Au Pairs Go on an American Campout

Au pairs in North Carolina enjoyed a typical American camping experience in the Carolina Hemlocks in Burnsville! Area Director Susanne typically hosts an annual campout with her group of au pairs every year. Last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic, but luckily this past September she and her au pairs got to enjoy a weekend camping under the stars before the summer came to an end.

“This is the fourth year I have hosted a campout for my au pairs. It has been consistently my au pairs favorite cultural connection event, so I was grateful to be able to resume the tradition!”, Susanne said. The au pairs were able to go swimming and tubing in the beautiful Toe River at the campsite. They also enjoyed roasting hot dogs, smores, and making stick bread!

As they gathered around the campfire, they shared their future travel plans and learned more about one another’s countries. One Argentinian au pair taught them about the tradition of sharing Mate, a loose-leaf tea from Argentina, and it became a special highlight that weekend! For many au pairs, this was their first-time ever camping.

Yolanda from Mexico said,

It was super fun! To know new people and share our stories.

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Liana from Colombia shared,

It was my first time camping and I had a lot of fun, thank you for organizing the event!

Since the pandemic, many of these au pairs only had the chance to connect virtually with one another, so this event was the perfect way to socialize and end the summer with a fun activity. Like many other countries, Americans love to camp! Certain camping traditions like marshmallow and s’mores, campfire sing-alongs, and ghost stories are typical camping activities in the US. This event made for the perfect opportunity for cultural exchange and creating life-long memories with new friends. Enriching moments like this are what make the au pair experience worthwhile for so many!

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AuPairCare is a premier international au pair agency designated by the U.S. Department of State. AuPairCare combines quality childcare and cultural exchange, bringing a diverse world of food, languages, and culture into American homes. AuPairCare has matched more than 80,000 au pairs with American families across the U.S. AuPairCare is a division of Intrax, a family of organizations that provide a lifetime of high quality educational, work, and volunteer programs that connect people and cultures.

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