Former Au Pairs: Where are they now?

by cv harquail on September 2, 2010

There’s nothing like a visit from one former au pair to make you wonder about what’s happened to all the rest.

When our second au pair (from 10 years ago) came to visit us this summer, I expected to find her much the same as she was when she lived with us. I wasn’t disappointed; SD was as lovely, adventurous, and independent now as she was then.

201009021729.jpgIt was so exciting and gratifying to hear — in more detail than holiday cards and facebook updates can offer — what has happened in her life. I could have predicted that she’d travel the world– she studied Japanese when she was with us and left our home for a scholarship in Tokyo.

Since then she’s been all over Europe, to Thailand, Nepal, Burma/Myanmar, Morocco, Dubai, and soon Indonesia. (I told you she was adventurous.) SD has financed her world travel by becoming an ‘air hostess’ for a European airline. (Strangely enough, two of our other au pairs also became air hostesses for a time.)

We also just heard from our 6th au pair, who I hadn’t heard from since she was on South Africa’s American idol.(!!)

LL had mentioned that her dream was to record an album of Christian praise music, and maybe join her uncle’s jazz band on a tour of hotels in SE Asia. Sounds a little “pie in the sky” for this gentle soul.

201009021733.jpgAnd where is this Au Pair right now?

Singing in a jazz band at a Hilton Hotel in Hong Kong.

All of these au pairs, as different as they are, have one thing in common:

They all had the courage to leave home and put themselves in a challenging situation in another country, and another family. They have all had a sense of adventure.

And so I wonder:

After their au pair years, where do all these young women and men go?

Where are they now?

Would you share some of your stories of au pairs who’ve gone on to interesting things?

Air Hotesses by LookAtLao on Flickr

{ 31 comments }

OB Mom September 2, 2010 at 8:40 pm

Can’t say I have 10 AP’s to draw on … but our 1st AP has done something interesting that fits with CV’s comments. She’s become a serial AP/Nanny in Dubai. After staying with us for 2 years, she still had the travel bug in her, so she went to Dubai to be an AP for an Australian family. Once the economy hit that family hard, she returned to her own country. Not able to find another job as a Nanny/AP there, she looked again at the AP/Nanny opportunities in other countries … once again she went back to Dubai … first as an AP for an Arab family and now as a live-out Nanny for an English family. I think she’s even started her own child-related activity business. Certainly has capitalized on her interest in travel and adventure. I’m proud of her.

Taking a Computer Lunch September 2, 2010 at 9:55 pm

AP #1 – still in US, working on nursing degree last I heard, lives with her partner and raising a son

AP #2 – returned home and worked in a residential community for special needs children for a couple of years before starting her BA in public health management in her native country, and just yesterday flew to India where she will do an internship in public health management for a year as part of the requirements of her degree

AP #3 – returned home and finished her BS in psychology (a 5-year program in her country) and has hung up her shingle

AP #4 – returned home and just started her BA in social work administration after a year of working in a home for special needs children

AP #5 – extended with another family without special needs children

AP #6 – just arrived

Darthastewart September 2, 2010 at 11:11 pm

Of those that stayed the year:
#1 – out of touch
#2 – In the midst of defending her doctoral dissertation in pharmacy
#3 – Nato Interpreter in Georgia (the country)
#4 – Nurse
#5 – (#4’s little sister) Esthetician
#6 – Just finished university- business school, engaged.
#7 – Just finished Masters in elementary Education
#8 – Student
#9 – Phlebotomist in a cancer center.
We’re out of touch with a few that came for only a few months, but they are all over the place.- some more so than others.

2boys2girls September 2, 2010 at 11:28 pm

I love that you had two sisters! I have questions about how this went but I know that is so off topic!

darthastewart September 3, 2010 at 9:21 am

They were fabulous. :)

2boys2girls September 2, 2010 at 11:31 pm

AP#1 – working as a receptionist, living at home
AP#2 – dropped out of two university programs and is working in a clothing store
AP#3 – living/working in the US illegally with American boyfriend
AP#4 – undergraduate student in home country
AP#5 – extending with another family

AnonHM Europe September 3, 2010 at 2:49 am

#1: still around, university student in our town. No contact whatsoever since she left.
#2: back in her home country, no contact
#3: Living still in Europe, (home country: Kirgisistan, Asia), visiting 1-2 times/year. Finishing university studies
#4: Living in our town, visiting at least once/month. Married here, Working as an architect.
#5: Living in our country, university student. Email-contact once in a while.
#6: back in her home country, no contact (left after 6 mths. to live w/her boyfriend, who had come to see her for Christmas – 3 weeks later she left our house w/out further notice – her Daddy sent her the new ticket for the flight back (Mexico) I won’t allow any boyfriends to visit in the middle of their year anymore…)
#7: still living with us – planning to extent until August next year (if possible, visa-matters are still unsure).

