We’ve had the great opportunity of hearing from Anne who is an Au Pair in Mississauga, ON. She gave us great insight into her time so far as an Au Pair in Canada and we want to share it with you! Here is Anne’s story:
Since I was 14 years old, I decided that I wanted to be an Au Pair. A classmate of mine had a sister who spent a year in Australia as an Au Pair and I thought that it was such an interesting experience. One night, I went to my friend’s house where her sister showed me all of her pictures. The pictures were very cool because she had travelled lots! What struck me though were the pictures of my friend’s sister with her host children. They really seemed to love her and they looked like the made a great connection. After that moment, I knew I was going to become an Au Pair.
When I was 17 years old, I knew it was time to start preparing for my year abroad so I gained as much childcare experience as a could and I started to look at the countries I could go to. Australia seemed beautiful but I’m too afraid to snakes and spiders to go there. America was also an option until I looked into Canada and saw how beautiful the country is and how friendly the people are.
After many hours of preparation, including paperwork, skype calls, follow-ups and waiting, I finally found my host family through an awesome agency. They were the best with answering any questions I had and making sure I was certain that this host family was the best fit for me.
The day finally arrived when I was to board the plane and head to Canada to meet my new host family. Saying goodbye to my friends and family was tough but I knew on the other end, a new adventure was waiting for me. Once I landed, the nerves of meeting my host family took me over. These nerves were soon gone after I saw my new host family. They were waiting at the airport with a sign saying, “Welcome to Canada” and balloons for me. I thought how sweet that was. They all gave me hugs, except the littlest because she was shy, and we headed in the car to my new home.
My first week was very special. My new home was in Mississauga, close to Toronto, so the family took me out to show me where I can find a gym, the library, the children’s school, etc. We also went downtown Toronto to check out the CN Tower, and other cool parts of the city. Then we had a special meal where the host mom cooked some schnitzel! I thought that they were very welcoming and so nice to cook me something to remind me of home.
The kids have also been so sweet to me! Jack, who is 7, and Jessie, who is 4, have been such fun. When I pick them up from school, they are always telling me stories about their day and about their friends. We go home where I help Jack with his homeworks and set Jessie up with a game. Once Jack is done, we play together or relax and then I make some dinner. My host parents come home around 6pm where we all have dinner together to talk about our days. I really feel a connection with my host family and feel like I can talk to them about anything!
When I’m not working, I am in my English classes or meeting up with friends. Making friends has been another great part of my experience because I have people to share adventure in and talk with about being an Au Pair. We get to explore the “GTA” (a new word I learned here!) and next month we’re planning a trip to Banff and Jasper! I can’t wait!
I do miss my family and friends back home, and I have felt homesick more than once while being in Canada. But I am so happy I have my new life here and I can’t wait to share my experience with everyone when I get back home. If you’re interested in being an Au Pair, don’t wait! Take the chance because it’ll be the best year of your life abroad.
