It’s an odd thought to think I graduated from college just a short month ago. I had made plans to be an Au Pair back in December of 2016 and have been preparing ever since. I knew I wanted to travel for a year after graduating so I figured what better way than to travel back to the homeland while also Au Pairing. I’m your average Irish-American with descendants coming back from both sides. I come from a long line of die hard Notre Dame fans have worn a Claddagh ring since the age of 13. My family has always taken great pride in our Irish heritage which made the decision to move here even easier… But I’m not going to lie, this adventure is already proving to be far more challenging than expected.
The opportunity to move to Ireland appeared to more or less land in my lap. I knew Au Pairing would be the perfect way for me to spend my year abroad. I have loved working with children since I was very young. So much so, I received my degree in Child Development and have plans of being a Speech-language pathologist. I got the job through mutual connections which helped me avoid the long process of signing up with an agency and picking a family. I am also located in a small suburb outside the city of Cork which is exactly where I wanted to be. Not to mention because I had previously known the Au Pair I would be replacing it made the process even easier (who has been an absolute God-sent). I was able to use her as a resource for questions about the visa I should get, details about the family as well as some tools and resources for my year here (including a bike, travel guides, a backpack, etc.) I was not kidding when I said this opportunity really appeared to land in my lap. In a way it felt like it was meant to happen. But now comes the hard part…
It has been approximately 1 week and 2 days since I left the states (clearly i’m not counting or anything). And I have never felt more like a fish out of water. The one thing the previous Au Pair couldn’t do for me is help me make friends or help me cope with homesickness. There are plenty of Facebook groups designed for international Au Pairs like me but unfortunately my membership is still pending. I didn’t expect to make life-long friends the second I landed but one thing I did not anticipate was the homesickness hitting me as early as it did. My mom left 3 days ago and I can’t seem to shake the tears if I think about it too long. I am only here a year (trust me, my visa makes sure of it) but yet there is something about being in a different country and a different time zone (8 hour difference to be exact) that makes it feel so much harder. I went to college 3 hours away from my parents and I have lived apart from them before but there is something that feels different about this. I knew being homesick would be inevitable but I have always been a very independent person. I could handle being with myself for long periods of time (not in the odd kind of inverted way) but I have certainly never leaned on people for emotional support. But let me tell you, this experience is already testing everything I thought I knew about myself.
Most post-grads have experienced the difficulty of moving back in with their families. It becomes a balancing act of trying to have the independence once valued while in college while also adhering to your parents rules. If you think that may be difficult you should try moving in with a family you don’t know. I’m afraid the concept is quite intimidating. Part of me is already missing the freedom of getting to nap whenever, walking around in the sweats I just woke up in and leaving that pasta dish in the sink until tomorrow. Lord knows I just want a day in full of Netflix and poor eating habits with out getting judged. But this may very well be just an adjustment to adult-hood and not so much au pair-hood. In some ways it’s like living with roommates again but two of them are mature adults who have rules/guidelines to follow while the other two are literal children. It feels as if I am caught in a balancing act myself.
One thing I appear to be craving is a structured routine and feeling of comfort in my new town. I am only a week in and unfortunately my anxiety has been yet to settle. I think the cure may be as simple as finding a companion/friend. As I sit here in this coffee shop surrounded by locals I am filled with anxiety, questions, a lot of homesickness and excitement for the year that lies ahead.
The Luck of the Irish 