Thanksgiving – time for family, friends, food and giving thanks.

Hey guys,  I’m here today to talk about Thanksgiving as an Au Pair with my lovely host family. As you already know I’m au pair from Ukraine, and we don’t celebrate this Holiday there.

It is my second Au Pair year in Bucks County, PA.  Last year I had my first thanksgiving day with my host family and I absolutely loved it.

It is a special holiday when a whole day focused on spending time with families and friends.  Everyone trying to get together for the dinner and it is the busiest day for traveling.  People are driving home to see their parents, siblings and friends.  It feels like as important as a Christmas time.

For the dinner must have thing is of course turkey.  Most of the people buying already cooked turkey but there are still some very traditional families who cooking by themselves. The hosts are usually getting the main meal and guests bring salads, mushed potato, some deserts, and drinks. People chatting and saying what they are thankful for the past year. Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks for our good fortune and most of all for family, host family and friends, those treasured people who make our lives extra special.

I’m looking forward for my second Thanksgiving in the USA! It is one of my favorite  holidays that I experienced in USA.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!!

Xoxo, your Ukrainian au pair Mariia

Au Pair vacation and hostel experience

Maria, Au Pair from Ukraine, kindly shared about her vacation in the USA and experience of living in the hostel. That is such a pleasure to read Maria’s posts! I also like Maria’s advice, “Don’t collect the things -collect the moments.”

Hi guys! I just came back from my vacation. I spent 8 nights in Venice, California. First time I was traveling by myself and first time I was staying in hostel. Be honest it was absolutely one of the coolest experience I have done.

I will give you a few reasons why:

1. Cheap. You saving some money.
2. You can meet so many cool people. I was staying in an international hostel by the Venice beach and met a lot of new friends from all around the world. People will give you good advice about interesting places. We were sharing uber, another reason to save some money, went for hiking together, saw Hollywood sign, partying.  Every day I had a great company for the beach. We even took an uber and went to see Malibu beach for all day.
3. My location was perfect, the hostel was close to bus stop, food places, market, 20 min to famous Venice beach, 10 min to Venice canals. When you are lazy you can take a bus – it costs 1$.
4. In the end of the day if you don’t want to go out everyone downstairs is chatting and having great time.
5. The stuff was brilliant. They created the best atmosphere, always helped with advise on transportation and best places to visit.
6. I was very sad to leave. For sure I will never forget my trip to California. And that hostel will be an amazing memory of my American life.
P.S. Don’t collect the things collect the moments. Enjoy your life and travel as much as you can!

XoXo Mariia from Ukraine

Congratulations, Maria, with your second Au Pair year!

Maria, Au Pair from Ukraine, starts her second Au Pair year with her host family today! Congratulations, Maria! Best wishes and Good Luck! We love to hear many new stories about your Au Pair journey in the US!

“I am starting another year with my American family in Bucks County,  PA! I am really happy and I’m looking forward to spending my second Au Pair year!

Since I have been here I learned a lot about American culture and lifestyle! It is really impressive and nothing I could compere with. It is just very different! But I absolutely love it with all my heart!

I met so many nice people, made new friends, did a lot of traveling, was a volunteer for the international spring festival, went to an American college, ate a real Philly cheese-steak, had an American camping experience, went to Mexico, saw so many deer, foxes, learned about the American way to raise kids.

I learned lot of new cool things! I am so thankful for everything that I have done and I’m looking forward to many new adventures with my host family and my friends!

I am really happy and I’m looking forward to spending this awesome time of my life as an Au Pair!”

Good Luck again, Maria. Thank you for sharing about your Au Pair journey in the US!

Meet our new Au Pair from Brazil Lavinia!

Lavinia, our new au pair from Brazil, is joining the Philadelphia and Bucks County Go Au Pair agency cluster today! We are very excited to meet her! Welcome to the cluster, Lavinia!

Lavinia is 20 years old and she will live with her host family in Bucks County, PA. Lavinia has a few buddies – Au Pairs Maria from Ukraine and Jackie and Nadia from Brazil. They are eagerly looking forward to  spending time with Lavinia, becoming close friends, and helping her to adjust to new life in the USA.

Lavinia’s favorite way to spend a free time is doing anything with her family and friends. Lavinia said that,”I really like to dance, listen to music, sing, play volleyball, read books, talk with my friends, among others … In Brazil we have a national event called Carnival, it’s party days! We went out in the streets to have fun and dance with our friends.”

