A Daily Schedule of an Au Pair

As an au pair, people often overlook the lesser-known facts of the au pair life - the work related injuries! So here for your interest and edification, here is a general schedule of events in my day, noting any injuries acquired on the job....

7.30am - Start preparing breakfast for children

7.45am - Being towel-flicked by older children (pain and bruises ensue) 

10.00am - Riding bikes outside

10.05am - Children repeatedly crashing bikes into my shins (scratches and bruises all over)

2.00pm - Take children to the pool

2.20pm - Children splash me until I am drenched (cold and wet)

4.00pm - Children pretend to be crocodiles 

4.01pm - Crocodiles eat my feet and legs and steal my socks (bruises and cold feet)

5.00pm - Karaoke with children

5.05pm - Children scream repeatedly in my ears (deafened)

5.30pm - Children begin climbing up me

5.31pm - Children successfully climb up me and grab tightly to my hair to remain stable (bruises and hair-loss)

6.30pm - Eating dinner 

6.35pm - Children begin occasionally wiping their grubby hands and noses on my pants and top (dirty clothing)

7.30pm - Getting ready for bed

7.31pm - Children kick me in the face while I put on their bedtime diapers. (bruises and potentially broken nose)

8.00pm - Children asleep, assess damage and bruises on my body, rest for next day. 

HAHAHA. It's true, I am constantly abused in my job, but Oh I do love my kiddos!!!! For every bruise they give me, they also give me a bucketload of kisses and cuddles!  

Seattle Sounders!

I have been wanting to see the Seattle Sounders (Seattle's soccer team) play all year but I never got around to it, or else I had other things to spend the money on instead. But thankfully for me, just three weeks shy of leaving Seattle, I was able to go to a home game of the Sounders vs the Vancouver Whitecaps!

The stadium was huge and I was surprised at how full it was for the game - over 40,000 spectators!!

The sun was shining, it was the most perfect evening for the game. And it was a great game to watch, lots of action! I really love soccer and I have not been to a professional game in many years, it was so wonderful to experience it - even better, the Sounders won 3-2!

Sounders game: tick!

Preparations!

Since buying my car almost a year ago, I have become quite the expert on making roadtrips super fun and easy by thinking of all the small things (and big things!) that make each trip run smoothly in the most comfortable way. Today I began the process of preparing the car again for a much larger adventure - a 2 week roadtrip starting in late June.

My beloved Stallion!

As most of you know, last year I installed a foam mattress to transform the back of the trunk into a bed - it still remains one of the most comfortable places I know of! I think I am also pretty much the only person who carries a portable vacuum cleaner and carpet spray in my car - I like to keep it clean on the road!!

I picked up some sheets and pillowcases very cheaply at thrift shops to make up my bed, it tends to stay very warm in the back of the car so it is not necessary to have a lot of big blankets. That was definitely something I learned along the way - to begin with I was so scared that I would be cold, I brought so many blankets with me, and was so hot!

Pardon the imperfect wrinkles on the bed... Do you have any idea how difficult it is to make the bed simply using the side door of the car? 

Making the bed is always lots of fun, but sometimes it is hard to keep out little bits of gravel or twigs that always seem to be around the car. I always like to make the bed properly, then, while fully made, fold the mattress over and pack it up and put the seats back up. That way, when I arrive at my stop for the night I can simply put the seats down, clear away the bags of food and clothing, fold back the mattress and everything is all ready to go! 

Bed made, folded away (still all tucked and made) and seats back up, ready to go!

For me, some of the biggest things that I have learned about roadtripping have been:

- the importance of little breaks. I am usually a real stickler to schedules, especially if I feel time pressure to get to a certain place, so there have been many times that I have just wanted to drive and drive without stopping. But sometimes, that little stop, that 5 minute rest to have a drink of water, to stretch the legs out - really makes all the difference. You can always push on through and be miserable and grumpy and drowsy as you drive, but those little breaks do the world of good in a roadtrip, get you feeling good again and reignite the joy factor - and really, what else is a roadtrip all about??