NattKatt September 3, 2010 at 4:52 am

#1 Studying tourism management (2 year course)
#2 No idea, not in touch (lasted only 6 weeks with us)
#3 Moved away from home in her home country, working in childcare
#4 Still travelling our country
#5 Headed home, and commenced a 5 year degree to be a highschool chemistry teacher (!!)
#6 Currently with us

Europhile September 3, 2010 at 6:29 am

#1 works as a kindergarten teacher in her home country
#2 works as a kindergarten assistant in her home country
#3 studying for her teaching degree
#4 with us

NY Hostmom September 3, 2010 at 8:33 am

#1 Beginning second year of University (in a program that requires English fluency and she is appreciative of her year with us). We hear from her often.
#2 Beginning First year of University (no updates yet)
#3 No contact (left in the middle of the night without notice) According to Facebook posts is disappointed that she didn’t get her souvenir- an American husband.
#4 Just arrived

PA AP mom September 3, 2010 at 8:40 am

#1–returned to Germany for 2 months and then went to Nice, France to be an au pair for another family (who knows why since she stated she “hates children”). About 3 months ago she was planning on moving to the Netherlands to attend college for International Travel.

#2–left our family August 5th to return to Sweden. She is applying for admission to the police academy for January.

#3–still looking for the right candidate to be AP #3

Perfect Host Mom September 3, 2010 at 1:38 pm

I love that one of your au pairs is interested in law enforcement . . . some days I need that!

Gianna September 3, 2010 at 9:12 am

My favorite went to India as an English teacher, then to Milan as a nanny to a wealthy Italian family who wanted their children to learn English, and then to Israel where she volunteered with woking an a kibbutz in the desert in exchange for room and board.
I think, since the kibbutz is really a hotel now that this could be called hotel management. Then, she went to Morocco and volunteered in a hospital. Another works in a casino in Paris while pursuing an acting career. Another went to law school at home.

Former French Au Pair September 3, 2010 at 9:58 am

Wow, so impressed with what a lot of your au pairs have done after their year here!!
I think I would have traveled more too, but I met Mr. Right during my au pair year (South Carolina boy fluent in German, French, had just traveled to India for 6 months…). We got engaged in Vienna (where he lived for a year after we met), got married in my little village of the Alsace region (France), lived in Strasbourg (France) for a year so I could continue my studies in translations.
Then he got accepted into the IMBA program at USC (South Carolina) so we moved back here. I never got to finish my studies but I have worked in the translation industry for 6 years, and in the golf industry (developing merchandise for Gary Player http://www.garyplayer.com/shop — I am the scarf model ;-) for 2 years.
We now live in a cabin on top of a mountain, and it feels like the perfect place to start a nest… soon…
Congrats on keeping in touch through the years!!

Not My Usual Posting Name HM September 3, 2010 at 11:03 am

#1 – Extended for a 2nd year with a family in the next town over. Didn’t keep in touch – not sure if she went home or is still in the US.
#2 – Went home to a rough economy but found a job in retail and lived at home a while. Came back to visit 1 year after she went home and was already in love with the guy she has bought a house with and is expecting her first baby in a few weeks. She will be SUCH a good mommy.
#3 – Went to her home country to begin right away at University and was living with her boyfriend who she met just before coming to the US (had a long distance relationship her entire year here). She came back to visit 1 year after going home and seemed as happy as could be, but since then has broken up with her boyfriend and is battling mental illness (not sure if/how those are related). We know she is a very strong person and she has great family and doctors helping her too, but it is hard to witness her struggles from far away and not be sure what is going on or feel like we can help. She has 1 year of university left, starting up now, and she is talking about coming back for another visit to us soon – maybe within the next few months.
#4 – Went home to live at home, work, and play her sport for a year before starting to study at University to be a math teacher. She just came back to visit us for 2 weeks before her classes started up. We hope and we’re pretty sure she will be back again.
#5 – Only made it through less than 4 months of her year because, among other things, she decided being an AP was not for her and she wanted to spend her year before heading to University doing something else. She went to London for the remainder of her year (we are still somewhat in touch) to get an apartment with friends, work in retail, and go clubbing often. She is back home now, although I’m not sure if she is starting University, working, or just in limbo.
#6 – Came to us when another family sent her into transition, and we sent her into transition after 5 painful months. She did find a 3rd family to go to, but I heard she left them (my LCC mentioned she heard that from a friend of AP#6). No one knows if she went to a 4th family or went home. I know she wanted to stay for a 2nd year in the US, which she would be on now, but I have no idea where she is.
#7 – Here now, and she is great.