Three adjectives best describe Lavinia are Sympathetic, Determined, and Patient. The best compliment Lavinia received was that she is an honest person. Two things that she consider herself to be very good at are driving and giving an advice!

We asked Lavinia, “What place would you like to visit?” and she sad, ” I want to know the whole world! especially, Disney!”  Goodluck with your traveling, Lavinia. You can take a lot of classes with Cultural Hi-Ways!

Welcome to the cluster again, Lavinia.  We are looking forward to meeting you soon.

Vacation in Mexico with my host family!

Hi Everyone, It is Maria, Au Pair from Ukraine, who lives in Bucks County PA with the awesome host family. You may read about my Au Pair year before. One of my favorite thing is, of course, a vacation! Recently my host mom sent me a message on Facebook and said, ” Maria, can I please have your passport info because we are off for a week and going to Mexico!”

I was super exiting! I am crazy about traveling and Mexico was always one of the places  I always wanted to visit! So I contacted Go Au Pair agency and sent them the DS 2019 form to stamp for my trip.  The agency sent me the form back very quickly and I was ready to travel.  Who knew that I will spend one week in a real paradise? Even the name of that resort is ParadisusFood, beach, sun, shows, people whom you love around! My host family and I were having so much fun! It was a super cool vacation! We were swimming with dolphins, kids had a lot of fun with kids club, we met a lot of nice people! Mexico will always be in my heart! Our family loved Mexican vacation very much!

Of course, we had a lot of funny situations.  For example, I lost my passport in the airport in Mac Donald’s But thanks, God, the Philadelphia’s personal in the airport were very kind and they found me and gave my passport back right next to the plane!

Then, our kids love cabin crew,  so we are always having lovely conversation with the team! Be honest,  if I were a film producer, I would record the movie about our vacation in Mexico! It was very cool, joyful and fun!

Thank you, my dear Alla Gerzon, who is my host mom, who is my best friend, who is my sister, who is an example how to be a Superwomen, Wonder-women and just a Supermom for a such opportunity to explore not only many special places in the States, but also such a lovely country as Mexico!P.S. The Gerzon family is the best!!!
Xoxo. Ukrainian au pair Mariia Bilous

Au Pair Holiday Party at Peddler Village, Bucks County

Just a few days left till our annual Holiday party! This year, we will have a Holiday Party with a gift exchange again at the Cock ‘n Bull restaurant, located at Peddler’s Village, at New Hope, Bucks County, PA.  Last year Au Pairs had a lot of fun at the cluster’s annual Christmas party there. 

In the Philadelphia and Bucks County cluster we have Au Pairs from many countries-Au Pairs from Brazil, China, Ecuador, Colombia, South Africa, El Salvador, Spain, Argentina, Ukraine. Many Au Pairs will be experiencing the holidays in the US and join the Au Pair party for the first time. The Holiday Party is a great chance to spend quality time together with au pairs from different countries far away from home and learn american holiday traditions.

I am looking forward to spending time with the Au Pairs! We will have a great Holiday party with Au Pairs from other clusters and with fun, laugh, delicious food and presents in a very special place that everyone will remember.

Au Pairs international picnic and the Philadelphia quiz

Recently we had an international picnic across the Independent Hall in the historical center of Philadelphia with Au Pairs from seven countries. Maria, Au Pair from Ukraine, said, ‘We had fun, laughed, listened funny stories and shared our most memorable American experience!” Thank you Maria for sharing with us about the international picnic. Au Pairs had a great time enjoying the international food and friendship and also Au Pairs took a quiz to learn more about Philadelphia.

1. What is Philadelphia’s population?
2. What are Philadelphia’s well-known nicknames?
3. Who founded Philadelphia and when?
4. In what year did Philadelphia become the capital of the United States?
5. When did the liberty Bell was cast?
6. What historical documents where developed in Philadelphia? What year ?
7. What was the name of the first U.S. Constitution?
8. When the Independence Hall was built and how many years it took?
9. How many people visit Philadelphia a year?
10. What happens on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia every year?
11. When the City Hall was build?
12. What was the one of the first businesses in Philly?
13. What Philadelphia well known for?

