Meet Juanica, a South African Au Pair in the USA whose journey has been nothing short of inspiring! 💛 From snorkelling in Hawai’i to weekend road trips and unforgettable friendships, Juanica’s story captures exactly what it means to step out of your comfort zone and embrace adventure.

 

In this blog, she shares her favourite memories, lessons learned, and why she believes everyone should experience being an Au Pair at least once. Whether you’re already planning your Au Pair journey or just dreaming about it, her story will give you all the motivation you need to take the leap! 🌍✨ 

 

When 1 turned 2 – oh, the stories I could tell you!

 

United States of America, how could I summarize my two years on your soil other than a grand solo adventure?

After completing my one-year program a rock throw from Seattle in Washington state, I decided to extend my stay for another year – this time in Texas. What a contrast exchanging the beautiful evergreen Pacific Northwest for the majestic Southern drawl down under in the Bible belt of Fort Worth, Texas. From real roller coasters to emotional ones, I am sharing my wild and wonderful journey with you! 

 

The start of it all!

 

My USA journey did not start in New York, as I flew directly to my new host family in Washington! I had an almost 12-hour flight to Paris, met by a 5-hour layover, after which I had an eleven-hour flight to Seattle. I remember seeing a plane hang from the airport roof – proper excitement rushed through my veins! Probably from the cold as well, ha! While walking to the car at the airport, I almost got in on the driver’s side, as the previous day I still drove on the (now) passenger seat!

What a wild experience driving on the other side of both road and car! You adapt much faster than you would think! My host dad brought Lays chips and Sprite with when he picked me up, which I really appreciated. I settled in easily and quickly came to love my host kid like my very own brother! Along with the other 2 who’d soon join the family! We had a full house and even fuller hearts! I learned so much from my previous host family, from investments, a new language and even different foods. I love the cultural exchange part of the Au Pair program! 

 

Lifelong friendships

 

Once a month our Local Counsellor Coordinator organized a cluster meeting with all of the au pairs in the area. They truly are what you make them to be! I have met some of my closest friends at them! Anna (from Mexico) helped me bleach and colour my hair blue, ha! Brazilian Rafael shares a mutual love for music and ice-cream with me! I once tried matcha with crickets (yep!) flavour! Izzy from Germany became my book-lover friend and even came to visit me where I am currently au pairing in Texas!

The CAP pre-departure video call was one week before I fly to the US, where I met Myron on the call. We both did a credit course in Boston where we met in person – and it was a total surprise! We decided to save money on Uber and took the scenic (and far) way to class by walking! We saw so much of the city that way and formed such a cool bond! One of my best friends also became an au pair, but in Wisconsin, which called for a visit! Make that 2! We went camping, hiking, I joined her for her Au Pair cluster meeting, we got matching Uno Wilderness cars, had way too many ice-creams, she helped me catch my first firefly, I got to help her with her host kids, and I was also introduced to Culvers here!

 

For my 2nd credit course, I flew to New Jersey for a cooking class where I met another South African, Kristen (who’s actually a qualified chef!). We shared a hotel room and Uber rides to class. We had the best sushi, visited the original Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, took the train to New York after class where we went on the Staten Island Ferry (for free) to see Lady Liberty. We also had an Uber drop us off at the end of Brooklyn bridge to walk it back all the way! We became such good friends that I went to visit her in South Carolina, where we took a road trip through Savanna to Tybee Island and Wormsloe Plantation-where the Last Song was filmed, as well as visit the Cypress Gardens in Charleston, the filming place for parts of The Notebook!

At my CAP Orientation Day in Pretoria a few years back, I met a girl named Simone, who currently lives in South Dakota! She invited me for a visit, and so I went! On the way back, I got stuck in a massive blizzard (snowstorm) that came out of nowhere! I was so scared, but God is so faithful to help us out of tricky situations! The car glided off of the road twice, but a truck driver stopped, asked me if he could help and gently lifted the front of the car while I could slowly reverse back onto the road! 

 

Unexpected “highs”

 

Uber driver conversations that turn into prayer sessions, learning to read the GPS navigations while driving, taking a 38-hour Amtrak train to Minnesota to see a polar bear – only to fly back 2 hours later. You never know it all – just as I felt confident in being ready for my flight back after a summer trip, I missed my flight because I completely forgot that driving across 5 states had a one-hour time zone difference! It is all part of the journey; learn to enjoy the inconvenience. 

 

Some of my favourite memories

 

– Snorkelling the Molokai crater in Hawai’i, driving the road to Hana and eating from a pineapple!

– I love the southern accent here in Texas, as well as the LO Sister conference in Louisiana, where I got to visit the Duck Dynasty tv-show store and hear Phil Robertson preach!

– Standing 3 meters and barefoot from gators at Gatorland, going on an airboat ride, holding a baby gator and trying gator nuggets and key lime pie was a dream!

– I smile looking back at my two daytrips, one through New Hampshire to Maine, the other to Washington D.C from New York.

– I also went on a weekend trip to Las Vegas, where I drove to Pineapple bowl in Hawai’i on the 5-hour layover in Utah.

– Another highlight trip was my first train ride from San Luis Obispo down to San Diego and back! I loved staying at different hostels and the flexibility of figuring out how to do things on my own!

– I would highly recommend doing proper research and going on trips by yourself even if others do not want to join!

– I relied on my common sense and tried to stay safe by seeing what the locals did but also went out to see what I wanted to!

– There was always someone who knew my exact location.

– I bought a scratch pad and stickers of the states which was such a good motivation to go see more!

– I have grown so much throughout this journey, learning to cherish my friends and family even deeper, holding on to hugs a little longer, laugh a little louder, check in on people more often, and navigate language barriers much more patiently, as this humbles you.

– Of course there were some proper hard days filled with silent tears, but I would encourage anyone who’s interested to au pair for a year!

– If it happens to be a bad experience or positive experience – do it anyway so that you are able to tell it for yourself! 

 

 

Janica’s journey reminds us that being an Au Pair is so much more than childcare – it’s about growth, courage, and discovering who you are along the way. 💙 Every adventure, challenge, and memory has shaped her into someone stronger, more independent, and deeply connected to the world around her.

 

If you’ve ever wondered what life as a South African Au Pair in the USA is really like, take this as your sign to start your own story with Carla’s Au Pairs. Your adventure could be next! 🌎💛

 

👉 Start your journey today: https://www.carlasaupairs.co.za/enquiries/