I gained in character and probably size (China has some great food!!)

I certainly got a lot of value out of 6 months in the Lopair Au Pair Programme and would certainly recommend it to any young person who excels but more importantly enjoys working with children.

As an 18 year old, coming to China has been my first adventure as a fully fledged adult and for that is has been perfect. You are still very much dependant for food and living and have to follow a strict schedule that may impact your social life but there is also a gain in responsibilities as you care for and mentor a child. I found living with my host family nothing like a work contract but instead I was very much integrated as one of them. Granted, living in a foreign country does involve certain obsticales but the family and my local coordinator were very caring in helping to overcome anything.

Before coming to Beijing, I was wondering how hard it would be to meet people. Turns out, five minutes after saying goodbye to my parents at the airport, I met another British boy headed for China with LoPair and since then we've become good friends despite the fact that we've been in different cities. I've made some friends for life while I've been in China and now it gives me an excuse to book a holiday and visit them some day.

To any person considering this opportunity, I believe the three most important characteristics you need to show in order to gain the most as an au pair is patience, open-mindedness and friendliness. In the end, your time spent here is a luck of the draw when you are matching with a host family so I can't emphasize enough to consider carefully when choosing. Some au pairs really hit it off with their families, some can be left a little in the rain. Luckily, I was one of the fortunate ones and got on very well with my host family. I look forward to keeping in touch as I go on to other adventures!