March 29th 2010

Written by Stef on February 11, 2010

A normal day for others – a life-changing day for me.

As the day comes nearer I begin to realise what huge step it will be, that everything in my life will change, everything that Im used to will be gone or different.
I will spending a year in a country I only have been in for a vacation a few years ago, in a family I barely know (only over mails and phone calls), in a culture so different to mine. March 29th is the day I will leave for my aupair year.

I’m not gonna lie. I’m sure I will feel homesick at first as I am very close to my whole family. Im a family person I need some sort of trust around me, people I get along with, people I know who will be there for me if I need some help. I hope to find that in my host parents…

In my year of course there will be hard times, but all hard times are there to only make me stronger. Everyone has to overcome struggles in life it’s a normal process of living. I will be able to learn SO much for my whole life, get to see so many things I would have never seen if I wouldnt have gone away.

I remember the day when I was at the job mess in my town and got a brochure of the aupair organisation. I remember thinking it was an awesome opportunity for me but at that time I never considered it a real option after my A-levels.
All of it changed when I talked to a friends sister who was in the UK as an aupair for a year. She was so excited talking about how it changed her life, how much it helped her to figure out what she wants to do in life and what she really cares about. After that I got into the whole thing again seeing it as a real option for me, something I really wanna do, a plan for my future.

I went to an info meeting getting some details about how the whole thing works, got the application, went to a workshop to get better chances, worked at a kindergarden for 5 weeks and now 4 months later I get my first host family matches (whats the plural of match? Haha).
Now I’m having my 4th host family match. Theyre from Long Island about 1,5 hours from NYC. They seem pretty nice so hopefully they will contact me in the next few days. I just hope I will find my „dream family“ soon!

Now as every day passes the day I leave is getting nearer and nearer. On the one hand Im SO excited for everything on the other hand Im worried too. I have thousands of questions in my head how it will be, how I like it, how my host family is, …

To be continued…







Life is changing and through it all I have learned

I've learned that no matter what happens,
or how bad it seems today, life does go on,
and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person
by the way he or she handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage,
and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that regardless of the differences
you have with the people in your life,
you'll miss them when they're gone.

I've learned that making a "living"
is not the same thing as making a "life."

I've learned that life sometimes
gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life
with a catcher's mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness,
it will elude you.

But if you focus on your family, your friends,
the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can,
happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something
with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains,
I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should
reach out and touch someone.
People love that human touch --
holding hands, a warm hug,
or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that you should
pass this on to someone you care about.
Sometimes they just need a little something
to make them smile.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.