To see my host family again- felt like yesterday

You say that your real friends and family will be there through everything. When I left the US after my time as an au pair, there were a lot of tears and mixed feelings. When leaving Sweden I knew my family and friends still would be there waiting when I got back. Leaving the US was not quite the same. I didn’t know if I would see them again and for sure not when I would see them again.

Now, almost five years later I went to visit them. I was worried. Would the children remember me (they had 3 au pairs after me and one who extended)? Would my host parents welcome me or would I be someone in the way of their Halloween? Did they really want me to come and stay with them in their house?

When my very best friend in the US came out from the car at the train station waiting for me, all of above worries disappeared. She drove me to what used to be my home for a year. When getting out of the car I saw a big banner above the front door (next to all Halloween decorations). It said “Welcome back Jenny”. It was made by the family and contained a lot of drawings, and for me; that meant everything.

The whole weekend was great. The children I got to know once again and my host parents and my friends, well, it felt like I was there yesterday. I can't even describe the feeling. It was not the same. It was a weird feeling. Many of my American friends is now out of college and no longer in the neighborhood, and the dog that I loved got sick a while ago and passed away. I felt sad I didn’t get to meet everyone, but it also made me feel so thankful. That I got to know all of them and how they have made me love my time as an au pair more than I could ever have realized.

 

Hello from Malin!

Happy Thursday!

In 2009, I moved abroad to become an au pair in the USA and took care of three wonderful children (5, 7 and 9 years old). I started off my year as an au pair in Los Angeles, and after 10 amazing months together with my host family I had an opportunity to move with my host family across the USA to Cape Cod, approximately two hours outside of Boston, Massachusetts. When working as an au pair you really get the chance of exploring and living in the American culture, which is such an amazing part of our au pair program! Luckily, I had the chance to experience both the American culture on the West Coast as well as on the East Coast.

 

 

I have always loved spending time with children and when working as an au pair I truly got the opportunity to work with children full-time. Besides loving to work with children I learned a lot during my time as an au pair. I quickly realized that there was no day like the other when working as an au pair. Typical day at work with my host children usually took place in the playground, at the soccer field, baseball field, at the beach or just hang around at home doing homework or playing together.

During the last two years I have been working as a recruitment leader in Jönköping and Skövde region in Sweden (meaning that Malin is responsible for holding information meetings of our program as well as interviewing au pairs). Today, I’m currently one of the summer staff at the Stockholm office, if you call in and we get a chance to talk, don’t hesitate to ask any further questions about my time as an au pair. I love inspiring others to become an au pair in the USA since I believe it is one of the greatest things I have accomplished so far.

 

 

In the end of July I will be visiting my host family for the second time after my return back to Sweden, I’m super excited to see them again!

I hope you get a chance to look further into working as an au pair in the USA & I wish you an amazing rest of the summer!

Best wishes,

Malin