I finally landed in Bari, Italy 46 hours after I had left my home in Texas. I was tired, wanted a shower and had caught a cold that I had sworn to my mother was pneumonia...you know, just in case she wasn't worried enough. It was raining. My 67lb checked bag arrived soaking wet with a broken strap making it nearly impossible to get off the baggage claim conveyor belt. No one ever stamped my passport with an Italy stamp like how I was hoping. My phone still didn't work. But I was there and I couldn't have been more excited!!
An Italian family hired me as their au pair to teach their two kids English. The parents both speak broken English, the kids speak almost no English and I speak absolutely no Italian. This should be interesting. I've never been an au pair so I have no idea why they agreed to let me come live with them, but I am very thankful. It's funny that even though I have a master's degree, I really don't think I'm qualified for this basic position. The mom and her sister picked me up from the airport and I immediately liked them. They were warm and loud and yelled at other drivers in Italian.
The rest of the evening was a whirlwind. I met the dad, who was very kind. The kids were very shy, but that didn't last longer than a day. Dinner included some of the best wine and olive oil I've ever had and I was so excited that those stereotypes were true. They took me on a short tour of the city on the way to Torre a Mare, the small port province where I will be living. Even through the rain, I could tell that this town was exactly what I was looking for in a new home. I was wanting to immerse myself in the culture and really get to know an area that represents it, and I think this family and Torre a Mare are perfect.
An Italian family hired me as their au pair to teach their two kids English. The parents both speak broken English, the kids speak almost no English and I speak absolutely no Italian. This should be interesting. I've never been an au pair so I have no idea why they agreed to let me come live with them, but I am very thankful. It's funny that even though I have a master's degree, I really don't think I'm qualified for this basic position. The mom and her sister picked me up from the airport and I immediately liked them. They were warm and loud and yelled at other drivers in Italian.
The rest of the evening was a whirlwind. I met the dad, who was very kind. The kids were very shy, but that didn't last longer than a day. Dinner included some of the best wine and olive oil I've ever had and I was so excited that those stereotypes were true. They took me on a short tour of the city on the way to Torre a Mare, the small port province where I will be living. Even through the rain, I could tell that this town was exactly what I was looking for in a new home. I was wanting to immerse myself in the culture and really get to know an area that represents it, and I think this family and Torre a Mare are perfect.