- the importance of fresh foods. When you're on the Interstate for a long time, you get sick of gas station convenience stores really quickly.

- baby wipes, baby wipes, baby wipes - you can use these for literally anything.

- McDonalds - Moan all you want about their nutrition, there is nothing as glorious as an air conditioned, clean, spacious McDonalds to a traveler.

- Filling up at half way - A tip that I learnt that I love and will ALWAYS use - fill up the tank whenever it hits half. It means forced breaks, makes you feel like you are spending less on gas, and gives you assurance that you will never run out of gas on a lonely scenic highway with no gas station for miles (yes, I was in a situation like that once, luckily I got to a gas station at the last second, but it was too close for comfort for me!).

- Be wise (and creative) about food to take - when eating on the road costs can add up really quickly! I always try to think ahead of non-perishable, non-refrigerated items that I can stock up on so that I am not forever stopping to buy food. Sometimes the strangest combinations work, my favourite roadtrip meal ever was a crazy mix-together of canned tuna, canned whole potatoes, mayo and canned green beans. I still remember that meal fondly!

- Take some water but mostly buy it along the way - four words : hot water, not nice.

- Roadtrip music - is there anything more important??

- Pack a tonne of band aids - I think its my biggest travel tip. I always have about two packets worth of band aids with me when I travel - you never know when you might use them - blisters, cuts, fixing things that break - there are 1001 uses for them.

- Pack the little things - When I pack I am generally like a drill sergeant in that I pack super light and simply throw away anything non-essential - and I am really ruthless about it. Well, I have come to the realisation that there are some little non-essential items that make me feel more human, and that's important when traveling and on the road! Case in point, at one point I refused to take a facial moisturiser, and instead only took sunscreen. Then it came to the second or third evening, and I had been slathering on this sunscreen all day, it smelt like sunscreen, I could even taste it on my mouth as it had soaked in during the day. I felt hot and sticky and oily and tired. I washed my face with soap and cold water before going to bed and I wanted to rehydrate my skin by putting on some moisturiser like I normally would, but my heart sank when I remembered that I only had the sunscreen. The last thing I wanted to do was put the sunscreen on again! I'm not the type to really complain, so I just used the sunscreen like I had planned, but ever since then, I have deemed facial moisturiser as an essential item!!

Snow, Sun and the Wild West: The North Cascade Loop

While my mum Corinne, and her partner Basil were over here in Seattle, I really wanted to give them a taste of all the different faces of Washington State. Right after the San Juan Islands trip (in fact, the very next day) we loaded ourselves into my mighty Stallion Subaru and headed east to do the famous North Cascade Loop. The North Cascade loop travels over the Cascade mountain range, through little Western-style towns like Winthrop, and then looping south to Wenatchee and Chelan, and back towards Seattle via the Bavarian style village of Leavenworth. 

Our route! Just casually doing over 400 miles in one day... yes, this is what travelling with me is like

I am familiar with the south part of the loop because of the times that I travelled to Leavenworth and Plain with my host family when they went skiing, however I had never done the top part of the loop and I was very keen to do it - especially to see Winthrop, which is a real movie-set type of Western town! It was great to be able to take Corinne and Basil to a place that I had not been either, it meant we were all experiencing something new together. 

The Cascade mountains fence in Seattle on the east side, a majestic mountain range which create many different landscapes as you drive through. There are valleys, ridges, gently curving roads undulating over hills, wild rapid rivers, dams far down below, and snow capped peaks. I had kept it a secret from Corinne and Basil about all the different terrain we would be driving through - it's always more breathtaking when you don't know what to expect (I really just said to them "tomorrow we'll do the North Cascade Loop and see Winthrop, its lovely, just trust me, see you at 9!"). Basil, being from hot hot hot Australia, was particularly taken aback by seeing the snow! He had not really seen snow up close, he loved it! In some places, the snow was still visible right up to the roadside. Other places it was just the remainder dusting the peaks left over from the big winter snow dumpings. In fact, some sections of this road are closed in winter due to the heavy snow and ice on the roads. 

