The Journey

was long!

I left home early... my ticket wouldn't print. I went to my aunts to print it... and of course it only printed one out of three tickets. i gave up caring and let the check in man print me the rest. we went out to eat on the way to the airport. I left Toledo (holy crap, that airport is tiny!) at 3, arrived at Chicago at 2.40... yay for time travel!

I took a super long hike at O'Hare to my connection and they bored early, which i didn't mind because I hate sitting around. I got to my seat and waited... and waited... and no one showed up to sit next to me... I was so happy. I thought for sure they would run in right before the door shut but no!!!! I had two seats to myself! ahhh, it was so nice! I had this awesome plan to take a sleeping pill right before dinner and sleep. But no. They had to play the Hunger Games as the movie. I hadn't seen it so I stayed up. I sprawled out across my two seat bed for like, and hour and a half and they turned on the lights for breakfast. thanks. no sleep.

Madrid has the distance to connecting gates marked in time on the signs... mine was 26 minutes! Up escalators, down escalators, turn, turn again. omg, I thought Chicago was a hike. By the time I got to security I was done. I finally got to my little area and they said they didn't have a gate picked yet (they waited until 10 minutes before the flight to do that, it was awesome...) and I had nothing to do. I picked a quite place and tried to get wifi... it wasn't free. like, 11 euro for 20 mins. I sucked it up and payed 17 for 24 hours. I was there like 5 hours.

The flight to Valencia made me sick. Partly because I was tired and Partly because I was sitting next to a frail little old man who smelled like... old man. I almost puked by the time I got to baggage. Which I thought they lost because it never showed up. Then the lady told me they put half in one hall and half in the other. Thanks again. Host Parents were waiting right at the door so it wasn't hard to find them.

I don't remember much, I was so tired I think I blocked it out. I stayed up as long as I could, But don't remember what time I went to bed... I know I slept for 13 hours that night though.

Eep! Leaving in the AM.

going out to eat in the morning with some of my family, and then it's off to Spain :D 

4 airports, 3 airplanes and a new adventure. Counting layovers, I'm pretty sure it's almost a 24 hour journey, maybe a little less since you change time zones. Idk. I leave Toledo at 2.30pm and get to my final destination at 1pm the next day. I might post when I get bored at the airports. I should probably go make sure I have everything ready, but I rented one disc of Dexter so there goes my night. 

fortune cookie wisdom

I've just googled "creative ways to pack a suitcase"

I don't know how I'm going to make everything fit. I had everything pack at least 3 times the past few days but keep taking it all out and starting over. I feel like I'm taking way to much stuff. I know every au pair site stresses packing just the essentials... but... how?! haha. When I went to Italy, that's what I did. I took JUST the essentials. I feel like this time I don't want to. I want more options. Which is leading me to my current problem. I just weighed the suitcase and it is 37LBS. The weight limit is 50. So I'm good in the aspect, but the problem is making it all fit. I'm using plastic bags, rolling things, stuffing things inside other things. Good things I've still got a week to figure it out ;)

(7 days though! 7 days and I'm going to be in a different country...starting another adventure.... kgjhskjhdskhfkdsa)

Countdown: 10 days!

10 days, I can't believe it. I'm starting to get a little nervous. It's outweighed by my excitement, but it's still there. My suitcases are half packed. Hopefully by the end of the weekend they will be all ready to go.
The family is on vacation with no internet until the day before I arrive, so we haven't had our weekly skype calls in a few weeks, but they've managed to send me a few pics from Menorca and gah. I just can't wait to be there.


Hopefully the rain holds off today so we can get one last trip to the zoo before I leave.


ps - apologies for the excessive use of gifs in my posts, haha. I can't help it! I love them.

Au Pair Resources

I'm going to try to keep a list of places/resources around the web. I've added all the website's I've used or am aware of, if I come across any more that are helpful I'll add them. 


Places to find Host Families/General info about Au pairing.

• greataupair.com
• aupair-world
• newaupair
• aupairgarden
• Au Pair in America
• Au Pair Care
• Cultural Care
• findaupair
• kangarooaupair
• Meet Au Pairs .net 
• Au Pair Circle
• How to Au Pair Daringly

Facebok Groups.
fb groups can be super helpful in trying to find a placement or meet other au pairs. Just make sure you read the rules of the group first! Some groups don't allow post about placements.

• Au Pairs in Istanbul
• Au Pair in Spain
• Au Pair Connection, Milan
• Au Pair in Italy
• Au pair in Ireland
• Au Pair in Paris
• Au Pair in France
• Au Pair Advice, USA
• Au Pair and Nanny Jobs in Britain
• Au pairs in Australia
• Au Pair in Melbourne
• Au Pair in Netherlands
• Au Pair in Switzerland
• Au Pair Jobs (Worldwide)
• Au Pairs a Roma
• Au Pairs in Michigan
• Au Pair in New York

• Desperate Au Pairs
• Tips and Tricks for Au Pairs
• Healthy and Fit Au Pairs
• Au Pair Family

Au Pair Garden.

Au Pair Garden is a really neat site I've come across recently. They've got lots great articles on their blog (I really like the "10 Questions For..." series) and have just put up a section for blogs run by au pairs around the world. I see you can also fill out a profile to find a host family on there. Such a great site, check it out :)

Countdown: 15 days!

I think I'm entering the panic and freak out stage right about now =S

Desiderata- Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

I saw Florence and the Machine on Wednesday and I'm still not quite over it yet :3

 I can't quite find the words to say how wonderful it was. I've been waiting years to see her... it was everything I hoped it would be and then some.