Temporarily Anonymous September 3, 2010 at 12:27 pm

#1 returned home before finishing her AP year, started university, found a boyfriend, taking a nanny job in England this month
#2 extended in another city and we stayed in contact, presumably returned home in spring, haven’t heard from her since
#3 rematched, extended and again rematched-occasional email contact – no plans that we know of other than finding a husband!
#4 still with us, but plans to obtain a student visa and return to US to study
#5 currently matching with, sounds like another winner as #4 was!

Former UP Mexico September 3, 2010 at 3:40 pm

After my first year in NY i came back to my country and work as a Area Supervisor in a MOvie Theater for almost 9 months, tired of that routine i went back to the job i really like AP and i found an amazing family in Boston, and i stayed for 6 months before the economy was bad with the family! And right now am back in my country and am working with my Dad in the family bussiness.

tracy cota September 3, 2010 at 7:36 pm

Au pair #1 is trying to find work as a peronal trainer. Au pair #3 is in school. Au pair #2 however fell in love with frozen yogurt in the U.S. They don’t have that in Mexico. She was inspired by the entrepreneurialism of Americans, bought a yogurt machine from China, is waiting for a space in the local mall… and may be the next Ben & Jerry (minus Ben or Jerry!) She has even asked for our help in coming up with yogurt recipes! Au pair #4 is still with us.

NJMom September 5, 2010 at 11:22 am

I love the frozen yogurt entrep. story. How awesome!

D2Dad September 10, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Our Au Pair has jokes that when she returns home she is going to open a frozen yogurt/ bagel shop. Neither of which they have in her home country.

CrazyLady September 3, 2010 at 10:24 pm

#1- Still lives w/ boyfriend that she was with for 3 yrs before she came here. Went home to continue being an administrative assistant and recently got a new job as the personal secretary for a university professor (loving this new job).
#2- Got married about a yr after she got home (she had also been with her now husband for about 3 yrs before she did her au pair year). Just had her first baby, which she named after our oldest!
#3- Married a NY cop. Lives in LI working as a nanny and wants to go back to school to do something in tourism.
#4- Starting into a Master’s program next month (she teaches English, so she did her au pair year as a year off between her bachelors and masters).
#5- Just got here about a month ago.

OB Mom September 6, 2010 at 8:33 pm

I love that AP#2 named her child after yours! What a special bond they must have had.

anonmom.com September 4, 2010 at 9:22 pm

We have been blessed with some wonderful women who have au paired for our family. All are still in touch, some more than others- but that is how life goes. I am not exactly the best at staying in touch, though either (lack of time).

AP#1 Returned home to attend school 1 year, then back to the US to live and attend school near BF. Now married and has 2 young children in the US- sadly the complete opposite side of the country, so after she visited us a few times, her family life kicked in!
AP#2 Currently completing her uniuversity studies in English language and literature, she started her masters program. SHe also returned to us in between au pairs for an extended summer to au pair for us again. She has visited 1-2 times a year til now. In touch frequently.
AP #3- was terribly homesick while here. A few months after returning homee, she mised us terribly! go figure! She has visited each year. She is currently in her home country in medical school. we are in touch frequently.
AP#4 Is currently in another country close to her home at university in an architecture degree program. She visited 2x since she left, but has no money this year. we are in touch, but when her studies allow! She may return next year as our ‘summer’ au pair.
AP #5 Is just completing a one year internship in her homeme country, but on a small island mainly inhabited by birds. Due to her locale- it was difficult to stay in touch. Doubt she will visit due to finances.
AP#6 returning home soon, has not figured out what she will do yet. Have a feeling she will be back to visit american boyfriend.

It is always nice for the au pairs to visit with us. It is amazing to see them mature, and wonder what, if any, advice I have given that may stay with them as they go on with their lives. I also look forward to sending my children to stay with some of them in a few years- I think that would be nice! MY children love to see the ‘old’ au pairs when they come to visit.

