Why Au Pairing in New Zealand was One of the Best Decisions of My Life

My host parents were the coolest.

As soon as I arrived in New Zealand I became a part of my host family’s life and they made me feel like a member of the family. My host parents, Cath and Michael, were always super lovely and helped me whenever they could. I’ve literally never met such nice, patient, cool, friendly, successful, and down-to-earth parents before. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for me.

The Kiwi Christmas surpassed all others.

I will never forget my first Kiwi Christmas, which my host family made one of the best Christmases in my entire life. We had so much fun spending the summer camping at Waihi Beach, going surfing, and just hanging out by the ocean.

This November baby had a summer b-day bash!

One of my personal highlights was celebrating my November birthday in summer. I totally loved that! Here in New Zealand, November is more a spring/summer month. I spent my birthday outside, sitting in the garden and barbequing with all my friends. I wish I could celebrate my birthday like that every year.

Image courtesy of Dream Au Pair

I was too busy to be homesick.

As I write this, I’ve completed nine months of my one-year program. No day, so far, have I really thought about missing home.

The good thing about being an au pair abroad is that you’re never alone and you’re always busy.

Image courtesy of Dream Au Pair

First, I thought that four boys to look after would be quite a challenge—and I’m not going to lie—it sometimes can be, but I’m totally happy with this challenge.

Looking after so many boys is never boring and I’ve learned so much from them. Even though they’re brothers, each of them is different. Their interests span from football to ballet and seeing how each one improves his sport and develops makes me happy.

Image courtesy of Dream Au Pair

I learned SO MUCH as an au pair abroad.

Being an au pair is not always easy, but at the end of the day I’ve always learned something new. You learn so much about life, especially life with children, but you learn the most about yourself.

You learn how to look after yourself, how to manage a lot of things, and how to decide what’s important in your life. You learn to make decisions and you learn how important family and friends are in life.

Image courtesy of Dream Au Pair

Most importantly, you learn to be responsible for others.

Even if you fail sometimes, the mistakes you make are part of growing up.

I got to travel throughout this stunning country.

On top of being an au pair and spending a lot of time with my host family, I also traveled a lot around the country. People call New Zealand the most beautiful country in the world and all I can say is, yes it is!

Image courtesy of Dream Au Pair

New Zealand is totally stunning. Nature has never left me speechless before but this country overwhelmed me. My favorite places are Cape Reinga, Queenstown and Mount Cook.

If you want to read a bit more about those places visit my Instagram page @juleselisabeth_. I’ve taken a lot of pictures during my time, shared some experiences about traveling, and have recommendations for cafes and restaurants. Plus, you’ll get a sneak peek into my everyday life as an au pair for four boys!