What it means to be an Au pair… …The decision for being an au pair was easily made for the majority of girls here in Atlanta. They decided to be an au pair because they thought they can have their time of their lives. So did I. I’ve never been far away from home when I used to live in Germany. I was not very confident and I was looking for an experience that could make me more self-confident, independent and I wanted to get to know more about me. Movies, TV-Shows and “The American Dream”, that topic we discussed at school made me curious about the United States. I thought I will love the American way of life, the people and the climate. I know I love kids and Au Pair will be the best opportunity for me to discover the whole American way of life thus living in a host family. I never thought about getting homesick or missing Germany because I will love the American way of life and everything what comes with it. Our adventure started in New York, a place, where I always wanted to be. This was another reason for me to be an Au pair. It is a great opportunity to travel around and discover nice locations in the US. In New York I learned so many things about child care and a lot about New York. People who you meet in New York are from all over the world. New York is completely different from the rest of the US. Next stop was Georgia, a state, where it is most of the time very warm and the people are very friendly. I took some English classes at university to improve my English. It was a great experience, I didn’t just improve my English, and I met people from all over the world and students from Georgia as well. I met so many new friends from all over the world and I know when I will be back in Germany in a few months that I will have these friends forever and always the opportunity to meet them in another place. The weekends I am off are the best opportunity to travel in the US. I saw a lot of other places in the US. I spent New Year in New York and had the best New Year ever, I was during Spring Break in Miami and I visited some family members in Alabama. In my 13th month I want to discover the whole west coast with one of my Au pair friends.  I love my host family, the kids and when I am thinking about leaving I am going to be very sad. It is amazing how much love you receive from the kids and your host family. They will always be my second family and the kids are like my sister and brother for me. I love them so much. So for me it is not just work it is caring for children, who deserve love because they appreciate everything what you are doing for them. On the weekends I have the best time of my life with all the Au pairs here in Atlanta. Here is always something going on the weekend. Either going to a Baseball games, Music events or just relaxing in one of those amazing houses we live in. Being an Au Pair has so many advantages. You learn more about yourself, you learn more about cultures in general. You learn what people think of your home country. You learn a lot about childcare. I want to raise my kids just like my host family. The kids are gorgeous. I saw so many nice places in the US. Places where I always wanted to be. You learned a lot about yourself. I was homesick but you know you can be strong and you can go over it. You will be in dependable and self-confident after this year. It is also good for applying for a job in your home country because of your English skills, which you achieve during this year. I took the chance to take an international English test, which universities in Germany acclaim. I have/had the time of my life as an au pair.