Start of a New Journey

This coming Monday (September 7) I will be flying out to the U.S. to spend 2 years abroad working as an Au Pair for Cultural Care Au Pair. What is an Au Pair? Well, it's a French term which means 'on pair' or 'equal to', denoting living on an equal basis in a reciporocal, caring relationship between host family and the children. An au pair is typically a young woman from a forgein country who chooses to help look after children of a host family and provide light housekeeping. The au pair is given room and board and is typically paid a weekly "pocket-money" salary. So that's what I'm doing. I'm going to be living with a family, caring for their children whilst learning about their culture, lifestyle and seeing some of their gorgeous land.

My flight leaves Sydney on Monday morning at 9.20am. I'll be flying with 2 other Australian girls who are in the same program. We will have a short stop over in Los Angeles, California before heading to our final destination of John F. Kennedy airport in New York City. We will spend a week in New York at a special training school where we will learn about American childcare standards, laws and lifestyle. Whilst at the school we will meet other young girls from other countries who are in the same program, I've already made friends with many of them through facebook! When our week is over at the training school, we will all go our seperate ways and travel to our host families.

I'll be living in Santa Fe, New Mexico with a family of 4. I'll be caring for 2 children Kam (12) and Qbm (10). My daily schedule will be preparing the kids for school, driving them to school, picking them up from school, helping with homework, driving to sporting practices and events and helping out with everyday stuff. I'm sure it will be busy, fun and interesting.

So this blog is designed to keep friends and family back home in Australia up-to-date with everything I do and experience in the next 2 years. I will post pictures, daily recaps and other little tidbits along the way while all those back home can leave me comments :o)