Wanderlust Exchange

After spending 6 months in Shanghai as an AU pair, I have gained lots of experience and interesting stories to tell.
Upon arriving in Shanghai I was greeted by a welcoming family and a comfortable living environment. My host family was extremely generous and kind. I do have to say, there was a huge cultural shock as the values and mindset are very different. I have been to many parts of the world but China gave me the biggest culture shock. On the other hand, if you are an adventure-seeking individual this is for you and could be the experience of your lifetime. After a few weeks, I got used to my new environment and was enjoying most aspects of my stay. Being immersed in the beautiful Mandarin language was the most unique part of the trip. If you have a love for languages I highly recommend this program, as there is no better way to learn Mandarin than to stay with a native family and practice every day.
The staff at Wanderlust Exchange were all very helpful. Any question I had got answered almost immediately. I also found myself writing to them late at night(as most of the day was busy) and they still gave me an answer the same day. Moreover, they organize regular cultural events to help the AU pairs settle in, find friends, and just enjoy their stay in general.
Overall, I highly recommend this program if you are an extroverted and thrill-seeking person looking for an adventure. If you love stepping out of your comfort zone or would like to try for the first time this is a great starting point for you. It all boils down to what you are looking for in life. Nevertheless, I'm sure most people can find many benefits with this program, and hey, what better place to start than China?

In September 2023, I had the opportunity to go to Shanghai to become an au pair for 6 months in a family of 3 children. It was an amazing experience and thanks to the Wanderlust Exchange program, I was able to explore many aspects during my stay. It was both a cultural exchange and a human exchange from my daily life with the family but also the discovery activities organized by the agency and the school.

Previously, I hadn't had any real experience with children, but that wasn't a problem because I was quickly integrated. My daily life with the children was also facilitated with the help of the agency and the family who accompanied me in the organization of a schedule.

What I also enjoyed in my stay was the learning of Mandarin, I entered the school with no level in Mandarin but I learned to love this language and I managed to quickly level up with the help of a teacher who was very invested in learning the language.
The school is not only a place of learning but also of meeting, which makes our daily life at school more comfortable with the meeting of other au pairs and also with all the school teams who often organize discovery activities.

The agency also often organizes activities between au pairs to meet new people and learn more about different aspects of Chinese culture. Thanks to these activities, I met au pairs who later became my friends in Shanghai, which allowed me to enjoy my days in Shanghai even more.

If I could conclude my stay in China as an au pair, I would say that it was a very enriching and unforgettable experience. I've been lucky enough to meet many amazing people and discover a culture rich in tradition.

I would like to thank Wanderlust exchange once again for guiding me through the program and thank you to my family for trusting me.

I want to say thank you so so much to Wanderlust for running their au pair program and making it possible for me to fulfill my dream of coming to China. More so, I want to thank my amazing host family for making it an unbelievably amazing experience and for all of the lovely times we had together. I am so thankful for their kindness and hospitality. I have had an enriching time here in China. I learned about Chinese culture and cuisine, made so many funny memories together, and had a fun time with my host kids. I would definitely recommend this program if you are interested this type of work/ exchange program!

I had so much fun from exploring the aesthetic view of the host family province, to trying different Chinese meals and also having a nice time with the family. The program helped me to gain more knowledge on Chinese language. I explored the Chinese traditional dragon boat festival and how the family gathers and eat different kinds of meal on that period. During the festival I was told Chinese family bonds more at this time. It helped me to be more flexible and making new friends among my Chinese language class colleagues.

大家好! I am Sofia and I have spent the last 6 months as an au pair in Beijing. This was one of the best experiences of my life, it helped me grow as a person, I met people from all over the world and I made very good friends. I improved my Chinese skills a lot thanks to the Chinese classes I attended and the school environment was awesome. Living with a Chinese family helped me learn a lot about Chinese culture and I experienced a lot of aspects of the Chinese culture you can only experience if you live in a Chinese environment. I would recommend this experience, because it enriched me a lot!