LIVING A DREAM

By Sofia Mediza | February 12, 2022

Sometimes you just have to pause the autopilot of your life and start living it as it deserves. And
that is what I did some months ago.

I never thought I was going to be one of those people who follow their impulses. I was born in
Argentina, 25 years ago, into a small family which always pushed me to work hard to achieve my
goals. I was about to get my degree when I decided that I needed to do something that changes
my days. Sometimes routines can be a little consuming so I wanted a break from my own life.

Living the au pair experience was one of those things I always wanted to do but never had the
courage. I already knew about the program since I had some classmates who had done it and their
experiences were very successful. One day I contacted the agency and from then everything flew. I
did the whole process, which requires time, while I was working and finishing my career. I came
across several obstacles during it, from the rescheduling of appointments to getting a not
approved vaccine. Every day was a new issue that made me think it was not meant to be.
Eventually, everything returned to its course and in the fourth month of having taken the decision
of becoming an au pair, I had my first -and only- interview with a family from Ashburn, VA which is
where I am currently living. Staying in the US has been pretty interesting. I experienced holidays
and celebrations that my country doesn’t celebrate such as Thanksgiving and, since one of my
hosts is Indian, Diwali. I have tried new food and have met really nice people during my few
months here. I have learned fascinating habits and customs from Americans and also I had the
opportunity to share mine.

It is undeniable how much I miss my home, family, pets and friends every day. The most difficult
thing has been getting used to a completely different lifestyle from the one I come from. Yet, living
in a country where people speak a completely different language from one’s mother tongue
implies a certain effort even if it is mastered. Also, one of the main dissimilarities with my old
routine was the meal’s time. Having lunch late in the afternoon or dinner early in the evening is
something I am still trying to get used to. However, my host family has been very comprehensible
and helpful from the first day.

I take care of a 2-yeard-old child who is the sweetest boy I have ever known. I am also his Spanish
teacher at home which is something I enjoy since I worked as an English teacher in Argentina.

The truth is that this experience has helped me to know myself better and discover the wide range
of opportunities that life has to offer. It pushed me to be more independent and sociable.
Undoubtedly, it was a change 180° in my life since it was my first flight alone and abroad. I never
had the chance to travel and I am proud to have had the courage to do it for once. I never had
doubts about what I was doing since it was what my heart told me so I decided to listen to it. Now
the question from everyone is: would you like to stay longer than a year? My answer: when the
moment comes, I’ll let my heart decide since so far, it has never been mistaken.

So if you are considering giving your life new colour tones, I would definitely recommend this
experience. You are going to have great personal growth, academic and why not economical.
What do you think? Would you like to be part of the au pair community?