Finding the Family and Travel Preparations

So I pretty much won the genetic lottery when God blessed me with two parents who are letting  me spend my first 6 months after graduation being an au pair in Spain. It's pretty unorthodox for anyone to spend their first 6 months as a post-grad running around another country but since I don't start dental school until August... I really jumped at the chance to take this opportunity as soon as I heard about it. A friend of mine introduced me to the website aupair-world.net and within a few hours after making a profile I had found the family I knew I was going to be nannying. I was pretty decided that I wanted to stay with a family in a big city... but not so big as Madrid or Barcelona. I know these cities are beautiful and have copious amounts of tourist attractions and historical places to visit but I also thought that as an au pair I would have a fairly routine daily schedule that most likely wouldn't involve going to the Prado or the beach therefore I wanted a city large enough to where I'm not wanting for things to do but small enough to wear I get to see the beauty of it everyday. 

I ruled out Sevilla pretty soon as well because I know if I were to au pair there it would be similar to "second-camp syndrome" (A&M fish camp reference where you are constantly comparing your second camp to your first) or like my second year on Amigos when I was allowed to go back and visit my first town and first host family. Had I been an au pair in Seville I would just constantly be thinking of all the experiences I had with certain people and at certain places in Spring of '11 when I studied abroad there and I did not want to find myself comparing my new friends and family to my old. It'd be hard to be in the same place for so long without all the good friends I made the first time around. 

So my criteria was set. I wanted one of the smaller "big cities." When I found this family in Bilbao and did some research on the city, I fell in love with it. It's in Northern Spain in the Basque region. I've been to a good number of Spanish cities, but none in the North. I'm told Southern and Northern Spain are very different which makes me very excited to experience the North. This family also lives very close to the Guggenheim Museum which is fantastic.

The Guggenheim Musem

This is a rail-way map of some of the larger Spanish cities.

After finding and contacting this family, I had a few Skype interviews and "getting to know you" sessions where I met the mom - Iciar, the dad - Joseba, and the three kiddos - Leire, Maya, and Jon. Leire and Maya are 5 year old twins who will turn 6 a few days after I arrive and Jon is 7 (I think). Iciar and Joseba seem to be extremely great people.  They're both enthusiastic and after only 3 or 4 Skype sessions I've noticed they smile and laugh a lot. They put me into contact with their old au pair who was very artistic and kept a blog which I read. This made my decision even easier and also made me feel like I already know them a little bit. 

I've kept very busy these past few weeks. Graduating was pretty surreal. I keep almost saying "it hasn't hit me that I won't be going back to school again" ... and then I realize Oh wait.. I have a heck of a lot of school left haha. But it really has not hit me that I'll be spending the next 6 months in Spain nannying three very cute children. I'm only supposed to talk to them in English, which in all sincerity I think will be very difficult for me. I know that I will just want to rattle everything off in Spanish but I am going to do my absolute best not to do that. 

My favorite part of blogs is often the pictures so I'll upload a few. Really all I have to upload so far are pictures of the presents that I am making/bringing for the family. 

I made this tonight over at the Troegel's. Special thanks to Aunt Maria for teaching me how to mosaic and letting me use her tiles! I'll have to grout it tomorrow and post another picture when I give it to them. I found this at a thrift shop and immediately knew it'd make a great mosaic. Let's hope I can get it there safely. 

I made these when I was still in College Station and was in limbo between finishing finals and graduation. I figure every kid likes almost anything that has their name on it. Hopefully they like them!

I made these coasters tonight at Kaitlyn's. All the photos were taken by their last au pair, Erica, who is a really impressive photographer (ericarasconphotography.com). 

Well it is very late, I am very tired, and I have quite a bit to do tomorrow. Packing being the first thing on my to-do list. Buenas Noches.