She left her job of eight years and decided to go on an adventure as an au pair in the Netherlands. At thirty years old. That’s bold! Want to read all about her experience?
Becoming an au pair at thirty years old
Hi, hello, my name is Galuh, I am from Indonesia. Now I am an au pair in the Netherlands. It is such a miracle that I can be an au pair at age 30 which is the age limit for being an au pair in the Netherlands. The reason why I want to be an au pair is because when I was a kid, I always dreamt of living & traveling abroad. I already knew that au pair programs existed, but after graduating from university, I had to work to support my family financially. So, I held on to my dream for almost 8 years, and then got good news that my sister was accepted in university with a fully funded scholarship. I thought that it was my time to pursue my own dream: go on an adventure and start travelling abroad.
Going to the Netherlands
In 2021 I found my host family, I have never doubted this decision, because it is a dream of mine, but some people think that it’s a silly decision. I worked in a corporate company for 8 years. Then suddenly, I left my job, flew to the Netherlands and started an au pair adventure.
Was it a wrong decision? Not at all, I have a great experience here. I learn all about a new culture & a new language. I meet new people from different countries, and the best part? I get to travel! During the weekend I travel around the Netherlands, my host family provides me with a weekend card which gives me the opportunity to travel around the Netherlands for free during the weekend by train. I also have the opportunity to travel to other countries. Recently, I traveled to Cologne (Germany) & Brussels (Belgium).
If I didn’t take a huge risk and leave my job, I wouldn’t have such a great experience. The best thing of being an au pair in the Netherlands is that there is an agency which protects me, so I feel safe here. Nina.care is the best! My au pair agency helps me so much, starting from the first time when my host family registered me to this agency. The people are so helpful. They made clear what steps I should take preparing documents for my visa. They always updated me with my visa requirements and progress. When I arrived here, Nina.carealso helped me with the next steps my host family and I should take care of, such as the registration for my residence permit & health insurance. I can really recommend Nina.care for your au pair journey.
Sometimes the au pair journey can be difficult
However, being au pair is not always easy, you need to adapt constantly. In the beginning, I was disappointed with the weather here. I am from Indonesia, a tropical country where sun is shining and the temperature is warm the entire year round. At first, when I came here, it was autumn., which wasn’t even the coldest season! I really needed to adapt to the weather. The second challenge is the Dutch language, my host kids only speak Dutch. It was difficult communicating with them in the beginning. The good thing is, that I have the opportunity to attend a language school. So, during the 4 months I’ve been here, at least I know some simple sentences to communicate with them.
So far, being an au pair is a great decision I have made in my life. Thank you for my host family for giving me this opportunity & thank you for Nina.care agency for helping me to make my dream comes true.
Register as an au pair
Does this adventure sound exciting? Register as an au pair here, and we’ll see if we can find an amazing family for you. Need more information? Check our au pair page.
Want to hear more au pair experiences in the Netherlands? Check out our posts on Dawn, Chipo, Elsha, and Laura!