Last month I turned 25 and so far it feels quite promising. Big changes are coming my way.
Growing up in Texas and attending a predominately conservative university made me think I would be married and possibly with child by now. No offense to those who have taken that path, but I thank my lucky stars I did not. I realized a couple years ago that I'm not in any way ready for that lifestyle and I want to take full advantage of this time I have as a single young adult.
A month from now I will be boarding an airplane and making my way to a foreign land to live with a family I have never met. Not only have I never been to Rome, I have never even crossed the Atlantic. My upcoming journey will only span three months, but I am ecstatic and terrified all at the same time. The idea that so many things could go wrong spikes my anxiety through the roof and thinking about waltzing around the eternal city with camera in hand makes me giddy with joy.
My correspondence with the family began after connecting on the Au Pair World website. Their profile looked appealing to me as they only have one child, a four year old girl, and were asking for minimal hours during the week. As much as I love kids and would like to spend time with her, I also want to explore the ancient city of Rome and immerse myself in the culture as much as humanly possible during my 90 day stay. After a Skype session and many emails back and forth, we were a match! A few days later I took a very deep breath and booked my flight. It is not easy watching that much money drain from a bank account that I have worked long and hard to sustain. Fingers crossed and hoping I can later say, "It is the best money I ever spent!"
Ok. Flight: check. Now....... a million gazillion more details to consider before heading to the land of wine and pasta. What should I do about a phone while I'm there? What credit card should I use? What's a foreign transaction fee? Wait. Crap. I don't have credit. Hey there mom and dad... What sunglasses are going to transform me into an italian super model? How many steps will I need to walk each day to support an unhealthy gelato addiction? All extremely pressing questions, of course. ;)