What to Pack for a Year Abroad

I was overwhelmed when I first realised that I was going to have to pack my life into a suitcase. It seemed like an impossible task - how could I fit in everything I needed? I could have bought two more suitcases, but instead I set myself the challenge of fitting it all in to one 20kg suitcase, and one 10kg bag. It's actually worked out very well, so I thought I would write a basic list of what to include in your packing.

Clothes:

4x t-shirts

3x jumpers

2/3x smart tops 

3x pairs of jeans/trousers (2x old, 1x smart)

2x skirts/shorts (I think shorts are better, they're much more practical)

2x jackets (one for summer, one for winter)

A scarf, a hat, a pair of gloves, sunglasses
2x smart outfits that you can mix and match (always good to have this option, it can seem rude if you turn up underdressed)

Shoes:
1x boots
1x trainers
2x flats

Technical:
You'll need your phone and whatever else you have, e.g. a laptop, and chargers
Headphones
You may need plug adapters depending on where you live

Extras:
Make up
Shampoo
Conditioner (don't bother saving space by buying the travel size ones, they're somehow more expensive than the regular size!)
Books (always take at least one thing that is written in your mother tongue, you'll start to really miss it after a few weeks)
A few photos from home
Postcards, paper, pens, envelopes etc. so you can write to friends and family (or you could save paper and utilise the tools of the 21st century and just send them an email instead)
Money. Always take a little bit of money out with you, just in case you need something before you get paid. Convert it before you go abroad to reduce the stress

And that's about it. If you're going to Germany remember to bring a pair of flip flops or slippers (or both) with you, as the Germans have a thing about bare feet inside, and always wear 'house shoes'. 

Choosing to be an Au Pair

These days there are several options for gap years. Volunteering, teaching English as a foreign language, and inter railing are all popular. I chose to be an au pair because it seemed like the only option which had a guaranteed pay check (albeit a small one), as well as the fact it was arguably the best way to improve my knowledge of German and get to know the country.

I also enjoy working with children. There is something quite relieving about working with children (as long as you have a balance between spending time with children and spending time with adults). The world becomes a little bit smaller, less terrible and more interesting when you spend time with children.

Au pairing is also relatively easy. My jobs include picking up the children, feeding them, waking them, helping them to get dressed and typical household chores. It is quite the opposite of slaving over essays, books and revision, it almost feels like a break or a holiday. I am not responsible for the 'bigger things' like food shopping and I don't have to pay taxes. It's like spending a year as an honorary teenager, before having to be a proper adult and wholly responsible for myself.

This means I have the chance to grow as a human being, and because of this I feel like I will be more prepared for when I finish au pairing and get a 'proper' job. I also get to make some wonderful friends, stay with some truly lovely people, and become a member of a new family. There is a One Tree Hill quotation about happiness, which says that happiness might be achieved through the "quiet nobility of leading a good life" and this is exactly what I get to do.

As lovely as it is to enjoy this, I also know that I could only do it for a short period of time, and thus it fuels my motivation to make something of myself, and to make a solid, successful career.

Did you consider being an au pair? What else have other au pairs noticed? Let me know.