Hi,
My name is Emily Bell and I am the founder and director of Aubelle Aupairs. I wanted to use this page as my story to you and possibly put you more at ease with your decision to choose The Netherlands as your home away from home.
It is a really big decision to go overseas at any time let alone by yourself and for 12 months, but I did it and so can you! I had always wanted to travel overseas after my trip to Thailand in 2008 though I hadn’t put much thought into where I wanted to go so I was open to suggestions from anyone. I had originally planned to go to the UK like every other Aussie traveler but when I found an agency that sent aupairs to The Netherlands it seemed so exotic and I jumped at the chance. To be honest with you I didn’t even know where the Netherlands was in the world before I had spoken with my host family, but after I had I didn’t care where I was going in the world as they were so nice and I knew I was going to have an amazing time. The process was very quick and before I knew it a month had passed and I arrived in Amsterdam at 07:20 on the 2nd of October 2009.
From the time I arrived in Holland I felt very at home, I remember saying to my host parents after a week that it had felt like I had already been there a month. Our little street was so friendly and everyone was speaking to me in such perfect English that I felt at ease knowing communication was not going to be a problem. Dutch is an interesting language compared to English but there are similarities so it is easy to pick up some things and once I had completed my Dutch language course I could understand and speak quite a lot of Dutch. The feeling of accomplishment is unlike any other. It is so precious when you can understand the children you and their faces light up because now they can tell you stories.
The family that I stayed with had three children aged 7, 4 and 3 months so I definitely had my hands full from the start, but I enjoyed my time thoroughly and now treasure every moment of those 12 months.
My host parents were very understanding and knew that I had travelled half way around the world not only to spend time with the kids but also to see Europe, so they made every effort to make sure I saw everything that I had planned to see, and a little more.
Unfortunately when living so far away from home there are times when home sickness occurs but I found the best thing to do is surround yourself with the friends you have made and speak with your host parents as they will understand and try their best to help you as much as they can.
The family that I stayed with had three children aged 7, 4 and 3 months so I definitely had my hands full from the start, but I enjoyed my time thoroughly and now treasure every moment of those 12 months.
My host parents were very understanding and knew that I had travelled half way around the world not only to spend time with the kids but also to see Europe, so they made every effort to make sure I saw everything that I had planned to see, and a little more.
Unfortunately when living so far away from home there are times when home sickness occurs but I found the best thing to do is surround yourself with the friends you have made and speak with your host parents as they will understand and try their best to help you as much as they can.
In the time that I was in The Netherlands I travelled to many places including Belgium, Paris, Lille, Milan, Pisa, Turkey (twice and once for Anzac Day), Switzerland (skiing with my host family), Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest, Zagreb, Split and London. I celebrated some of the unique and special Dutch traditions such as Sinterklaas and Queens Day and was fortunate enough to be in Amsterdam when Holland unfortunately lost the Soccer World Cup Final to Spain. To this day I don’t think I will ever see that much orange again in my lifetime. I also saw Powderfinger in London performing their final world tour which was unfortgettable.
Aupairing in The Netherlands is a priceless experience that I believe every girl should have. There are so many great things about Holland and I had such a great time, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. The Netherlands is an excellent position for travelling, everyone speaks English and is willing to help you and the experiences you will come home with are yours for life. It is also nice to slip into a conversation “Oh when I was in Paris…”, so please consider The Netherlands as a place to aupair as it will be a decision that you will not regret.
If you would like any more information or have any questions please contact me and I will try my best to help you have the experience of a lifetime.
Our website is www.aubelleaupairs.com.au
Our website is www.aubelleaupairs.com.au
