Hello! My name is Julio Cesar Ramirez. In 2013 I was an Au Pair in France through GeoVisions. I had such an awesome time that I decided to do it again- this time in China! I recently arrived in Shanghai where I met my host family.
I immediately fell in love with how warm and welcoming they are. I will be looking after Mathew, who is in 1st grade and a cello player. His sister Jessie is 18 months and is the cutest dumpling I have ever seen. She is super smart, and like me- loves to eat! I will share more of my experiences and photos in the coming months, but right now I'm still a bit jet lagged!
I began as an Au Pair when I was 20 years old in a small town near the city of Paris called Bailly Romainvilliers. Before I left, many laughed that I was becoming an Au Pair.
It means I am someone who stands out among the rest and has the gumption to actually board a plane and leave what is known as my comfort zone.
There should be a sense of pride in what we do everyday when we wake up. I would like to encourage all of you to take this step in becoming an Au Pair. Step out of your comfort zone. As an Au Pair, I realized traveling matures you a lot. It allows you to appreciate more of what you have back home, but it also allows you to open new doors into new opportunities.
I chose to be an Au Pair in the beginning not because I knew all of this. I joined with all honesty because I thought to myself PARIS! TRAVEL! AWESOME FOOD! Which all of these did happen, but when I arrived I realized it was not just about food. It was not just about Paris or travel. It was also a new beginning.
The family I stayed with in Paris was from Gabon, Africa. I learned so much from them, including great French cooking from their Nana. However, the most important thing I learned was the importance of family and appreciating every culture.
My experience as an Au Pair in France left me anxious to be placed in a new country and do it again. When my wonderful coordinator, Jodi, at GeoVisions told me there was a great opportunity as an Au Pair in China, I immediately said yes! And here I am!
--Julio
