What I am about to write may appear to be another boring blog written by someone that really has nothing better to do other than complain or write about their boring lives. Actually, I think I just summarised the definition of a blog. This Blog is about my experience as an Au Pair in what technically is on the same planet, but really is an entire world of it's own, America.
So I arrived in America 3 weeks ago to this day exactly and I was overwhelmed with emotions, ranging from excitement to anxiety, frustration and the expected Home Sickness. This is the first time I have ever left home, never mind to the other end of the world. Some called it brave, others stupid and others had no idea what they were talking about! So I took off, after an hour delay on SAA and arrived in America, New York, JFK Airport at 07:30 am on a Monday to start a year with a vague idea of what to expect and how things would go. The glamourised idea of living with the perfect American family with an entire bedroom and bathroom to myself, shopping galore, opportunities to travel and the most important part, working with kids that would fall in love with you and never want you to leave. Luckily for me I had 4 days of Au pair orientation to burst that bubble for me before my expectations got too high!
The first day of orientation was awesome as me and two other South African girls had the opportunity to explore the area and streets of Down Town Connecticut, Stamford. Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Starbucks, all things great and wonderful. So we took advantage while we had the chance to absorb it all before we were locked in a conference room to be briefed as to what on earth the year ahead would possibly be like. Please read the fine print, "nothing anyone says is guaranteed"!
Have you ever had the feeling where you wake up and think you're somewhere else? Only to realise that you are a couple of thousand miles away from where you think you would be happiest at that moment and feel like your whole inside gets sucked out of you and you're left with nothing but tears to comfort yourself. First night in America and this was my experience. I thought I had just woken up to the familiar snoring of one of my family members, seen the light coming in from the crack under the door into my room and thought I could get up and find myself in my comfortable bed back home in my little town in South Africa, only to realise it was either my Brazilian or my Slovakian Room mate. The worst feeling in the world. When I woke up the next morning we made our way down to the lobby for our first day of lectures. For the next three days, a very loud American lady would tell us all about America, Americans, American food, American law, American children, American parenting, anything and everything American! I will never forget how she described Americans and their weird and wonderful ways. She did a really good job! A really good job leading me to question my decision to come to America and wonder about what I had really gotten myself into. I thought that I was pretty well prepared mentally, oh but I now believe that I am far more naive than I ever thought I was.
The three days of all things America did have some good in it, other than preparation, reassurance and support. I got to see the Big Apple! New York City! The City that never sleeps, yes that one! I got to see it. We went to the Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza) and it was just beautiful. Lights as far as the eye can see, other than one giant black spot which I finally realised was Central Park. I also got to do a quick run through Time Square, trying to grab a quick memento that I didn't feel was ripping me off too badly! You wouldn't believe that it was 21h30! Like being in complete day light! Then we went to Battery Park and got a slight glimpse of Lady Liberty in her might appearing to be the size of Barbie's baby from that distance. Then of coarse one of America's biggest disasters in all the awe and wonder, we got to see the new developments and plans for Ground Zero! Breath taking! One of the guides told us to imagine one of the buildings doubled with a little extra on top of it. Unless you had seen it before 9/11, you can't even begin to imagine the enormity of it! And then there was just the fun of getting to drive through the city and see only a tiny portion of what New York has to offer, I will definitely be going back.
Finally day four arrives and the 80 odd Au pairs involved are pretty exhausted, almost Americanised and quite frankly, we just want to get to our final destinations, our host families, where everyone is expecting welcomes that will blow you away, nerves that your family might not recognise you, fear that you might jump into some stranger's car and excitement to meet their new families for the next year and the idea of settling in and adjusting! So all of us are shoved into a few shuttles and we make our way towards different air ports, train stations, and some of the lucky buggers who were getting picked up at the hotel! My flight was booked for 6:59 pm but we were all at the air port by 3:00 pm. Isn't it just enjoyable to sit around dirty airports with no cell phone, lap top or anything else to keep you occupied. Lucky for me, my new German friend was one the same air line as me and her flight kept getting delayed because the sky just randomly decided it would prefer the ground as a new home! So after deciding that eating would be the best way to pass the time by, we get up to check the flight boards for any changed flight information. Then I see it, all flights to Chicago, American Airlines, CANCELED! The blood leaves my face, my heart falls into my stomach and my stomach falls into my butt. What the stuff am I going to do? No phone, none of the other Au pairs had their flights cancelled, and now I have to stand in a huge line and see if I can get onto another flight. Don't worry though I handled it all very well, I burst into tears! So some American guy and his business partner try to cheer me up and say something along the lines of "hey everything in life is an adventure" or some bull. In the mood I was in and the luck I was having, I was not in to mood for any more American positivity or philosophy. I turned to them and said "I am stuck with no phone, no communication and no way of knowing what to do next"! If I had known all I had to do was talk and someone would fall at my feet over my accent I would have made it bloody obvious that I was distraught! So my puffy eyes, red face and South African accent saved my ass. I had 3 phones thrown at me. Luckily at orientation they tell you that this kind of thing has to happen to someone so I phoned my host mom and she was already a few steps ahead of me and booked me on a flight at noon the next day. Next phone the Au pair emergency line and they'll send a cab to get you back to the hotel (All the way in Connecticut from Laguardia air port). Another night in a hotel pretty much on my own, with free Internet and computers to let my family know what has happened and that the youngest in the family had decided to choose her very first over seas experience to have all the fun!
The next day I was met in Chicago by my host mother and son in person, for the first time, having only spoken to the host mom twice over Skype. In all honesty I wish it had been my own mom and one of my sisters, but it was too late to turn back now! I went into it head first, celebrating a brand new year ahead and what better time to celebrate than the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.
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