Au Pair Opportunities in Spain

Overall, I really enjoyed the country. I went to improve my language skills, and although I'm still not fluent, I am definitely more knowledgeable. The family was very nice and inclusive, we always had conversations over dinner in both languages. Although they wanted to learn English from me, they still spoke Spanish solely for my benefit. The biggest problem I had was lack of air conditioning. My bedroom was upstairs and with it pushing 100 degrees everyday, this was a problem. I could hardly sleep, I got maybe 4 to 5 hours a night. This led to irritability but I did my best to hide it. Other than that, the family took me to several cities around Spain and introduced me to several friends and family members. If I went back, I think I would need to live on my own terms, but I did have an overall good experience.

I was so hesitant at first to be an au pair in a foreign country where I know absolutely no one, don't speak the language, and would be living with a different family. I am so happy that I pushed myself to do it because I have met so many amazing people, learned so many things that you cannot get out of university class, and have traveled all throughout spain. My spanish has improved a ton thanks to my wonderful host family. I have grown so much from this experience. I would recommend this program to someone who is open minded, looking for a life-changing experience, and is willing to go outside of their comfort zone. I wish I signed up for 6 months because this is seriously amazing!

I feel so lucky to have been able to be an au pair in Spain. I'd never lived in another country before this trip, so I was definitely nervous, but it ended up being much better than I could have imagined. The au pair Spain program matched me up with a great family who lived just outside Madrid, so I could see the sights of the big city while still having the peace and closeness of a small neighborhood. Alison from Smaller Earth was very helpful as well with the journey towards living in Spain. She answered all of my questions and made me feel more comfortable about leaving. Getting out of your comfort zone and traveling to a new country will change your life. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to break out of their daily routine.

This was by far the most amazing experience of my life. I became a strong, independent individual by stepping out of my comfort zone and moving to a new country. I met some amazing lifelong friends who made the trip amazing. Not only did I have the chance to engage in my host family's culture, I also had several opportunities to travel around Europe on my days off. It has been the best 3 months of my life and I am extremely saddened that it is almost coming to an end. If I could change one thing it would be to have chosen to stay for 6 months.

I absolutely loved my time as an au pair. Because we lived with a family we experienced Spain's distinct food and way of life to an extent you can't get any other way, while also getting money to fund other experiences. I made so many great friends from all over the world and was able to see so much of Spain. I suppose there was support if we needed it but I was ready to be completely independent so I loved that we had that opportunity. Spain is truly an amazing country with such vibrant life so I can't imagine going anywhere more fun and with such a diverse range of activities to occupy myself with. The matching process to a family was very efficient and my family was so incredibly nice and helpful. For me it was such pure fun I didn't even really notice how much of the language I was picking up or what a colorful culture I was adjusting to.