Wanderlust Cultural Homestay Tutoring (Au Pair in China) Program

Living in Shenzhen and sharing a household with Nadya’s family has truly been the best decision of my life—and I’ve made dozens of significant choices before this. Nadya and her family are incredibly sweet, understanding, and flexible, creating a warm and welcoming environment that made my stay unforgettable.

The children were absolutely delightful, and I know I will miss the oldest daughter for the rest of my days. We've journeyed to over 10 incredible locations, delving into the rich tapestry of Chinese culture and savoring a myriad of delicious cuisines. These past two months have felt like living a dream, with each day offering new adventures and unforgettable experiences.

I am deeply thankful for this amazing opportunity and the wonderful memories we created together. This experience has truly been life-changing, and I will cherish it forever.

Some people come to China for business, others for study, others for travel. Most stay in hotels or private apartments, mingling with other foreigners and generally staying out of touch with the real China.
The reason I chose to au pair in China was because I wanted to learn Mandarin in the fastest way possible - total immersion! Living with a Chinese family in Beijing has given me the WILD and highly uncommon opportunity to improve my language skills daily as well as witness, understand and take part in authentic Chinese culture. This is something no amount of "touristing" can provide.
My three greatest treasures have been my part-time language classes (completely sponsored by my host family), immersion in Chinese cuture, and the friendships I have forged. I consider my language journey highly successful - I had zero background upon my arrival and now, less than a year later, I have passed my HSK 4 with high scores and am studying HSK 5.

Of course, there are certainly challenges, but these often turn out to be the greatest achievements. Living in your work environment can be tiring, and children can be frustrating, but suddenly vivid snapshot-like memories fill my mind...Skiiing on the snowy slopes of Chongli. New Year fireworks against an starry midnight sky. Sandcastles on a beach in the south. The first time a child smiles and call you his friend. Qingdao beer at an open-air concert.
All is not fun and games. Being an au pair is quite emotionally demanding and often language barriers can be uncomfortable or discouraging. BUT for those individuals who truly have a desire to experience the world, to grow as a person, to gain practical knowledge and skills, forge relationships, and emerge an enriched and stronger person -

For you and me, an opportunity like this is treasure.

When i accepted this program, i didn't know what to expect! I've been living in china for 5 years now away from my family, so i needed something like this! I've learned a lot about the Chinese culture, even much more than the 5 years that i have been living here in china, and that's by having the opportunity to get involved the Chinese family experience and understand the way they think, their way of seeing things from their own perspective. So i enjoyed my time a lot! I recommend every language student to give it a try, you'll gain experience from it!

I was an au pair with Wanderlust for 4 months, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Wanderlust was so helpful everything starting from the interview process all the way to the end of my time as an au pair. They were very prompt with answering my messages when I needed help. Staying away from home for so long was definitely quite nerve-wracking, but having the agency be there as support in case I ran into any problems allowed me to feel relief.

The family and the kid, who was 7 years old, was also wonderful to be with. The kid and I developed a very close bond. The family welcomed me with open arms and went above and beyond to make sure my stay here in China was comfortable. All in all, I am so grateful to be able to teach English while also learning Chinese here in China. I couldn't have had such an amazing experience had it not been for the family and most importantly, Wanderlust.

The experience I benefited from the agency and the family was insane. The agency did the job, the contact I had was extremely helpful and their relation with the family was very fluid.

About the family, I don't think I could think of any bad points. From the beginning to the end, they have been super reliable in terms of communication, proposition of activities and even support (I was finding an internship in France at that time so I had many interviews and the family was understanding that). The two amazing points are : the kid was super smart and mature (14yo) and the family has had a long experience dealing with au pairs.The extra good point was the absence of language barrier (with my Chinese level and the English level of the mum and the kid). They made the conditions for me to really

My experience was unique, because I had the opportunity to find an amazing host family. They welcomed me with open arms and has given me the best experience which I'll never forget. Most importantly I got to be an older sister and best friend to the most amazing little girl. We had some good and hard times together, but even through that you get to experience how much this little person will grow in building confidence, leaning new skills and improving their language skills. To be able to experience that is a truly rewarding feeling. This experience has also given me the chance to study Mandarin, see some of the most beautiful places in China and meeting new people everywhere I went to. So come and find your next adventure in China because it's waiting for you;)!

Coming to China was by far the best experience on my gap year and I am very grateful to wanderlust exchange for all the help and support throughout my stay. I was hesitant at first as I didn’t know what to expect but after this trip I have developed such a love for Chinese culture and language which will stay with me for life. I stayed with a very welcoming and kind family who I have become very close with. I definitely recommend this experience to anyone wanting to explore a new culture or language!

Back when I registered for this program and matched with a host family, I still didn't know what to expect, it was my first time going abroad and away from my family and friends - I basically moved out of my bubble😅 and then put into another unfamiliar bubble thousands of kilometres away. It was scary experiencing that culture shock and the struggle of communication when some people can't speak anything other than Chinese and even the food was different! But I survived through it all I've lived in china for a year now and there are still some struggles that I can't seem to escape because I'm foreigner of course😄but all of those scary and unfamiliar moments is what makes us stronger and more determined to do what we set out to do and I did with the help of Wanderlust staff members I was able go longer than I expected (because my plan was to stay for only 6 months) because of all the places I got visit, the people I met and the opportunity to see the growth and development of my little student MY LITTLE SISTER. It was all worth it in the end and I'm very thankful for Wanderlust and the host families I stayed with.
感谢Wanderlust Exchange！🗺️🎉🇿🇦✈️🇨🇳