Valeria, an Au-Pair in Cork – You may not be the same afterwards…

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Twelve months ago I had only just graduated from University and as many other twenty-something I was scared of the future, I didn’t know what I would or could do. For the first time in my life I found myself without a plan. Then I remembered my mentor had mentioned something called EazyCity. I did my research and decided I might as well

try and apply to become an Au-pair. After sending all the documents needed for my application the waiting started

and when I was starting to lose hope I got the e-mail telling me a family had seen my profile and was interested. It was mid December and they wanted me to be in Cork the first week of January, giving me only two weeks to pack and say goodbye to friends and family.
The first few days in Ireland were tough. It was my first time being away from home for more than a week or so and I was on my own in a foreign country having to speak another language and living with strangers. Every time I called home my parents would ask me “Are you sure you don’t want to come back?” I was homesick obviously but I was determined to stay and prove to myself that I could make it.

The Murray family was nice and helpful, they have had other au-pairs before so they know what they’re doing. My job was to mind three girls aged 2, 3 and 8 years old, four days a week with the occasional babysitting during the week-end. Obviously it wasn’t always a walk in the park, nothing is, but with children you should never expect things to be perfect. As I always tell anyone interested in becoming an au-pair who asks me for advice, if you are not 100% motivated and sure that’s what you want to do you should not choose this kind of job. Children can be lovely and a lot of fun, but they can also be difficult to deal with and have those bad days when they won’t listen to anyone. I know many girls who have been au-pairs and I heard enough awful stories to know I have been very lucky to find such a welcoming family.

During my stay I had the chance to travel around the country a bit and visit amazing places I had only seen on tv before. I have met amazing persons who showed me how kind and hospitable the Irish people can be, I tried new things and learned a lot.

Now looking back at the last 10 months is hard to believe my experience is over already. Obviously I’m very happy to be back at home after so long but at the same time it makes me a bit sad. I miss Ireland and Cork and the people I’ve met there, but I’m sure I’ll go back sooner or later. Now I’m going to start a new chapter of my life and I hope it will be as surprising and exciting as the one that only just ended.

Being an au-pair can be an amazing experience. It gives you the chance to leave your comfort zone, learn or improve a language, explore a different country and meet new friends. You may not be the same afterwards, but that’s not a bad thing, actually you may become a better person and that’s always a good thing.