I'm Going on an Adventure!
Hello all! I'm off on another travel escapade...this time to "The Land of the Long White Cloud"! Through this blog, I hope to take you all along on my New Zealand journey - so stay tuned for updates, stories, pictures, videos, and more!
But first, here's a little Q&A with KJ about what's happening.
Q: Where and when are you going?
A: I will be going to Browns Bay, New Zealand (on the North Island) on February 3rd, 2018.
Q: How long are you staying there?
A: I will be working and living in New Zealand for 1 year!
Q: What will your job be?
A: I will be working as an au pair for a family in Browns Bay. An au pair is basically a nanny. In exchange for taking care of this family's children, I receive a stipend and "free" room and board. While it's not necessarily a job where I will make a lot of money (because I definitely won't be!), it's a cheap way to live in a foreign country for a year.
Q: What is the family like?
A: The family I will be working for consists of a mom, dad, two girls (ages 7 & 3), and a cat. The parents both work full time so I will be taking care of the girls from 7:00-5:30 each day. I know what you're thinking...10.5 hours of nannying?! Don't worry...each day I get 2 hours to myself because the girls both attend school!
Q: What is the time difference between Browns Bay and Minnesota?
A: Browns Bay, New Zealand is 19 hours ahead of Minnesota! However, once Daylight Savings Time occurs in March, the time difference will only be 18 hours...and then 19 hours again in November. Either way, I'll basically be living in the future. :D
Q: Do you get time off to travel?
A: Yes! I get 3 weeks off during the year I will be working for this family. While there are plenty of places to visit and see in New Zealand, I also hope to go to Fiji and maybe Australia (that is if I can get over my fear of spiders...). Besides Hobbiton (obviously), I don't know of many places to see in New Zealand. The geography is absolutely beautiful there so I foresee myself going on multiple hiking trips. My goal is to get ideas from my host family and make other au pair friends who want to travel around with me!
Q: Will you drive in New Zealand?
A: Yes, I have to learn how to drive in New Zealand in order to bring the girls to their different activities and so I can travel around the area! The only issue is...New Zealand is a country where they drive opposite of what we do in the USA, so it's a little intimidating! My host family has assured me they will take me out to practice once I get there and that their previous au pairs adjusted within a month or so. Wish me luck!
Q: How can we stay in touch?
A: There are multiple ways to communicate and keep up with me besides this blog. Gmail, Skype, Google Hangouts, Voxer, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp are all great options! Just a heads up - I will probably have a different cell number for WhatsApp since I have to get a different phone plan in New Zealand. While I love to receive mail, I won't be posting my address on here since it is my host family's actual address.
Q: What's the climate like in New Zealand?
A: New Zealand in general does not have extremes of hot or cold - it's a pretty moderate climate. Since I'll be living on the North Island, I will experience warmer weather than that of the South Island. Here's a quick summary of New Zealand's seasons (they're opposite of MN!): Summer: December - February; Autumn: March - May; Winter: June - August; & Spring: September - November. It's highly likely I will not see snow - unless I travel to the South Island! While it doesn't necessarily get extremely hot where I'll be, the sun is harsh so I'll need to be vigilant with wearing sunscreen to avoid getting burned!
Q: Why did you choose to au pair?
A: During the summer of 2016, I had researched jobs where I could work with kids while traveling or living abroad. Au pairing was one opportunity that came up in my search and I kept it in the back of my mind. Then, while I was at a training for my Reading Corps job I had during the 2016-2017 school year, I met a girl who had been an au pair in Austria. We chatted and I became convinced that being an au pair was something I needed to do. Months later, I created a profile on an au pair website and searched for families in Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and even a few states in the USA. As time went on, it became obvious New Zealand was where my heart was, so I focused my search for families there. I reached out to a family in October, emailed, and interviewed with them. They chose a different au pair so I kept on searching. Eventually, in November, a family reached out to me and I interviewed with them. The next day they emailed saying they thought I'd be a great fit - which I was ecstatic about because I thought so too. Now here I am...fulfilling my dream of being an au pair in New Zealand! It's crazy exciting! :)
Hopefully this Q&A answered the basic questions of who, what, when, where, and why! I'm equally nervous and excited for this next chapter in my life! I'm going to miss my friends, family, and all of the traditions we have during the holidays. However, I know they'll be here when I get back in 2019! Stay tuned for epic tales about my time in the Land Down Under the Land Down Under...
