Not sure if you remember me, but I'm the one who normally posts things on this blog. My name is Kaitlin, nice to meet you. This blog has most definitely been neglected over the past few months.
I'll be honest, with my discovery of Pinterest (You can follow me
here) several months ago; I've begun to wonder what purpose my blog now serves.
So that combined with working a full-time job and a part-time job and trying to make a conscious effort to stay connected with everyone in my world...it happened...I forgot about my blog. So for those of you who actually followed it, I do apologize, but I am also coming to understand that life is about so much more than an online presence! I am SO guilty of getting caught up in constantly checking my FB, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, ughhh the list goes on… I enjoy all of these things, like sharing my life, and connecting with people who aren't right in front of me. But I also have to recognize those who are right in front of me. I want to be someone who is engaged in today and its happenings, not stuck with my eyeballs glued to a screen. (Especially since that's what I do ALL DAY LONG at work!) So that's the blog story. I love reading other blogs! I posted about my favourites a little while back...definitely check them out!
But the purpose of this post was not to explain my lack of posting. In fact, it's actually to let you know that there may be a bit more activity 'round these parts in the upcoming months. My life is changing BIG TIME. I also want to preface this by saying that if you didn't hear my news directly from me, I'm sorry. Everything has come together very quickly and I haven't been able to tell everyone face to face. If you've heard "rumours" through someone else, not to worry, here's the full lowdown straight from my fingertips...
I am moving to Melbourne, Australia. Wow, I just typed that.
Why, you may ask… Why not?
I am at the ultimate place in life to take time and do some of the things I've always dreamed about. I've had several close friends go traveling on their own recently and they have all told me to do the same. I've been wanting to, but never really took a step forward with any of these dreams. I could easily tell myself things like "What about your job?" "What will you do when you get back" and the constant "What if________!" but I'll never go if I continue to make up reasons and excuses for why it wouldn't work. So with all these desires burning in my heart and chatting with lots of friends who have had similar experiences, I decided to just make the decision that I was going to do this. Start a new chapter in my life.
I knew, however, that I didn't want to go into this blindly, or without some kind of plan, at least to start out. I also know that I want my trip to have a purpose. Not to just see cool things, but to go because I know God has put the desires in my heart for a reason, and that He has an even bigger purpose for this trip...one that I don't even fully understand yet. I also know that I need to take some time away from my family and friends and just be on my own. Not alone, because God goes with me, but by myself to think about things and get a fresh perspective on life.
I began to look into finding a job as an
au pair. {A young foreign person, typically a woman, who helps with housework or child care in exchange for room and board.}
I was recommended by a friend who had done the same thing to go to a country where I can speak the same language as the children I’d be caring for. And seeing as I only speak English, I decided to set my search on an au pair website to find families in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. I began to apply to families found a few options within days… I was amazed. The first few families I corresponded with didn't work out or they were already deciding between two au pairs. But then I received a message from a Canadian woman living in Melbourne and she seemed very excited to communicate with me. We had a phone call and a Skype call and within a few 2 weeks of making a profile on the au pair site, I had a job!
I have never had a job opportunity come together so smoothly. We’ve been in touch through email and I'm super excited to meet her four year old son and five year old daughter! Her husband is from Germany and travels a lot for work; she is in university full time to become a teacher. So, my role will mostly involve driving the kids to and from school (on the other side of the road!) walking the dog, tidying the kitchen, and other small tasks like helping with homework, taking them to soccer, etc. I'm not a full time nanny, just there to assist. I will be living with them and have a car to use most of the time. My hours are Monday-Friday 8-5ish with nights and weekends free.
The plan is to be with them until the end of November, because my original intention was to come home for Christmas. I'm not too sure yet what will happen. I'm going to play it by ear and see how things go. At the end of my time there, I'd like to see the rest of Australia and New Zealand if possible. It will take lots of thinking and praying, so I don’t have an official return date. I think that's all there is to say! If you just so happen to be in Melbourne in the next few months, look me up! ;) I leave August 14. Yes, that's 3 weeks from today!
AHHHHH!!!!
If you have any questions about my trip, or if you’d like to send me an email while I’m away, you can send them to kaitlinkubassek@gmail.com
