It's much harder than it sounds.
This family still isn't working out. K, the host mum, is constantly pissed at me and the twins are still little brats.
So it's off to Barcelona for me. Leaving 1 July, and my mum still thinks I'm au pairing for the family back in Bonn. This Spanish family will be my fourth family in 9 months abroad. That's an average of about 2 months for each family, and both German families were supposed to be long term 12 month placements. How pathetic.
I'm trying to tell myself that there's nothing wrong with me personally. It's just that I hate kids and I didn't get lucky in the host kid/family department is all. It's just how brutally honest the Germans can be. But even I am starting to have doubts about myself...after all if I can't even last long as an au pair, how am I going to perform well at any proper job? But I'll still try to keep positive, I suppose.
So, on the bright side. Barcelona. 400 euro per month, 50 hours a week (! Double what I do now) and public transport paid for. Nice thing is, those 50 hours per week won't consist of arguing with a selfish 8 year old brat who I seriously daydream about strangling sometimes. Nor do they consist of having to deal with 2 or 4 year olds. Instead I'm merely a companion to a 12 year old Spanish girl who can barely speak much English (purely 'academic' level according to her mum). It will just be for the month of July that I am spending her school holidays with her. Her mum made it sound very nice. Taking her to the cinema, letting her hang out with her friends, going to the beach together, exploring Barcelona together. They live in a small town called Sant Vicenç de Montalt, close to Barcelona. Then for the month of August while they're on vacation, I get to have peace and quiet for the entire month with the whole house to myself. How awesome. I doubt I get paid for August but oh well, whatever. Honestly I care less about money at the moment. I've been offered far better paid positions in London, Rome, Geneva, Paris, but this time I'm finally using my brain and considering what placement will suit me best. And I've decided that no matter how much money I can earn babysitting a rich family's brats in central London, I don't want to spend another two months being miserable and constantly on edge/having tension with the strangers I am living with. So Barcelona with a 12 year old it is. Plus, I've always wanted to learn Spanish.
But would I have told me 17 year old self not to au pair? No, I don't think so. As usual, this struggle that I'm going through is only making me stronger. You never know what something will be like until you experience it. If I had not taken a gap year and made the mistake of studying journalism/international studies at UNSW, I would have spent the rest of my life wondering what could have been. Not to mention the places I have been able to visit...it's been amazing, honestly. The cultural aspect. I'll have gotten to live in Paris for 3 months, Bonn for 1 month, Berlin for 3 months and Barcelona for 2 months. Amazing cities with amazing history and incredible culture, and not many people are able to say that they've experienced living in France, Germany and Spain during a gap year.
Went to Copenhagen last weekend. It was stunning. Expensive, but well worth it.
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| Andante exhibition by Christian Lemmerz (The Cisterns, Copenhagen) |
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| Old mill (Frilandsmuseet, Copenhagen) |
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| Gorgeous buildings with Church of Our Saviour in the background, Copenhagen |
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