility Visa.
It was January of 2018 and I had officially signed a contract with a host family. I would be heading to Scotland for August of 2018 with the plan of a year-long stay. My host family, a family of three, included; Mum, Dad, and a VERY smart, sassy, and adorable 2-year-old girl named Ellie. I was so excited to meet and help care for her.
September – April 2018 Edinburgh
There are many rumours or horror stories thrown around when it comes to describing living with another family and the mistreatment of Au Pairs, but take my personal experience as a reason why you should do it! I can say that if you find a host family as great as mine was you will never regret it. They were extremely respectful of my personal space, welcoming, and made me feel like part of their family. Ellie’s mother had been an Au Pair before and even though they were already good people, I think it helped her to set the dynamics for a host family – au pair relationship.
One thing I can vouch for is that Scotland is a beautiful country, but the people within it are even better! Throughout our days we would make play dates with other families within the same small village we lived in who were always extremely welcoming. While the kids played together we would socialize over tea and way too many biscuits.
Ellie and I had many adventures including swimming dates, a trial rugby class, gymnastics, dance classes, soft play (playgroup), and even a trip to the Christmas Market. Like all two-year-olds, there would be “moments” to get through, but like any little human, you just had to love them through it. Oh boy, and when Ellie returned that love I experienced an “I think I just melted into a puddle” kind of moment. We had so much fun together and her wit and sass at such a young age had us laughing constantly.
There were a few bumps in the road (literally)…
Now I won’t lie to you and tell you that EVERYTHING went smoothly. My Visa application to live within the UK was submitted officially in May of 2018. The average Visa usually taking six to eight weeks to be sent to you if approved. My visa did not show up on my doorstep until September 10th, 2018. Another challenge that I did not tackle too gracefully was driving on the left side of the road. My host family was so patient with me, but it’s safe to say out of their past and future Au Pairs, I will hold the title of the worst driver. I totally didn’t end up lost on the Scottish freeway and had to be saved by a wonderful Mum in our village…(don’t worry Ellie was not in the car – safety first folks)
I survived – Ellie! **cue thumbs up from the backseat**
WE MADE IT
There were so many more great moments than challenging ones including meeting great friends, traveling, and even dating a little. Traveling within the United Kingdom and Europe through Belfast, Galway, Dublin, London, and Glasgow I fell in love with so many places. I tried Haggis the first night I arrived, drank mulled wine in the Christmas market, hunted for Loch Ness, and of course, bought something with a tartan pattern.
I was extremely lucky to have friends from home visit me while I was in the UK and made life long friends throughout my adventures and travels. My host family’s previous Au Pair and I were able to connect in Scotland since she was now living in Glasgow. We hit it off instantly and ironically are very similar! Australia, Austria, and Wales were homes to a lot of the friends I have made and coincidentally a Canadian gal my age moved to Scotland the same week I did and we met while staying in the same hostel.
Choosing to Au Pair was an incredible experience but it did end earlier than planned due to a job offer I received. I left Scotland April 1st, 2019 and I make sure to stay in touch through messages and FaceTime. I can’t wait for when I will be able to visit in the future especially since their family has grown and Ellie now has a BABY BROTHER.
If you are considering becoming an Au Pair yourself I highly recommend it, it is a great way to experience new things, travel, and have the rewarding responsibility of helping care for some very special children. After reading this article if you have any questions or want more information, please comment below!
If you enjoyed this article or want to hear more about traveling within the United Kingdom, STAY TUNED. My next article will feature some of my favourite spots within the different countries and some easy travel tips. If you want to read more on travel, make sure to head over to some of our other articles.