After a gorgeous drive over the mountains the terrain started levelling out and we came through an area of lush green plains of farms. Not long after that we arrived in Winthrop. Winthrop had just been a regular town, until one resident in the 1970's had the idea to resurrect the 'Wild West' history of the town by redoing all the shopfronts into the fully-fledged Western theme. The whole town jumped on board and now when you enter the town, it really is like stepping back in time, just like being in a movie! There were wooden boardwalks, Saloons, and cowboy hats everywhere!

As kitsch as it might sound, the town felt very laid back and genuine, it did not feel like some fake Disneyland or something. It was actually really lovely and very enjoyable to spend time there. We ate a lovely lunch, bought cowboy hats (how could we resist?), and just generally had a good time!

As the afternoon wore on, it was soon time for us to hitch up our pony and ride out of town. We continued driving, each new leg of the journey took us through different scenery. We got to Lake Chelan in the late afternoon - it was so stunning to see!

Lake Chelan

I was so pleased that I could show Corinne and Basil the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, mainly because it simply is such a curious concept! We did not stay long, just drove through - it's enough just to see it.

We continued on and our appetites were growing. We had planned on eating dinner in Leavenworth, but none of us particularly felt like stopping in Leavenworth, so I suggested a fabulous 50's style American Diner which is a short drive out of town. We drove there, and I was mercilessly berated by my passengers because I had mistakenly thought it was nearer than it was - I told them it was a 10 minute drive when it was actually a 30 minute drive (out in the middle of the mountains where every store is so spread apart, 30 minutes feels like 10!). We finally arrived and enjoyed a lovely meal and the best milkshake in Washington. It was a good pit stop before the final leg of our journey back to Seattle.

The diner!

As we drove home, Corinne read some more of the ebook we had started in the San Juan Islands, it was a thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable way of passing the time as the light began to fade over the land. 

Well, another tick off my To-Do list, another fabulous roadtrip, another great day with Corinne and Basil! North Cascade Loop - highly recommended!

A Journey to the San Juan Islands

On a grey Friday morning we (my mum Corinne, her partner Basil, and I) jumped in my fabulous Stallion and trekked up to Anacortes and caught the ferry over to the San Juan Islands, a small cluster of islands, just shy of the Canadian border. We first traveled to the biggest of the islands - San Juan Island. Initially I had planned for us to leave the car at Anacortes and simply walk on the ferry, since I had heard that the island was very easy to navigate simply on foot, but at the last minute we decided to take the car - and I was so glad that we did!!! 

The boat ride over was so breathtaking. Our ferry meandered through harbours and past tiny islands, multimillion dollar properties and beautiful rock formations. 

We reached the island and immediately began driving all over the place getting a feel for the island. It was wonderful. Refreshingly beautiful. The island centered around a small downtown area filled with shops and restaurants, and then the roads stretched out to each corner of the island - to whale and bird watching spots.

We stayed for awhile at each place, although we saw no whales, and not much bird life apart from rather large seagulls. 

Spot the whales.... no, we couldn't either

It was fabulous to be by the water, enjoying the peace and calm of it all as we optimistically kept watch for whales. We explored the area a little, visiting the lighthouse and looking in some rockpools at the sealife.

After a long time we gave up on the whales (although we were highly suspicious that they would show up just as we left). We headed back to town, checked into our hotel and relaxed for a while before heading to a local restaurant for dinner.

Quaint little post office opposite our hotel.

The next morning we made the most of a rather unappetizing hotel breakfast buffet, then headed back to the ferry terminal to explore the next island - Orcas Island. Orcas Island is laid out quite differently to San Juan Island. It is a horseshoe shaped island and the main village is at the middle of the horseshoe, about 20 minutes drive from the ferry terminal. Orcas Island was an experience all of its own. The further along the road I drove, the more my heart began to melt! I really fell in love with this island. It was beautiful in a different way to the first island we were on. By the time we hit the village I was about to die of contentment!

