Hello ladies and gentlemen and dogs and cats.
Why am I doing this to myself
I created a blog before I left for France. I bought a domain name and paid for the year and all that jazz. And then I never used it.
I had more than enough free time in my day to write. But what I didn’t have was a clue. As in – a clue about what to write about. I wanted to write about being an au pair and keep my friends and family updated but I also didn’t feel authorized to write about something I wasn’t an expert about. Like most au pairs, it was my first time and I was struggling daily to figure my life out.
After two years, not only have a figured a lot of things out, but I finally realized I don’t need to be an expert to spout whatever I want on the internet. So here I am!
First of all, apologies for all of the many errors that are going to exist on this page. I don’t care. But also I am a perfectionist so I am lying.
What can you learn from this?
Hopefully a lot!
When I moved to Paris, I had to do everything on my own. I didn’t know a single person who I could ask for questions. Turns out not very many people quit their full time jobs and move to France to be an au pair with their dog. Then later when I was applying for alternance programs, I faced a similar problem. I am sure there are people who have gone through the same things I have. The problem is I couldn’t find them. *shrug*
But you have found my page! And I can do my best to help answer any and all questions related to:
- Becoming an an pair
- Navigating French administration
- Traveling with pets
- Solo travel
- Language learning
- Making friends
- Quitting your job
- Getting a masters for free
- Dating in France
- Visiting Paris
The list goes on and on. I have made a lot of mistakes while trying to figure out my life post-college. Hopefully, you can avoid a few of them using my stories.
RELATED: I want to find a good host family.
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I want to pick up my titre de sejour at the prefecture
What do I need to bring with me to pick up my titre de sejour? This question gets asked a lot. I just went to pick up my second titre de sejour at the prefecture Val de Marne in Creteil. The first time I went to pick up my titre de sejour, it was at…
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I want to au pair, not be au-prisoned: host family red flags
Finding an au pair family can be scary and hard, which is why many agencies claim they can help match you. I understand the temptation to use an agency to simplify the process. However, I really don’t think they’re necessary if you want to au pair in Europe. (If you want to au pair in…
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I want a bathroom door: surprises of my Paris flat
What is a ‘Chambre de bonne’? Most au pairs in Paris live in apartments that are called ‘une chambre de bonne’ (a maid’s room). Basically, back in the old days, wealthy families would live in the main spaces of the Paris flats, and their servants would be shoved up in tiny spaces in the attic.…
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I want to find a good host family
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I want to change host families . . . is that allowed?
Yes of course! And if you are thinking about it, chances are you probably should. My First Family: When It Didn’t Go as Planned So I never actually, technically made the decision to change host families. The decision was always made for me. When I was planning on becoming an au pair, I genuinely thought…
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I want to save money as an au pair. . . but here’s why I couldn’t
How much did I make as an au pair? Zero. Negative dollars actually. Okay so technically I earned 4,800€ in the first year. But wanna guess how much I spent? Anyone? Anyone? 7,000€ And that’s not even including the money I spent before I started! Here is a detailed list of all the times I…