What inspired you to travel abroad?
I was at a point in my life where I needed a change. I had been going to college for about 4 years with still no degree and no definite idea of what I wanted to do with my life. But, I have always been very interested in the French language and European culture and how it differs from America, so I decided to take a break from college and research going abroad.
From early October 2018 on the shoreline of Nice.
Why did you choose Au Pair in France with GeoVisions Foundation?
I chose my program, being an Au Pair with the Geovisions Foundation, simply because I knew I needed to make money while I was traveling. I did not have enough money saved to just travel so I looked into different jobs I could do abroad. That is when I learned about au pairs; luckily I had many years of childcare experience behind me so when I saw that Geovisions was offering that program I got so excited and called them right away to find out more information.
What was your favorite part about France?
What made France really special to me was the fact that I studied French for about 4 years in middle school/high school and absolutely loved it, so that's why I chose France. As far as the town of Sommières where I was placed, I didn't really have a choice in that but when I got there I fell in love with it. It is a small village in the south of France and it is so beautiful—words truly cannot describe it. Just Google pictures and you'll see what I mean!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made my experience extraordinary was how kind and welcoming my host family was. Although I didn't spend a ton of time with them while I was there, they were always there to help with suggestions for places to go or if I needed someone to talk to. Also, the other au pairs who I met through the organization were some of the nicest, coolest people I've ever met.
My host family took me on holiday with them to Barcelona, Spain in October 2018 where we went to the Joan Miro Foundation art museum.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Honestly, most of the locals in my town of Sommières were not used to someone who only speaks English so I had a lot of problems for the first month trying to communicate. But, everyone was so patient and friendly and after I started to learn more French it just became easier.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish that I had taken more pictures. I have always been terrible about capturing moments on a camera and unfortunately I only took about 50 photos from the whole three months that I was abroad. It's a shame but at least I still have memories!
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical weekday for me would be waking up at 7:30 a.m. and bringing the kids to school for 8:30 a.m. Then, I would not have to pick them up from school until 4:30-5:00 p.m. so I had a lot of free time to myself. On Wednesdays the kids did not have school (just sports), so I spent more time with them on those days which was nice. It was also nice to have so much free time with myself and the culture the rest of the week. Also, the family signed me up for free French lessons in the area and I got to meet many new people who barely spoke French just like me! So basically, "work" was really only like 10% of the trip!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I love to draw so I spent a lot of my free time during the week drawing and working on art, but on the weekends my absolute favorite thing to do was go to the closest city and just explore. My favorite city I went to was Nîmes, which was about 40 minutes away from the village I was staying in. They had so many cute shops and cafès; I spent so many Saturdays just exploring there. Not to mention the coffee there was incredible!
Our program organized a meeting of all the au pairs in the nearby area and for an entire weekend we all hung out and explored the city. It was one of the best times of my life!
What did you like best about staying with a host family?
The family I was staying with had an old convertible that they didn't use and they let me use it. They made sure that it was running well before I got there and they always paid for my gas, so it was very nice!
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Learn how to drive a stick-shift car (a standard transmission car) before you get there! In America, almost all of the cars are automatic, so I wasn't used to it at all when I got there. Thankfully, my host father was so patient with me and helped me learn, and it only took me about 4 days to be smooth driving! Besides that, there's not much else I can tell newcomers in the way of advice. The people at my organization were very thorough and told me exactly what to expect and got me in contact with my host family as soon as possible.
Would you recommend GeoVisions Foundation to others? Why?
Yes! Yes! Yes! Like I just said, the people at Geovisions truly set me up for success. They answered all of my questions and told me exactly what to expect. They chose my host family very well because it was a perfect match. I could not have gotten placed with a nicer family. Although the program does cost a bit of money, it is worth every penny.
It was a rainy day in my host village of Sommières and I thought that this photo captured the rustic charm of the city that I loved so much.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
This may sound incredibly clichè but I learned to be myself over there, and I learned how to be more independent. Five years ago, I would have never been able to do this. However, traveling solo is such a powerful experience and I loved it!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I am a much more independent person now. It's wild. When I left in September of 2018 I was scared to do anything by myself and I was always wondering what people were thinking about me, but after my travels I just feel so much more confident. Plus, I want to keep traveling the world!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel means a traveling experience that enriches my soul, and this trip was exactly that. It enriched my soul and let me come out of my comfort zone and be the person I was meant to be.
