AU PAIR COMMUNITY - STORIES

STORIES COMPETITION WINNER - CRISTINA MONTAL

Cristina Montal

I would like to share my personal experience as an Au Pair with all of you. It is hard to put into words all of my feeling and the memories that I have lived this past year. It has been the best experience ever! My story began almost one year ago when I first prepared to come to the USA. I remember perfectly when I was getting everything ready for my trip. I was so excited and anxious at the same time! My adventure was going to start in a few months! Although I was happy and excited, it wasn't easy to leave my country and to know that I would not see my family for a long time. That said, I knew that I had to fly away to make my dream come true.

I remember leaving the Barcelona airport (Spain). I had never hugged my Dad, Mom and brother as I did that day. Since then I have realized how important they are in my life and how much I love them! My first stop was Connecticut, where I had to spend three days doing an orientation course for Au Pairs. That was my first contact with America! I had a terrible headache those days! I studied English before I came, but it wasn't the same as hearing it every minute of the day. I spent hours and hours listening to only English for the first time in my life! I tried to understand but it was not easy. Every afternoon, all the Au Pairs got together to receive presents from our host families. One day, I felt very happy when I received my package! It was a Cowboy hat, a T-shirt, a key chain and lots of drawings and notes from the girls I would take care of and my host parents!

As you might guess from the cowboy hat, my destination was Texas!! The hottest state in America!! I swear it is, believe me!! Even more tired than you can imagine, off I went on a flight from Newark to Dallas! As I was arriving in Dallas I got more and more excited. As I walked through the automatic doors I saw two little sisters with gorgeous curly hair waiting for me! I couldn't believe my eyes!! I was in Texas! After months of chatting with my host family online I was meeting them at last!


My first months in Texas were a little hard for me. First, it was difficult because of the language. I could barely speak or understand, but little by little I have been getting better. Second, I had a little bit of culture shock. Everything was different than my country, the food, the customs, everything! I would like to share some personal experiences. One little tale is quite funny. This happened to me when I was learning how to drive in Texas. My host father made me practice daily with him. Over and over we drove to the girlsï school, parallel parked, drove around the neighborhood. We did everything to prepare me for the driving test and driving with the girls in the car. He even made me practice filling the car up with gas. There were so many things to learn just to get gas. Scan the Kroger plus card, swipe the credit card, enter the zip code, choose the type of gas, oh my, 3 choices! It is not easy getting gas in America. One day, my host dad and I went to the gas station to fill up my car. I had never done it all on my own before. I followed all the steps, but when I was going to lift up the nozzle I spilled gas all over us! I forgot to stop it first!! It was all over my jeans, my shoes, oh it smelled so bad! I looked around to see if anyone was looking at us. Fortunately, nobody was there. My host dad and I laughed so much! It was funny. Well, until we realized how hard it was to get the smell of gasoline out of jeans and floor mats.

It is Ok though, I quickly grew out of those jeans anyway. Probably because I have spent all this year trying out the fast food restaurants in town. I have tried so many: Jack in the Box, Ciciïs pizza, McDonalds, Chick-fill-A, Taco Bell, Taco Bueno, Wendys, Arbys, even Hooters. Usually Europeans look down on Americans for all the fast food that they eat but as they say, when in Rome. Of course, I could not live in America without trying all the American candies. My favorite is Reese's! I am still surprised that I have not gotten sick after devouring tons of those peanut butter cups! I love them all too, the big ones, the small ones, can you believe they even have egg shaped Reeseïs? They taste good in ice cream too! I have also spent a lot of hours at Starbucks with my friends! Almost every Tuesday night you can find us there enjoying some desserts and laughter. I am sure I will miss this nice place when I go back home.

Now, after several months in America and a lot of fond memories behind me I am ready to tell you this experience has changed my life in so many ways. First, I would like to say that no matter where you go, you will always find someone prepared to love you and to make you feel happy. I am really thankful for my host family because they have always made me feel at home. Especially on holidays when families get together such as Christmas and Easter. I know that I will always have a second family in Texas!

Second, the girls I take care of are very special. They are the sweetest and smartest girls I have ever met. I love them so much!! Together we have been growing and learning a lot of things. It's amazing how much I can learn from them! Twice a week we have "Spanish Days". During those days I just talk in Spanish and teach them new Spanish words. They have been learning so much! I feel so proud when they can say a word or sing a song in Spanish. This experience also has made me change my values as a person. Making new friends from all over the world has helped me become not only more open minded, but also more tolerant. I am much stronger, braver and more independent than ever. I feel that whatever I face in my life I will be able to handle it without any fear.

After this experience, I really believe that everyone should live abroad for a while, at least one time in his or her life. Spending one year in America, far away from home, has helped me realize how important and how valuable my own culture is. Now, I appreciate my country, its history, my language, and my customs more than ever. I feel really proud to tell everyone where I come from and how wonderful my culture is! However, the best thing about this experience is that it is truly unforgettable and will remain in my heart for ever.

Cristina Montal

PHOTO COMPETITION

OVERALL WINNER - AKIF ALTUNTEPE

2ND PRIZE WINNER - IVANKA SEVCIKOVA

3RD PRIZE WINNER - LENA LUNDAHL

THE BEST OF THE REST!