HMinWI September 4, 2010 at 10:06 pm

AP#1 – Went home to start university studies. She’ll finish her teaching degree this fall if she passes all of her exams (which I’m sure she will do). She’s been back to visit twice, and I hope that after she graduates she’ll be back again.
#2 – Left here and went to France to be an AP for a year.
#3 – Studying tourism in the Netherlands
#4 – Left one month ago and is waiting until Spring to start her studies.
#5 – Has been here for a week

aussiegirlaupair September 5, 2010 at 9:16 pm

I completed my studies in Children Services before I started my first aupair year, after completing my year, I returned to Australia and got a job in a day care centre working with babies- 5 years, as a qualified worker, I then started to to think of the big wide world and again and 2 years later was working as a nanny in Canada, I returned to Australia, to the day care centre, where I had previously worked, they held my job for me the year I was in Canada, I was promoted and run the pre-school room for 18 months, in the time I brought a house convincing my mother, I was going to stay home, I then found out about Cultural Care repeat year, I had just turned 25 and thought this will be my last chance and opportunity, I grabbed it, rented my house out and I am 2 months into another great year doing the best job in the world looking after children!

Used to be an AP September 6, 2010 at 4:17 pm

I went to university, got an undergrad degree in English (major) and pedagogy (minor) and a double MA in English and mathematics. I went to a nice liberal arts college in the US for a year on a more or less well-known scholarship program. At the moment, I am teaching English and math at Hihg School, working towards a teacher’s qualification and I am also working on a PhD in American Studies and hopefully a subsesequent academic career. If that won’t work, I’d like to work for the department of education, developing school curricula, or school books.

OB Mom September 6, 2010 at 8:35 pm

After seeing these lists of AP’s with different families it reminded me of my boys dream plan. They want to have a big “Au Pair Party” when they are about 16 and have all their former AP’s come back to visit at the same time. Not likely to happen, but we keep joking that by then the boys could probably be a male AP for some of their kids … reading this it sounds like it could be possible!

OnceAnAuPair September 7, 2010 at 10:57 am

Before my year of being an au pair, I graduated with a degree in Geography. After my year of being an au pair, I married my boyfriend from the country I was an au pair in (Switzerland). We lived in Geneva for one year where I was a nanny for toddler then my husband was offered a job at a well-known watch company (go figure my swiss husband is a watch maker!) in a city 1 hour and a half away from Geneva, Neuchatel. We just moved here, I’m currently not working and I’m enrolled in an intensive French course that takes up most of my time. When I finish in a year, I hope to go back to university for a degree in French and a perhaps a master’s in Meteorology and then I hope to find a job here in Switz! No children planned for the next 5-6 years, but we just got a cat (he’s currently our “baby”)!
I still keep some contact with the au pair family, hopefully I will be visiting them in the next month, the first time in a year (they moved away from where they used to live, when I lived with them). I’m excited to see the children and I hope to have a better relationship with their parents, as I’m no longer their “employee”.

HOSTMOMINBELLMORE September 7, 2010 at 4:53 pm

I FEEL YOUR PAIN, WE WENT THROUGH A REMATCH OVER THE SUMMER AND CHOOSING OUR CURRENT AU PAIR WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME BECAUSE EXCEPT FOR BEING SELF DIRECTED WHICH SOMETIMES BOTHERED ME, MY FIRST AU PAIR WAS OUTSTANDING IN EVERY WAY.WE WENT INTO REMATCH BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT HAPPY IN OUR FAMILY AND I HAD DIFFICULTY ORGANIZING HER SCHEDULE WHICH FRUSTRATED HER BEYOND REPAIR. FORTUNATLY I DO NOT NEED A DRIVER BUT IF I DID A VERY SAFE DRIVER WOULD BE TOP ON MY LIST. EACH AUPAIR IS DIFFERENT, MY NEW AUPAIR IS LOVELY AND MY KIDS ARE HAPPY WITH HER BUT NOBODY COMES CLOSE TO MY FIRST AU PAIR AN OUTSTANDING YOUNG LADY WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A HOST MOM AND PAVED THE WAY FOR MY FUTURE AU PAIRS.

Former UP Mexico September 7, 2010 at 11:40 pm

Reading the posts make me go back to my au pair years back in Bellmore NY or in Boston, for me was a a great life experience, since i came back i feel like am more mature, is part on us and part in the host family!! Congratulations to all those happy au pair and happy HF!

Jeana September 8, 2010 at 9:14 pm

Our first aupair completed her masters in international business, and is now working full-time. Our second aupair left the program, and our third aupair did, too. Our fourth aupair is studying in New York at a special language institute and hopes to study international business. Our fifth aupair is doing her second year in MA. She, too, has great educational goals. Our fourth and fifth aupairs are friends, as I knew they would be; both great girls with similar goals. They are able to visit one another, since they live in the east. Our wonderful aupairs have been such a great role model for my children. I’m so glad we could be a small part of their journey. We love all of them, and consider them to be part of our family. They’ll always have a home with our family, when they have the opportunity to visit.

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