I have mentioned here and there how I came to learn French, but I have never really shared my whole experience as an au pair. Today I will tell you about my experience, in case you would like to live in France, and you are looking into the possibility of being an au pair.
Knowing that she and another friend had been au pairs in Annecy, I knew how fairytale-like the city was, so deciding where I wanted to live was easy. Additionally, my friend recommended searching for families with kids over 4 years old, since I didn’t have any experience with kids, besides my cousins.
The next day I renewed my passport and started the search for a family. Unlike in the U.S, in France you don’t really need a third party to mediate between you and the family. You can go through the whole process by yourself. And that’s what I did.
My friend added me to an “Au Pairs in Annecy” Facebook group, where both families and au pairs would post about their needs and profiles. I contacted one au pair whose post was very similar to what I was looking for. I had only one interview with the family, during which we felt such a connection that after 40 minutes, we both decided we had found what we were looking for. (FIY: forums and agencies recommend having at least 3 interviews with the same family, as well as meeting other families, neither of which I had done).
The family was the one responsible for registering me in a French school (a requirement to participate in the program is to learn the French language) and for providing me with the work agreement. With those in hand, I was able to ask for a visa at the French embassy in Brazil. If you're curious about what the other requirements are, you can start by visiting this page.
When I first arrived at their house, my eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. As I opened my bedroom windows, there it was, right in front of me, that shiny, blue, beautiful “Lac d’Annecy”, just one block away. It seemed indeed like a fairytale. I was taking care of two girls, 8 and 10 years old at the time and I didn’t speak any French. It was a humbling experience, having to communicate with them, without speaking the language. They were super helpful and would teach me lots of French words. When the younger one found out I was using her books to help with my French vocabulary, she got super excited, and every day she would bring me a new one! As for the older one, her favorite activity was to cook desserts, and I was her assistant. I taught both of them how to embroider, as it became our activity when the Alps became white from the snow.
I was learning so much so fast, so I concluded that, if anyone wanted to learn French, they should absolutely consider the au pair program. Living with a local family is an experience that just visiting the country as a tourist cannot provide. I would eat what they ate, I would go where they went, and I would buy what they bought. I was living like a local.
Choosing a small town to live in was crucial to my learning. I had a handful of English-speaking friends and zero Brazilian friends. Most people I met were French, and not everyone spoke English, so I had no other choice but to make the effort, and to learn and to improve every single day. I knew I didn’t want to live in a big city like Paris because I wanted to experience the peace that other places could offer.
I remember how calm I became after living there. I could actually live in the present. Eat a sandwich by the lake, while watching the sun setting. I had meals that would last for hours with friends sitting around the table just talking. No one was worried about taking pictures for Instagram or checking their phones. Everyone was involved in the conversation, and actively listening. I also loved being around kids, and I had so many moments where I was reminded of how magical being a child was. Taking care of them made me a better daughter; I realized so many unfair things I’ve done or said to my mom when I was young, so I’d call her and apologize for things that I was only then understanding about life.
My experience as an au pair changed my life. It changed what I wanted for myself and how I wanted to live. Having learned French changed what I wanted from a job, and I would not be here at the French Library if not for that year I lived in Annecy. Here, I’m surrounded by people who love the same things I do. And I absolutely love it when someone tells me that they have been to Annecy. We could spend hours talking about the city and its beauty. If you are thinking about doing the Au Pair program or visiting the city, feel free to email me at membership@frenchlibrary.org so we can talk more about it.
How the idea came to me
In 2016, I was not content with my life. I had a job I didn’t like, no boyfriend, no excitement. I had just come back from a wonderful weekend in a city that I really loved, and it made me even more miserable to be back in my daily routine. As I shared my sad feelings with a friend, she blatantly told me “Why don’t you move to France as an au pair? You always wanted to live abroad and learn French, but you never really had the means to, nothing exciting is happening in your life, so you have nothing to lose. Just go”.Knowing that she and another friend had been au pairs in Annecy, I knew how fairytale-like the city was, so deciding where I wanted to live was easy. Additionally, my friend recommended searching for families with kids over 4 years old, since I didn’t have any experience with kids, besides my cousins.
The process
The next day I renewed my passport and started the search for a family. Unlike in the U.S, in France you don’t really need a third party to mediate between you and the family. You can go through the whole process by yourself. And that’s what I did.
My friend added me to an “Au Pairs in Annecy” Facebook group, where both families and au pairs would post about their needs and profiles. I contacted one au pair whose post was very similar to what I was looking for. I had only one interview with the family, during which we felt such a connection that after 40 minutes, we both decided we had found what we were looking for. (FIY: forums and agencies recommend having at least 3 interviews with the same family, as well as meeting other families, neither of which I had done).
The family was the one responsible for registering me in a French school (a requirement to participate in the program is to learn the French language) and for providing me with the work agreement. With those in hand, I was able to ask for a visa at the French embassy in Brazil. If you're curious about what the other requirements are, you can start by visiting this page.
Living in someone else’s home
When I first arrived at their house, my eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. As I opened my bedroom windows, there it was, right in front of me, that shiny, blue, beautiful “Lac d’Annecy”, just one block away. It seemed indeed like a fairytale. I was taking care of two girls, 8 and 10 years old at the time and I didn’t speak any French. It was a humbling experience, having to communicate with them, without speaking the language. They were super helpful and would teach me lots of French words. When the younger one found out I was using her books to help with my French vocabulary, she got super excited, and every day she would bring me a new one! As for the older one, her favorite activity was to cook desserts, and I was her assistant. I taught both of them how to embroider, as it became our activity when the Alps became white from the snow.
I was learning so much so fast, so I concluded that, if anyone wanted to learn French, they should absolutely consider the au pair program. Living with a local family is an experience that just visiting the country as a tourist cannot provide. I would eat what they ate, I would go where they went, and I would buy what they bought. I was living like a local.
Life in France
Choosing a small town to live in was crucial to my learning. I had a handful of English-speaking friends and zero Brazilian friends. Most people I met were French, and not everyone spoke English, so I had no other choice but to make the effort, and to learn and to improve every single day. I knew I didn’t want to live in a big city like Paris because I wanted to experience the peace that other places could offer.
I remember how calm I became after living there. I could actually live in the present. Eat a sandwich by the lake, while watching the sun setting. I had meals that would last for hours with friends sitting around the table just talking. No one was worried about taking pictures for Instagram or checking their phones. Everyone was involved in the conversation, and actively listening. I also loved being around kids, and I had so many moments where I was reminded of how magical being a child was. Taking care of them made me a better daughter; I realized so many unfair things I’ve done or said to my mom when I was young, so I’d call her and apologize for things that I was only then understanding about life.
My experience as an au pair changed my life. It changed what I wanted for myself and how I wanted to live. Having learned French changed what I wanted from a job, and I would not be here at the French Library if not for that year I lived in Annecy. Here, I’m surrounded by people who love the same things I do. And I absolutely love it when someone tells me that they have been to Annecy. We could spend hours talking about the city and its beauty. If you are thinking about doing the Au Pair program or visiting the city, feel free to email me at membership@frenchlibrary.org so we can talk more about it.
Bruna Franco
Marketing & Membership Manager
Bruna first joined the Center as a member, looking for an opportunity to practice French and to be around French culture. She is now thrilled to be the Membership Manager and to provide members with the amazing experience she was previously able to enjoy herself. She is a native Portuguese speaker who, by the age of eight, knew she wanted to be multilingual someday. Working at the French Library now seems like a dream come true.
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