I came upon the decision to be an au pair one day while I was just browsing the internet looking for a better job. I had always wanted to travel to different places, explore diverse cultures and people, and embrace new, exciting things. I saw a link for Sunnyaupairs and after reading all the information I concluded it was something I wanted to do. My desire to travel, love for children and helping others this sounded like the perfect opportunity for me. I applied and sooner than I thought I was receiving responses from families all over the world. The first response was from a family in Switzerland. Everything sounded remarkable but I had to keep a level head and think things through. Lots of "what ifs" popped into my mind. What if I get there and they demand more than what they initially asked for? What if I get homesick? I took so long to make my decision they found someone else. I continued to receive emails from families seeking an aupair. One was from Sheila and Mike who resided in Minnesota. I responded to them and let them know I was interested. Several emails and a few phone calls later, we agreed upon a trial period of 3 weeks. .
Mike and Sheila needed an aupair because they were unfortunately involved in a car accident 15 months prior which left Sheila, the mother of three children, paralyzed. Jordyn was born shortly after the accident and was 15 months old when I arrived. She has two brothers, Nathan, 11 and Cody, 8. Mike, Sheila's husband works for a transportation company in St. Paul. .
I had a just a few weeks to prepare for my first aupair experience. I already had my CPR certification and signed up for a first aid class. I had reference books and information about the care of a 15 months old toddler. I knew that Jordyn could possibly be a handful which was something I didn't have too much experience with but was up for the challenge. .
I came well prepared with lots of sweaters, sweat pants and a heavy jacket.