Here I am, embarking on a new adventure on September 22, 2024. I decided to extend my stay and change families because I wanted to have a new experience, this time on the west coast. So, here I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a family made up of two parents and three children. Stéphanie and Santiago both work in the medical field..
Bruce, 9 years old, is the oldest. He is a very intelligent, mature boy, a bit absent-minded, but very kind. He loves to read, play video games, and board games. He practices baseball and jiu-jitsu..
Indiana, 6 years old, is the youngest. She loves everything that is pink and sparkly. She does gymnastics and is very talented. She loves giving orders to her brothers, she hates losing at games but she is very creative.!
Calvin, 4 years old, is the youngest. He follows his brothers and sisters everywhere, loves to stick close to them and play with them. He also plays baseball and is a little bundle of energy, too cute..
I now live in Albuquerque, just 15 minutes from the airport, downtown, Old Town, and close to shops. The family is really very nice! They include me in all their outings, and even the grandparents take me with them. It's a wonderful family. The kids are super independent and very kind. !
First month: End of September
I arrived at the end of September, and as one might expect, time has passed very quickly. During my first weekend, I went hiking alone in the mountains, and the following weekend, we went to Santa Fe to visit my grandparents.
October: Halloween
And here I am again celebrating Halloween in America! In my family, my hosts love to dress up according to a theme. Last year, they were characters from Clue, and this year, they chose "Hotel Transylvania." I love this idea! As for me, I was dressed up as Winnie..
November : Thanksgiving
I had my first real Thanksgiving meal this year, since I didn’t get the chance last year. We enjoyed traditional dishes like turkey, sweet potato mash with marshmallows, cornbread, salads, and pumpkin pies. The whole family was gathered: all four grandparents, the parents, and the kids !
December : Santa Claus Coin
Decembre 6
I experienced my first Saint Nicholas Day !
Here, it's call : Santa Claus Coin.
A little anecdote: the night before, children leave their shoes or socks by the door or near the fireplace. During the night, “Santa” or Saint Nicholas comes by to leave little surprises inside..
In the morning, children often discover:
- A clementine or an orange (symbols of luck and prosperity).
- A chocolate coin (often shaped like a gold coin)
- Sometimes a real silver coin or a one-dollar bill.
December : Christmas
We celebrated Christmas in Santa Fe, at my host dad's parents' house. On the evening of the 24th, the whole family gathered: cousins, aunts, uncles, and the family’s siblings. We exchanged gifts from the "Secret Santa," a warm and fun moment. Before going to sleep, we sang "Happy Birthday to Jesus," a tradition I had never experienced before. It was original and unexpected!
On the morning of the 25th, the atmosphere was calmer, with just my host dad’s two brothers and the four grandparents. The gift opening took a whole hour because there were more than 100 gifts! The children start by handing them out: they pick one at random, we wait for the person to open their gift, then that person chooses another gift to give out, and so on. It took a long time, but it made the moment special and festive.
I received from my host family and the grandparents: a USB key card adapter, earrings, ink refills for my photo printer, and even a camera lens from the grandparents! A Christmas filled with different traditions ! 🎄🎁
January : Birthday
There wasn’t any special event that day, except for the youngest child's birthday, he turned five years old! For the occasion, I gave him a Minecraft Nerf bow, which he absolutely loved.
At lunchtime, we went out to eat at Five Guys, one of his favorite places, along with his mom and grandparents. It was a simple but joyful moment, full of smiles… and fries!
February : Valentine's day
In the United States, Valentine’s Day is quite different from what we’re used to in France. Here, it’s not just a celebration for couples, but more a day of friendship, kindness, and sharing — starting from a very young age. In schools, children get excited about preparing for the day. Each student brings small gifts for every classmate, no one is left out.
These little gifts are often tucked into decorated bags or envelopes and usually include a mix of candy, chocolate, drawings, sweet notes, Valentine’s cards, stickers, or even small toys. Parents often help their kids prepare the treat bags in advance, and some schools even organize Valentine’s Day parties with cupcakes, games, and red-and-pink decorations everywhere.
It’s a lovely tradition that highlights sharing, inclusion, and kindness, far from the purely romantic image we often associate with Valentine’s Day in France.
April: Easter
For my last moment with my host family before changing families, I had the chance to celebrate Easter with them, at their home, surrounded by my host mom’s parents.
The holiday meal was delicious: we had lamb, a traditional dish that I really enjoyed. In the morning, the kids, super excited, woke up at 6 AM to go on an Easter egg hunt... indoors, because it was still a bit too chilly outside!
And I also received my little Easter basket filled with chocolates! It was a lovely way to close this chapter with them, in a warm and family-oriented atmosphere.
March : Saint Patrick's day
For St. Patrick’s Day, the kids celebrated with lots of joy and color! At school, everyone was dressed in green from head to toe, a must-follow tradition in the U.S. to avoid getting pinched (yes, it’s a funny rule here: if you’re not wearing green, someone can give you a little pinch!).
That day, the kids also had Lucky Charms, a popular American cereal known for its colorful marshmallow shapes, including shamrocks, rainbows, stars, and other lucky symbols. In some classrooms, teachers even organize shamrock or gold coin hunts (often golden chocolates), and tell stories about leprechauns, those mischievous little creatures from Irish folklore.
St. Patrick’s Day is a particularly playful celebration for children, filled with games, colors, and imagination centered around luck and Ireland.
Rematch : New family
Rematch: my last 6 months in the USA.
My host family in Albuquerque decided to leave the program because my host mom was going to change her schedule and would only be working two days a week. They no longer needed an au pair. I had a month to find a new family instead of the usual two weeks! I finally decided to match with a family in Denver, Colorado. !
I arrived in Denver in mid-April, in a family with three children: two boys aged 4 and 5, and a little girl who is 2 years old. It’s a very wealthy family! They bought a house for over 3 million dollars (photo) to give you an idea. They also have a housekeeper who takes care of everything: cooking, laundry, tidying up the house, etc..
The parents are really lovely, I adore them. However, the children have a lot of tantrums, for everything and nothing, which makes the days very complicated! Fortunately, I work as a team with the nanny, other caregivers, or even the parents, because managing the three children alone would be impossible..
Mai
"texte à venir"
Juin
"texte à venir"
Juillet
"texte à venir"
Second year, new family