My story is a little different from most others. Fate brought me to the Hammers. After an unsuccessful match with a family from Texas falling through before even leaving the UK, destiny brought me and the Hammers together. They too had had some previous unsuccessful matches and they were beginning to reconsider the Au Pair path, until they were given my profile. Once they contacted me, I knew that the Texas situation had happened for a reason, and the reason was to lead me to the Hammers.
From the start I was made to feel like part of the family, they were so welcoming and within the first week of arriving we headed off to Great Wolf Lodge for a family bonding trip, where I was also introduced to family friends. This was a great experience for all of us to get to know each other. I felt very close with the family after my first week.
All 3 of the children made me feel like a big sister from the first day.
They each have different interests and personalities and its been such an experience getting to know each one individually and all together. They are so kind and caring and incredibly smart and imaginative. Within the first week of me arriving they created their own arcade out of cardboard boxes and household objects and I was in pure awe of their creations. I had never seen such creativity from children in these days of screens and technology, but they have truly opened my eyes up to how much we can learn from children and their minds. It has been very refreshing to care for children with limited screen times as I have been able to see who they are and I have been able to communicate with them in the present and have not been ignored because they’re too busy playing video games.
In England, I had a very poor diet and I was a very picky eater, but here Michelle (the mum) has opened me up to a whole new world of healthy delicious food. She is the most incredible cook and has me loving most foods that in England I wouldn’t have even tried. I’ve eaten unbelievably good vegan food and not even missed eating meat. She has taught me so much about my body’s health and well being and showed me alternative methods to medicines such as essential oils and natural herbs which too have made me feel amazing from the inside out. I have always struggled with bad acne, but my skin has never been clearer, which has brought out newfound confidence in myself.
I have always wanted to study TV and Film production, and now with Go Au Pair I’m able to do this. Brian (the dad) owns his own production company and has offered a lot of support and his help in finding me a great course to study and any help he can offer.
“I have not cried since being here.”
Back home I have always been known as the emotional and sensitive one in the family. I would cry at least once a week, sometimes for no reason. I would find it hard to communicate my feelings and would just retrieve back into myself when challenged. I have moved places 5 times in the past 10 years, but here I finally feel like I am where I’m meant to be, I feel as though I belong here. That’s not to say I don’t miss my family, as I do, but I Facetime them regularly and they have also seen a difference in me. They see how naturally happy I am and how I have changed for the better, with my diet and my skin and my confidence. I have not cried since being here, which has been a huge thing for me, I just feel so happy, content, lucky, honoured and empowered about being here with the Hammers. Getting to share my life with them and theirs with me. They have already taught me so much about myself in such a little time, I am just so excited about my future with them.
I can not thank the Hammers enough for opening their home and family up to me. They truly are a special family; they are so generous and inciteful. So, it’s so hard to pinpoint a single “Aha” moment that I knew my life had changed for the better, because its almost every moment I spend with my
new family. So, to think hard on this, I think the moment was when I received the fateful email from Michelle, as from that moment on, my life has changed for the better.
