They were the little siblings I never had

A dream fulfilled

I dreamed of becoming an au pair for a really long time. First of all because from a very young age I wanted to work with children and secondly, because I dreamed of going abroad to explore a new country, culture and above all to learn English. I choose Australia because of the beautiful nature, great beaches, amazing wildlife, and it is an English-speaking country.

I wanted to live the Australian dream!

After handling necessary paperwork, my Smart Au Pairs profile was set. While it took some time to find the perfect family fit, the wait was worth it. In mid-July, I connected with my host family, and within three weeks of matching, I landed in the cute little town: Scone in New South Wales. The family was at the airport to welcome me and from that first moment we met, our incredible journey begun.

Making friends as an au pair – friends all over the world

I think it is really important to make new friends and meet a lot of people from all over the world. This allows you to talk about your experiences, challenging times and to create memories together. I easily met friends via the Smart Au Pairs events, social media and my host mum posted in a Facebook group a few days before my arrival. Thanks to that I was able to meet around 10 au pairs that lived close to me! Making friends in Australia is really easy, especially since you have so many Holiday Workers - just like au pairs!

I loved every moment spent in Australia

I absolutely had THE best time of my life in Australia, from my arrival in August until my departure in June. My au pair journey has brought me so many things, it made me grow, I was able to discover new places, a new culture and learn a second language. Now that I speak English, many doors have opened for me in France.

I had so many good times that it is very hard to choose just one thing. The special moments I will never forget are: celebrating Christmas with 36 °C temperatures in the swimming pool, where the whole family was reunited. My birthday with a massive cake and the love I received from my host family or the fireworks that went off just before I left.

Above all, I found a second family

Saige and Reed were the little siblings I never had, and my host mom welcomed me into their home as her own daughter. I always felt warmth, loved, and never even felt homesickness. I can not thank my host family enough, whom I look forward to seeing again!

THE best experience of my life

I could talk to you for hours or write a whole book about my experience, but I will stop here. The last thing I would like to say is that everyone will experience their au pair journey differently but if your host family is as lovely as mine was, your au pair experience will change your life! I hope everyone has an experience as wonderful as mine, and I am confident that more host families like mine will be part of this au pair program.