All Your Dreams Are MAde When Your Chained To A Mirror And A Rasorblade
I met another American au pair today. I was a bit hesitant as Americans abroad and I don’t normally get along*. With a preconceived notion of a slightly ditzy, Typical American in my head, I met Sara with caution. I was pleasantly surprised to find we were of the same breed.
Sara graduated university and interned in the fashion industry throughout. We have similar backgrounds - family, upbringing, and culture-wise. In fact, she is from right outside the city in Jersey (which I won’t hold against her). She also studied abroad in both London and Paris and sees this au pair gig as a layover, as I do. She was lucky enough to land herself an amazing internship opportunity after the job ends in Paris, where she would one day like to make permanent residency.
A like-mind. It’s an incredible thing. Sadly for both of us, Sara works an insane amount, including weekends where she’s forced to go to the country and drive horse carts around vast fields. This means our meetings may be limited to coffee before language class, which we both happen to have at the same time (though different courses).
Calling myself an au pair is still a bit embarrassing for me, but knowing that there are other people who are using it in the same way that I am is quite the relief. The stigma of Hired Help can be pushed aside for those times together where only we know the real reasons we have put ourselves in this situation. I try and always remind myself that everyone has a story, a reason for doing what they are. And now, being placed in a bracket lower than Intern, where you are at least in your given industry, it has become even easier to open my mind to the paths people find themselves on.
I know that when people look at me they think “Oh. Au pair.” They may think I’m uneducated, or of low social standing, but that’s fine. I know that this is a step towards an ultimate goal, and while it may be completely off base of my true talents and experience, something monumental will come of it. Maybe not in the same obviousness as Sara’s Paris internship, but something.
*Really I just hate them** and am embarrassed by their crassness.
**Generalisations*** FTW.
***This whole post is about not generalising. WHOOPS.
