The New Life

I've been in the US for 10 days now and am loving every minute of it but I haven't had much time to post oh here until now. So I'm finally in New Mexico. It's gorgeous. It's very different to Australia in so many ways. There are lots of dirt roads, hills, mountains and 4 way stop signs! I arrived on Saturday after flying from New York to Mineappolis then onto New Mexico. Both flights were smooth although a little turbulence here and there. We got delayed in Mineappolsis due to rain so we arrived in New Mexico about 10-15 minutes late. I was so excited to finally touch down and am officially over flying. I was greeted in New Mexico by my host mom. She was so lovely. We had to drive an hour to the house so we talked heaps and she told me about the kids and different things. It was a quick drive actually cause we talked the whole hour.

It was great to finally meet my host family. The parents are really nice, down to earth and caring while the kids are exciting, gorgeous and welcoming. The first night we all watched 'Little Man' together along with 2 friends who were staying over. Sunday morning I got to sleep in and then my host mom, Kam, Kam's friends & mom and I all went out to breakfast, kinda like a girls morning. It was really nice. We went to a little Mexican roadhouse and I ordered a breakfast burrito. It was huge and yummy but something different. It was a soft tortilla wrap filled with eggs, bacon, potatoes and cheese with green chilli sauce tipped over the top. Green chillis are really nice, not too hot either. After breakfast, my host mom and I went driving around so she could show me different places including the kids' schools, their work places and some other places. It's such a beautiful, historic area. So unique and beautiful. That afternoon I went out driving with my host dad, he said I was a really good driver and had no hesitations letting me drive the kids. That's was really cool considering I drive on the opposite side of the road back home and on the otherside of the car but you know what? I love driving here! I'm driving a Kia Sportage and it's a much bigger car then I'm used to but I love it.

As soon as Monday morning came around, that's when I officially started. My days consist of waking at 6am so I can prepare the kids lunches, make breakfast, wake the kids and pack school bags or sports bags. Then I drive the kids to school. I'm off mostly during the day but I do a few loads of laundry, tidy the kids rooms and load the dishwasher. I start back up again at 2pm and do pick up from school, help with afternoon homework, drive to sporting practices and then help with more homework. So far it's been interesting and a little challenging in the homework department with concentration from the kids but otherwise all is good.
I've shopped a little bit, drove around town, pumped some gas, cooked scrambled eggs and driven on the other side of the road. I'd say I'm doing good right about now. Plus, if you can drive up the driveway well then I'm more then ok cos that thing takes at least 5 minutes to drive down and then another 5 minutes to drive back up again. It's bumpy, hilly, rocky and looooong. But I've got the hang off it and love it. For those of you back home and want an idea of the driveway, let's just say you definiately need a 4WD to get up it cos it's like going 4WDriving!!! It's crazy!!!

Anyways, I'm sure I've left things out like all the stuff that happened in New York but I'm so exhausted that I'm going to head to bed and get an early night. I'm meeting some other Au Pairs tomorrow for coffeee. Really excited. It will be nice to know some other girls around here. So I'm off and bed and I'll write again soon.

Around the World in 24 hrs

Finally in New York City. I arrived last night but had no energy to write. It was a crazy, weird and horrible in ways past 24 hrs. I left Sydney with 2 other girls at 9.30am, we only just made our flight since it took forever to get through security and customs. We were one of the lasts ones to board our plane. They split us all up in single seats instead of seating us together. That was a nightmare in itself for the first half of the flight but we survived and had a good flight. I sat next to a couple from Los Angeles who had been visiting Australia. They were really nice. I watched some movies although I kept taking little naps cos I'd been up all night and had no sleep. I probably watched 3 movies. I finally got to see Forrest Gump. I've never seen that movie. It was a really good one. I also watched Longshots which is about football and then I watched Hannah Montana. The food service was good. We had lunch (chicken, salad, lemon cake and cheese with biscuits), we had snacks (peanuts, mini breadrolls and cheese with biscuits) plus we also had breakfast (blueberry pancakes, yoghurt, fruit and juice). It was really nice for plane food.

We arrived in Los Angeles around 5.50am but since customs didn't open til 6am we had to wait a little which caused us to stress a little as our connecting flight was at 7.30am and we still had to claim our luggage, re-check it and go through secruity. Plus one fo the girls I was traveling with had no boarding pass for the next flight cos the guy in Sydney took it off her. It was a nightmare. We finally got the boarding pass sorted, got through security only to find we missed our flight by a few minutes. As you can imagine, we stressed out big time. But it was all sweet, we booked new flights and then just had to chill in the airport for 3 hours until we realised that our luggage had been sent on the flight without us. We stressed some more. Our lives were in those suitcases basically so it was really daunting on us. So we sat around the airport which was crazy cos we were so sleep deprived that we had some weird energy to burn. We were singing songs, naming random Australian commercials and laughing. The other people must have thought we were crazy but we didn't think so. As long as we could keep laughing after the day we had, had so far.
We left Los Angeles at 11am, still didn't get to sit together but that was fine cos I slept nearly the whole flight. I was exhausted. By the time we landed in New York, it was getting dark but it was still a great view. We had a guy pick us up and help us claim our luggage which was being held in buggage claim. We were SOOOOO excited to see it. After we got our bags, we went out to the car and drove the 45 minutes to the training school which is on Long Island, New York. We couldn't see much driving in but it does look beautiful.

After meeting some other girls, getting our room assignments and having some food it was basically free time. I really wanted a shower but only to find there was no hot water, let's just say that didn't stop any of us. You sit on a plane for over 24 hrs and it probably wouldn't stop you either. Ha Ha. We spent the rest of the night talking, eating, checking our emails and calling home. Didn't get to sleep til 2am and was up again this morning at 7am. Crazy.

So now I'm just waiting for everyone to wake up so we can go have some breakfast and start the day. Looks like a nice day and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. Doesn't feel real. We are actually in New York. It's crazy.

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)