For 2017 International Women’s Day the theme was #BEBOLDFORCHANGE. We invited Au Pairs to share their greatest accomplishment so far in their year as an Au Pair in America, that has changed or will change their life for the better.
Maria D. from Mexico is in Agnes Barton’s Virginia cluster:
My greatest achievement as an Au Pair is having accomplished my dream of this experience and the opportunity to live in this great country, the United States of America, I’m in my second year so in the coming months I will be finishing this amazing experience. One of the reasons why I came here was because I wanted to have a little brother to take care of, having an older brother myself, I wanted to have a special relationship, to enjoy their affection, to impact their lives positively; being an Au Pair is a great opportunity to do so.
I left my family and friends to embark in this adventure in search of new horizons, with a thirst for knowledge; cultures, places, people with their own stories, a world that was waiting for me. At the beginning, I had my expectations, but now I can say that I have received more than I expected. I have gone through difficult and sad times, but I had my host family that loved and supported me while I was trying to find myself again, I felt blessed. I have gone also through incredible times that have helped me realize what I want to do: to be the best version of myself. Now I don´t longer have any doubts, I know where I must go, and nothing will make me fear, I know that one day I will accomplish all I want to do, what I must do now is to believe in myself, I will strive for improvement so I can be able to deal with anything.
One of my favorite quotes is the one from the famous Eleanor Roosevelt: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” I’m certain that my destiny is to arise with my own wings. I have matured, I feel more independent and confident that I can give so much more to this world. Being an Au Pair is a great test of strength, courage, resilience, patience, tolerance, responsibility, service and adaptability. By coming to the United States, I have achieved one of my goals: to improve my language skills. I have showed a part of my culture, traditions, memories and even recipes from my country, I have also formed a new family bond with my host family that will last for a lifetime, and this dream I’ve fulfilled will be with me forever.