Orcas Island village is a quaint, spirited community. There are sweet little shops, a farmer's market, and an atmosphere that spoke to my soul!!! The buildings were all colonial style wooden houses, brightly coloured with idyllic picket fences and wild flowers. I just loved it. I felt like Anne of Green Gables. It also had an alternative lifestyle vibe about it, it felt very relaxed.

We tore ourselves away from the village to explore the island a bit more (we were trying to work in with the ferry schedule). I took us to a lookout at Mt Constitution, on the eastside of the island. We slowly wound up the mountain, and even before we stopped at the lookout, we were all left breathless at the view.

It was truly magnificent. Gently rolling slopes and mountains, curving out towards the sea, islands dotted around the waters, water stretching and hugging around each land mass, forests blanketing whole islands, painting them in a rich dark green hue. It was gorgeous. We reluctantly piled ourselves back in the car and headed back to the ferry terminal.

We made it in perfect time and took our next ferry to Lopez Island. We got off at Lopez island and, to be perfectly honest, felt a little deflated at what we found there. It had a considerably different feel to the other islands, felt more clean-cut, more developed. It did not inspire that explorer in me, in fact, I just wanted to get off the island and leave! Corinne and Basil were feeling the same. After Orcas island, Lopez just did not impress us. We drove around for a while, stopped once or twice to get a cold drink, and then chose to head to the ferry terminal early and wait for the next boat. While we were waiting, Corinne and I took turns reading aloud an ebook I had saved on my nexus. We continued reading it on the ferry back to Anacortes. The more we read, the more we were hooked. In fact, Corinne read the book all the way from Anacortes back to Seattle, it was so riveting!

So all in all, the San Juan Islands were beautiful, captivating, rejuvenating. I would definitely recommend taking a car, otherwise you could feel quite stuck. Orcas Island was by far my favourite. I would go back there in a heartbeat. We had great food on all the islands, it was a great weekend!

Around Seattle: Sharing Seattle with my Mum!!

After not seeing her for almost a year and a half, I was so blessed to have my mum and her partner, Basil, come and visit me right here in Seattle! 

It was neat to be able to show her around 'my' city, take them to all my favourite places and cafes. We were lucky to get some good weather too! Here are a few of the must-see places that I took them to...

Gas works park! My favourite park with the best city skyline view of the Seattle downtown!

We also spent some time in Fremont to visit the Theo chocolate factory (yum yum), see the Lenin statue, the famous troll under the bridge and other outdoor sculptures.

Greenlake! My second favourite place! We walked, chatted and drank coffee all in true Seattle style (actually, I don't drink coffee - chai latte for me!). We brought the twins with us but for whatever reason, the poor dears were tired and grumpy pretty much the whole time, so we carried them a lot - lucky kids!

Ahhh Greenlake on a beautiful day!

Of course what tour of Seattle could be complete without a visit to Pike Place Market! We had a good nosey around, sampling the sights, smells and tastes of the market.

We also saw the waterfront area, and Ballard neighbourhood. We stopped for a drink in the Kangaroo & Kiwi - a New Zealand/Australian pub right here in Seattle! It was so familiar, just like being at home in New Zealand - it was almost a little strange!

Edmonds is also a lovely little village just North of Seattle, and close to where I live, Corinne and Basil stayed in a hotel there and I was thrilled because Edmonds is a great place, right on the beach, full of charm, fairy lights, boutique shops and cafes. They were even able to take the ferry to Kingston to have a nice wander and a brunch.

There is so much to see in Seattle, and unfortunately I was still working, so I could not show them everything - of course, it would be impossible to cram everything into only a few days anyway. I tried to take them to Seattle's famous Paseo sandwich shack, but it was closed (always my luck)! But Corinne and Basil were buoyant spirits, and they happily went along with the places I took them, as well as planned their own outings. They visited the Boeing factory and went to the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett. They also went to a motorbike get together outside a bar in Ballard - I say good on them for getting around and about - Lord knows its not easy in Seattle with public transport!

As larger excursions, I took them to the San Juan Islands and also on a roadtrip around the North Cascade Loop, which were fabulous and I will make separate posts about. I loved being the ambassador and tour guide of Seattle! I love this city!