From Colombia to Germany and from Germany to Austria
✨My Au Pair story
Began at the age of 22. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. The plans I had made during school didn't turn out the way I expected for my future. I felt trapped in an endless routine.
Then, unexpectedly, the opportunity to go to Germany as an au pair appeared.
And I just thought, "Oh my God! Germany…" The country of my dreams: its culture, architecture, history…
Although, to be honest, beyond that, I had no idea of the great challenges this would bring.
I never imagined myself learning German, but I said: "Well, why not give it a try? The worst that can happen is that I don't like it."
At the beginning, adapting was honestly very hard, not only because my German was just good enough to say "Guten Morgen – Good morning", "Danke schön – Thank you", and "Nein – No", but also because I had to unlearn so many things I thought I knew and learn them again from scratch. I had to make double the effort to learn such a complicated language as German.
Even though I tried to connect with the host family I arrived to in Berlin, it was nothing like I expected. However, the bitter experience of leaving Colombia at such a young age, with no clue of how life in another country would be… DIDN'T STOP ME!
I learned so many valuable lessons that helped me grow as a person, to open up, and to truly get to know myself. Things I probably would have never learned inside my comfort zone.
So, I started looking for a new host family on my own. And when I say on my own, I mean it at the beginning of my process, I worked with an agency that offered me no help when things turned bad.
After many video calls, messages, and endless travels… I was finally able to connect with an amazing family in the south of Germany, with three wonderful kids.
The best part? I felt so welcomed, it felt like being at home like an older sister taking care of her playful and mischievous little siblings. Every day was a new adventure, a new lesson, and a new experience that became a fundamental part of this choco-adventure.
Our connection was so strong that I'm still friends with the family ☺️. From time to time, I visit them, because they truly made this experience unforgettable. I discovered so many places, met wonderful people… something I thought would only remain a dream, and today, it's a reality.
At 24, I'm now two months away from finishing another year as an au pair in Austria, with a lovely family from whom I've also learned so much. They've taught me, embraced me as a family member, and have been a key support for all the dreams and projects I've been building since I decided to pack my whole life into a suitcase to start this new journey.
Yes! This is not the end. Although my time in Austria will soon come to an end, it's just the beginning of a new chapter in Germany to continue pursuing my medium and long-term projects.
Thanks to that decision to leave my comfort zone, I learned far more than culture and adaptation. I learned key lessons that have been essential to who I am today, to what I'm doing, and to what I'm building for the future I've always dreamed of.
Michelle Castillo
24 years old