More Than a Suitcase: The Story Every Au Pair Carries

It was supposed to be an exciting new beginning.

A young woman had travelled thousands of kilometres to live with a host family in a country she had never called home before. She was curious, hopeful, and ready for the adventure ahead. Then, unexpectedly, something as simple as seeing a long neck brought tears to her eyes.

It wasn't because she was afraid. It reminded her of Nila, the giraffe she had grown up caring for back home.

In that moment, excitement and homesickness existed side by side. It's a feeling many au pairs know well.

People often imagine becoming an au pair as the start of a brand-new chapter, learning a language, exploring a new country, and becoming part of another family. While all of that is true, every au pair also arrives carrying a lifetime of memories, relationships, traditions, and places that shaped who they are long before they packed a suitcase.

Sometimes those memories appear in unexpected ways. A familiar smell from the kitchen. A song that sounds like home. A favourite meal. Or something entirely ordinary that suddenly reminds them of someone they miss.

Homesickness isn't a sign that an au pair regrets their decision. More often, it's a reflection of how deeply they love the people and places they've left behind. Perhaps one of the most beautiful descriptions of homesickness is this: it's a memory asking for a hug.

Understanding this can make a remarkable difference during the first few weeks of an au pair placement. For host families, moments of quiet or emotion don't always mean something is wrong. An au pair may simply be adjusting to a new rhythm while processing everything they've experienced. A little patience, genuine curiosity, and a simple question like, "Would you like to tell us about home?" can help someone feel seen and understood.

For au pairs, sharing those memories can also become part of the cultural exchange. The stories you tell about your family traditions, favourite foods, childhood pets, or places that matter to you don't take away from your new experience; they enrich it. They allow your host family to discover the person behind the childcare, and they create opportunities to learn from one another.

The most meaningful cultural exchanges rarely happen during sightseeing trips or language lessons. They happen around the dinner table, during everyday conversations, and in the small moments when someone feels safe enough to share a piece of home.

At its heart, being an au pair has never been about leaving one life behind to begin another. It's about carrying your own story into someone else's home and discovering that there's room for both.

Because every au pair arrives with a suitcase.

But they also arrive with memories, traditions, friendships, and loved ones. The families who take the time to understand that they aren't simply welcoming an au pair into their home; they're welcoming an entire story.