About a year ago I took a leap of faith and got on a plane headed toward Amsterdam to spend a year as an au pair. I had no idea what to expect of my new home since I had never even been overseas. A million different emotions were filling my head: anxiety, anticipation, wonder, courage, and excitement.

When you’re home, you go through life and find interests and hobbies that make you who you are.  When you move abroad to become an au pair, sometimes you’re able to take these things with you, and sometimes you lose them.  Things like reading and writing, painting, dancing, yoga… they’re not too hard to bring with you or find in your new home.

 I came across GeoVisions, which offered multiple programs for working abroad. All I knew at that point was that I wanted to be in Europe for a year. After talking to the people at GeoVisions, they recommended a yearlong au pair program in the Netherlands, and I knew that would be the perfect fit for me.

How many college-age adults do you know who go to sleep at 9 p.m., wake up at 5:30 a.m. and are at work at 6:30 in the morning? Of those few, how many willingly work with over 200 children from sunrise to sunset, five days a week?