My stay in china

I spent many months in China as an Au Pair under Wanderlust Exchange in a few cities.
I got contacted by them and signed up because I was interested in coming to China without having to study at a uni. And they were a lot more efficient and fast than the other agency I was planning to go with so I chose them. Personally, the recruitment, family matching and visa process was really smooth for me due to them laying out specific instructions. Though for the family interviews I wish I had had my current experience and knowledge, the choice of the hostfamily is really crucial for your experience.
So after two months I arrived in China and my coordinator/recruiter picked me up and brought me to the train station, managed the settling in into the family and reached out from time to time to ask about how things were going, plus relaying the feedback from my hostmum. I went on a two-day city tour and got my Chinese bank card.
The visa extension process in HongKong was also super smooth, I prepared all the paperwork with WE, got instructions etc. Due to flight delays I arrived at my hotel very late, I remember that one of my visa-coordinators stayed till 1am up to make sure I arrived and checked in safely in the hotel. The rest of the trip went smoothly, but make sure to have lots of savings for your time there.
I think sometimes some things can be inconsistent. Like Au Pairs in Shanghai benefit from in-person classes and also the extra group speaking sessions that SN school provides, I believe. But some of their culture activities are online. I've only ever had online classes but all my culture activities were in person and some of them were solo-classes too. I feel very grateful to have had a Hanfu-event, that was the coolest. Not all aupairs did that. I also did pottery, Chinese art activities, archery etc. Not all recruiters, coordinators act the same, are as dedicated etc, it depends on luck who you get, just like with the hostfamilies.
Also, for the first few months I didn't have culture activities, but when I and a few others in my city reminded them they arranged for us to catch up to all the activities, which we did.
Still, I wouldn't change anything about this year here, I've grown a lot and learned a lot. China has given me the opportunity to meet many great friends here, both Chinese and foreigners. The social circle of the Au Pairs is really supportive and it's easy to find friends that way. My stay with my hostfamilies was full of ups and downs, but overall I will look back gladly on both the nice parts and "bad" parts, both taught me a lot about myself and life. I'm so grateful for having met all my hostsiblings, for the time I spent with them, for the love they gave me :)) My 中国弟弟&妹妹 <3
I'm glad I signed up, though I'm also glad to start something else now. Au Pairing has its' highs and lows and it's difficult sometimes so you have to be prepared to face the challenges. Be sure to have lots of savings though in case some unexpected events or emergencies happen, be very careful regarding the hostfamily-matching, don't be scared to ask for a rematch if you feel it's not right or safe and build a supporting social circle.