It’s hard to believe I have already been back in the U.S. for 2 months. While it is nice to be back and see family and friends again, there is not a day that Australia does not cross my mind. A year went by fast, too fast.
The idea of going to Australia was a bit last minute. A friend originally planted the seed in my head after telling me how much fun she had au pairing in Australia on a gap year. At this point I knew I wanted to travel before settling down with a long term job, but money for travelling was another issue. Being an au pair in Australia seemed like it would solve both problems and I happened to have plenty of child care experience and generally enjoy being around kids. Perfect fit right? I began researching it and a couple months later I boarded a plane with two overstuffed suitcases and headed to a country where I knew no one. This was the start of an adventure of a lifetime.
I’ve learned a lot in the past year, not only that Australia is much bigger than you think and that there are millions of things to see that cannot be accomplished in only a year, but also a lot about myself. I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone by traveling all the way to the other side of the world all by myself, especially someone as afraid of snakes and spiders as I used to be. I have overcome many struggles and fears in the past year and I feel stronger and more confident now because of it. Here are some of the highlights and accomplishments of the past year:
- Learning to drive on the other side of the road-it was harder coming back to the states and trying to drive again
- Learning how to live with a family again after being on my own for 4 years-maybe one of the hardest parts of the past year
- Jumping out of a plane- would do it again in a heartbeat!
- Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef!
- Trying Vegemite-not my cup of tea
- Feeding wild Kangaroos
- Defeating a giant killer spider-it was actually a harmless Huntsman, but the fact that I didn’t scream was an accomplishment in itself
- New Year’s Eve on the Sydney Harbor-brilliant
! - Climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge
10. Seeing
the Nutcracker live at the Sydney Opera house
11. Traveling to New Zealand solo for 2 weeks-and ended up making some lifelong friends
12. Riding an elephant in Thailand
13. Drop bears- to all my Aussie friends, I will never fall for it.
14. Seeing wild monkeys in Bali
15. Cuddling a koala
16. TIM TAMS!-Thank God target sells them now
17. Bartering in southeast Asia-loving my new wardrobe
18. Exploring all the beautiful beaches along Australia’s coast
19. Surviving a tropical storm on a long tail boat off the coast of Thailand
20. Learning to surf-its not as easy as it looks
21. Making lifelong friends from all over the world
After such a great year it is hard to be back. Job hunting is stressful and the cold is starting to hit (there goes that yearlong tan I’ve been sporting.) I am excited to see what the future will hold though. Many thanks to the beautiful country of Australia and to my three wonderful host families for such a great year! I will be back for you Australia.
Au Pair Down Under 