Au Pair in Austria
Federica, Italian
I am Federica, I am 21 years old and I worked as an Au Pair in Austria, in a small town outside Linz, for two and a half months. My ❱❱
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I am Federica, I am 21 years old and I worked as an Au Pair in Austria, in a small town outside Linz, for two and a half months. My experience as an Au Pair was really the perfect experience. Initially I was only supposed to do one and a half months because of university (in fact I was looking for something not long term) however then I found myself extending my stay with the host family for another month because I couldn't conceive the idea of coming back. I decided to go to a place where they speak German to improve it, since my level was very basic.
With the family I hit it off right away, as even the host mom called us, we were the perfect match. My host parents were immediately open and helpful to any of my requests, in fact they were trying to anticipate them. I had my own private room with my own bathroom. I was responsible for two beautiful babies, a 1-year-old boy, who stole my heart, and a lively and jaunty 3-year-old girl. My main task was to look after the baby during the morning because the baby was going to kindergarten, and so I gave the host mom especially a chance to be able to concentrate on her work. My typical week was: wake up in the morning at 6:30 a.m. and immediately went to prepare breakfast for both babies and kindergarten snack for the girl. After breakfast the girl would go to kindergarten and the baby and I, if the weather was nice, would take a long walk in the surrounding countryside. After that we would return home and spend the remaining time of the morning playing and having a snack until it was time for her nap. By lunchtime the baby would come home and we would usually eat all together, either at our house or at her grandparents', who lived nearby. In the afternoon I was free. I was very facilitated because I could use their car, so usually after I rested a little bit I would either go to the nearby city center, go for a walk, go shopping or meet with friends I met there for coffee. In short, the possibilities were many and I had opportunities to meet many people through apps and the German course I was taking. By evening I would then come back to help the host mother put the children to bed, although it was not my official duty, but I wanted to do it. Of course, if I asked to stay out for dinner or after dinner there was absolutely no problem. On weekends I was free and used almost all of them for traveling: I saw Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, Graz and Innsbruck, Attersee and Wallersee. Not alone because during this experience I met my traveling buddy and I am really thankful for that.
Of course, there was also no shortage of family experiences that they were super happy to offer me: weekends all together in the Attersee resort, Yoga in the mountains with my host mom, a day at the spa and swimming pools all together, and finally I wore my first “Dirndl” to a little Oktoberfest, together with my host mom and her friends for a bachelorette party, and they all welcomed me in a super nice, sincere and friendly way. I couldn't have been happier.
I would have so many things to say about this experience that has made me even more self-aware and autonomous, I am grateful to everyone who was able to make this trip of mine possible, and most of all I am grateful to myself for jumping at this opportunity and for everything I did not deny myself.