Here are the answers

1. 1.5 ml
2. The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection The Birthplace of America, The City that Loves You Back, The City of Neighborhoods, The Quaker City, and The Cradle of Liberty.
3. Philadelphia begins on October 27, 1682, when the city was founded by William Penn
4. 1790-1800
5. The Liberty Bell, originally known as the State House Bell, was cast in 1751 and hung in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House.
6. The United States Declaration of Independence was approved there on July 4, 1776, and the Declaration was read aloud to the public in the area now known as Independence Square. The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, presided over by George Washington.
7. The Articles of Confederation
8. Construction of the Pennsylvania State House, which came to be known as Independence Hall, began in 1732  and was completed in 1753, 21 years after the groundbreaking.
9. 30 -40 ml
10. The Mummers parade
11. From its completion in 1901, Philly’s City Hall was the world’s tallest habitable building until 1908. It is still the largest municipal building in the country. An unofficial agreement kept City Hall (the pinnacle being the top of its William Penn statue) the tallest building in Philadelphia until 1987, when construction of One Liberty Place finished.
12.  Beer. William Frampton’s brewery started up in 1683.
13. Mural Art. Boasting over 2000 outdoor murals, it’s been called the “mural capital of the U.S.”

Au Pair education experience in the US

Hi, It is Maria, Au Pair from Bucks County, PA. You may read already that I recently joined  the Au Pair program and I always dream to visit NY . My American education experience also relates to NY.
Au Pair program gives the Au Pairs great opportunities to study in a real american  college and explore American culture! I chose to take my first course as two classes in the college with a trip to New York!  I took two Sundays classes at Peirce college in Philadelphia already. The 3rd Sunday will be the final trip to the Big Apple! I  had very lovely time during my classes, met a lot of new friends from all around the world, learned more about a history of New York.

I had fun with my home work and did absolutely great job with my final project about New York Fashion Week!

The classes were a little long. It took long hours but you don’t really pay attention when you have a great time.

We had a lot of interesting activities, lovely lunch time, watched great American shows, found out about a lot of secret places of NY that I will definitely visit them in future!

Our teacher was great!He was joking  and telling us the stories about a real New Yorker’s life style. It was fun! I was happy to feel like a student again.

Now I’m looking forward to go to many amazing places in NY next Sunday with very lovely company!

P.S. Enjoy your time to be an au pair and it’s never late to learn something new!  Best regards, Mariia from Ukraine.

Welcome in our great cluster, Maria!

Maria is 25 years old, she is another au pair from Ukraine. She seems to be a brave, interesting young woman. Let’s see her answers! 

She wanted to be an au pair, because she likes spending time with kids and traveling.

“I want to see the beauty of America.”

She likes dancing,riding,traveling. She has interests in taking  pictures, paragliding,arts,choreography.

She likes to chill with  friends, travel somewhere or attend some active events.

She is a positive,friendly and energetic person.

“The best compliment I ever received in my life was: Maria!You make people happy.”

Her mom was professional skydiver so Maria would like to try skydiving. – Awesome!! 

She also would like to visit Dominicans, Great Britain and Australia. In the US what she would like to visit is NY, L.A and California .

You can see now, that being with Maria must be so much fun!  I hope her dream (to try skydiving) will come true in the US! ♥

International picnic with the dishes from twelve countries!

The next Au Pair meeting of Go Au Pair cluster in the Philadelphia and Bucks County area – international food picnic – will be on Sunday, June 4, 2017 at the Independence National Historical Park, 6th St & Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106. All Au Pairs will bring a dish from their countries! There will be dishes from 12 countries in our Sunday picnic menu or maybe even more because many Au Pairs planed to bring their friends. We will test variety of dishes from China, Colombia, South Africa and Ecuador -since we have many Au Pairs from those countries. Also, we will have an opportunity to try dishes from Hungary, El Salvador, Brazil, Ukraine, Peru, France, Germany and Argentina!

The Au Pair program is a cultural exchange program. Go Au Pair cluster meetings give the Au Pairs chance to meet other Au Pairs from around the world and learn/share their unique culture. We will enjoy the Au Pair international cuisine- the food represents the traditions, stories, and geography and we learned a lot simply trying different food.

There is also a great opportunity to learn about American history and culture because  we will have the picnic right across the Independence National Historical Hall in the center city of Philadelphia. The Independence Hall is known as the birthplace of the United States. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were signed there. Our international Au Pair team will enjoy the historical Landmark and great company of friends.

Au Pairs will have fun sharing the experience, taking many photos and creating new memories. After the meeting, they will visit many historical places together.