But first, here's a little Q&A with KJ about what's happening.
A: I will be going to Browns Bay, New Zealand (on the North Island) on February 3rd, 2018.
Q: How long are you staying there?
A: I will be working and living in New Zealand for 1 year!
Q: What will your job be?
A: I will be working as an au pair for a family in Browns Bay. An au pair is basically a nanny. In exchange for taking care of this family's children, I receive a stipend and "free" room and board. While it's not necessarily a job where I will make a lot of money (because I definitely won't be!), it's a cheap way to live in a foreign country for a year.
Q: What is the family like?
A: The family I will be working for consists of a mom, dad, two girls (ages 7 & 3), and a cat. The parents both work full time so I will be taking care of the girls from 7:00-5:30 each day. I know what you're thinking...10.5 hours of nannying?! Don't worry...each day I get 2 hours to myself because the girls both attend school!
Q: What is the time difference between Browns Bay and Minnesota?
A: Browns Bay, New Zealand is 19 hours ahead of Minnesota! However, once Daylight Savings Time occurs in March, the time difference will only be 18 hours...and then 19 hours again in November. Either way, I'll basically be living in the future. :D
Q: Do you get time off to travel?
A: Yes! I get 3 weeks off during the year I will be working for this family. While there are plenty of places to visit and see in New Zealand, I also hope to go to Fiji and maybe Australia (that is if I can get over my fear of spiders...). Besides Hobbiton (obviously), I don't know of many places to see in New Zealand. The geography is absolutely beautiful there so I foresee myself going on multiple hiking trips. My goal is to get ideas from my host family and make other au pair friends who want to travel around with me!
Q: Will you drive in New Zealand?
A: Yes, I have to learn how to drive in New Zealand in order to bring the girls to their different activities and so I can travel around the area! The only issue is...New Zealand is a country where they drive opposite of what we do in the USA, so it's a little intimidating! My host family has assured me they will take me out to practice once I get there and that their previous au pairs adjusted within a month or so. Wish me luck!
Q: How can we stay in touch?
A: There are multiple ways to communicate and keep up with me besides this blog. Gmail, Skype, Google Hangouts, Voxer, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp are all great options! Just a heads up - I will probably have a different cell number for WhatsApp since I have to get a different phone plan in New Zealand. While I love to receive mail, I won't be posting my address on here since it is my host family's actual address.
Q: What's the climate like in New Zealand?
A: New Zealand in general does not have extremes of hot or cold - it's a pretty moderate climate. Since I'll be living on the North Island, I will experience warmer weather than that of the South Island. Here's a quick summary of New Zealand's seasons (they're opposite of MN!): Summer: December - February; Autumn: March - May; Winter: June - August; & Spring: September - November. It's highly likely I will not see snow - unless I travel to the South Island! While it doesn't necessarily get extremely hot where I'll be, the sun is harsh so I'll need to be vigilant with wearing sunscreen to avoid getting burned!
Q: Why did you choose to au pair?
A: During the summer of 2016, I had researched jobs where I could work with kids while traveling or living abroad. Au pairing was one opportunity that came up in my search and I kept it in the back of my mind. Then, while I was at a training for my Reading Corps job I had during the 2016-2017 school year, I met a girl who had been an au pair in Austria. We chatted and I became convinced that being an au pair was something I needed to do. Months later, I created a profile on an au pair website and searched for families in Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and even a few states in the USA. As time went on, it became obvious New Zealand was where my heart was, so I focused my search for families there. I reached out to a family in October, emailed, and interviewed with them. They chose a different au pair so I kept on searching. Eventually, in November, a family reached out to me and I interviewed with them. The next day they emailed saying they thought I'd be a great fit - which I was ecstatic about because I thought so too. Now here I am...fulfilling my dream of being an au pair in New Zealand! It's crazy exciting! :)
Hopefully this Q&A answered the basic questions of who, what, when, where, and why! I'm equally nervous and excited for this next chapter in my life! I'm going to miss my friends, family, and all of the traditions we have during the holidays. However, I know they'll be here when I get back in 2019! Stay tuned for epic tales about my time in the Land Down Under the Land Down Under...
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