One year in New Zealand!

Hey guys!

So it’s been a year since I left my little hometown in Wales to travel across to the other side of the world to live in New Zealand and work as an Au Pair and travel this amazing country! I remember feeling terrified, excited and nervous, but ready to start my new chapter in a completely new place. I can safely say that moving to the other side of the world was the best decision I could have made, I had finished my undergraduate degree and wasn't ready to go straight into my masters degree so I decided to travel and earn some money while doing so instead!

I arrived in New Zealand on the 18th October 2017, perfect timing as it was soon to be summer! My first couple of months were mostly me finding my feet and getting used to everything over here! It's not too dissimilar from Wales, which meant I didn't suffer too badly with homesickness, thank goodness! My host parents were amazing with helping me settle in, they made sure I was included in everything, made my room all beautiful and were always there if I needed any help. My host kids definitely kept me busy which helped keep my mind off missing home! Not long after I arrived I met Luzia, I had posted in the Au Pair Facebook page that I would be moving to New Zealand and wondered if anyone would be living close to me. Thankfully, Luzia replied to my message and that's when our amazing friendship started; we did everything together from chasing sunsets, stargazing in the middle of the park, roadies all over New Zealand and spontaneous adventures! We couldn't believe how lucky we were to have found one another. Sadly though, we had to say goodbye when it was time for Luzia to head back home to Germany, we were lucky enough to spend heaps of time together and see parts of New Zealand and even have a girls holiday to Fiji before she left. Once I had met Luzia I began finding new friends and hanging out with even more Au Pairs, it was really great to catch up with other Au Pairs and talk about work and also travel plans, making friends in a new country is so important as it helps when you need a break from work and fancy going to the cinema or having a night out or even a holiday! I have been lucky enough to meet people from all over the world; Germany, America, Sweden, France...perfect for when I want to visit those countries! Another great friend I made over here is Bailey, my crazy American with whom I had so many great times with, she definitely knows how to make people laugh! The sad part about being an Au Pair is saying goodbye, not only to family and friends back home but to those you meet while on your travels, however, it just means we will need to catch up and visit each other in our home countries! 

There were a couple of things I had to get used to when I arrived in New Zealand, here are a few things:
1. The seasons are all backwards! What I really struggled with was having Christmas in Summer...what the heck?! I could not get into the Christmas spirit, on Christmas day I was swimming in the ocean enjoying the twenty something degree heat, crazy!
2. The money... I am used to Great British Pounds so figuring out the exchange rate for the New Zealand Dollar and how much I was actually spending took some time to get used to.
3. They have some different words over here, for example:
Togs = Swimwear
Lollies = Sweets
Chur = Thanks
Dairy = Corner Shop
Gumboots = Wellies
I am now used to all of these words and even find myself using them now and again! The accent over here can also made some words sound like a different word, for example, ferry sounds like fairy and bed sounds like bid...I love the accent and I still enjoy hearing it even after being here for a year!

I have managed to see a lot of New Zealand during my time here, It is a truly beautiful country. The North Island a lot different to the South Island, but that'll be for a different blog post! I plan on sharing my travels and where I have been and haven't been to yet; where I recommend going and where I don't recommend going.

I am truly lucky to be able to have this amazing opportunity and I look forward to sharing it all with you!
Thanks for reading,
Tash :-)

Thinking of becoming an au pair? Do it!

Hey guys!

Are you thinking of becoming an au pair? Do you love working with kids but want to do it in a different country? Do you want to travel and earn money at the same time? Then you should definitely become an au pair!

I made the decision to become an au pair in New Zealand after I graduated from university, I didn’t want to go straight into my masters, I wanted to travel and earn some money first. So, I took to the internet and googled au pairing abroad and came across the global work and travel company, I read through their website and through various other travellers stories and was instantly sold, I called them up and before I knew it I was applying for an au pair job in New Zealand! I am SO happy that I went with the global work and travel company, they were so helpful and kept me organised, focused and on track with getting my visa sorted and my au pair application finished. My travel coordinator is awesome, she helped me with everything and kept me calm when I was stressing about moving to the other side of the world! 

Being an au pair is very rewarding but can also be hard work, so be sure you really do enjoy working with children before you jump into the world of being an au pair! I am so glad  that I made the decision to become one, I have made so many new friends, become apart of another family and I get to travel the beauty of NZ! As an au pair you look after your host children, a typical day for me is getting the boys breakfast, dressed for school, bags packed, brushed teeth and out the door to school. I then have my free time until 3pm when they finish school, I then get them they’re afternoon snacks, play activities and games with them and help them with homework, I also cook dinner most evenings. I’m then usually finished by 6pm, this is when I either go to my room to chill out, meet up with my friends or chill with my host parents! I’m lucky enough to have my own car which means I can get out and about, my days off are Friday, Saturday and Sunday (how awesome!). On the weekends I’m usually doing things with my friends, sometimes we go off travelling and sometimes I hang out with my host family and we do family activities. It was very important for me to feel apart of the family, as I am living with them for a year, my host family are amazing and I couldn’t be happier. 

So if you are umming and ahhing about becoming an au pair...GO FOR IT! It’s an amazing experience ☺️

N x