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Ups and Downs of an Au Pair Year

To put the Ups and Downs of an AuPair Year on only one page is a challenge. But let me start at the beginning and see how far I will come. My AuPair Year started on 4th August 2008. My flights were booked and I was prepared. The only thing was – Lufthansa has gone on strike. So my first challenge for the year was to drive with two suitcases from Dresden to Frankfurt am Main. It was pretty funny, but not that easy. In Frankfurt arrived, I met a few AuPairs of different Agencies. Together we brought our luggage to the “check in” and started our way in a Year full of experiences.

The Orientation is one of the first “Ups” you going to have. You meet a lot of people, make contact, exchanges address and you see for the first time New York City. The Agency gives you the chance of a guided Tour through NY with free time to explore the city on your own. If you live in the New York area, you have the chance to meet your new family in the hotel. For the rest, like me, I had to flight to Virginia before I met my family. They picked me up at the airport and we drove home, where the old AuPair was waiting with the Kids.
The first three months were great. I could buy myself a Laptop from my own salary.  I was on vacation with my family in the Blue Ridge Mountains and for Halloween near The Great Lakes.

After coming back from vacation a lot changed in my host family and the decision was made, that I have to go in rematch. This was, at this moment, the worst point in my whole AuPair Year. I got a lot of support from my Area Director and the Agency and after a week I visited a family in New Jersey. They payed the bus and I stayed with them over the weekend. It was a great weekend and we just matched. So I got the chance to start in a new family. It was the best decision in my whole year. Of course, no family is perfect and there are things that could change. But you just have to fit in and pass on with your life. I am happy in this family and they give me the opportunity to travel and see a lot of things. So I came in this family, perfect on time for Thanksgiving.

After my rematch, time started running and Christmas knocked on the door. We started in the morning and visited family, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Sisters and Brothers. After a long day we came home and realized we were robbed. A window and door were open. Gifts were missing. Drawers were unorganized. We called the police at 11 pm and started looking for missing things. Laptop, Jewelry, cell phone and a lot more were missing. The night ended at 3 am with us sleeping on the Living room floor, because nobody wanted to go in their rooms. This was down number two and the last one. Okay, I admit that saying Goodbye to this people will be the worst and last down point in my whole year.
Ups, everybody will have are meeting new friends, sometimes friends for the rest of your life. Going on vacations and seeing a lot of great cities, national parks, states … You really have the chance to see and learn about America. You have the chance to teach and learn about culture and go to an American University and study.


This year changed me and I am grateful for my year in the United States. I thank Aupaircare for their support before, during and after my AuPair Year. I really recommend taking the chance and risk of an AuPair Year. It will change and help you and your future host family.  It is an experiment and it is worth it.