At the end of my senior year in high school, I got a call from a family friend simply asking me if I had any interest in Italy. I said, "Yes, of course. Who doesn't love Italy?" She then informed me that a former exchange student of her's had moved back to Italy after college, now had three kids, and was living in Milan. She was looking for some help for the next family vacation.

This was the moment that I accepted a job as a nanny for four weeks. For three kids. In Italy.

I must admit, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew next to nothing about childcare, and the only Italian that I knew largely involved words concerning cheese and pasta. I had never even flown by myself before, and I was considering traveling solo halfway across the world. I was incredibly nervous and even a little terrified.

I was also relieved.

I never thought that I would get the chance to travel to Europe, especially for several weeks. Opportunities like this seemed to only fall into the hands of people in movies and those with exceptionally well edited Instagrams.

Nonetheless, I packed my bags and headed for Italia.

After navigating the airport and buying a bus ticket from an extremely grumpy, old Italian man, I met up with the father of the family I was working for. He showed me around Milan before we left for the mountains the next day.

When we finally arrived in Madonna di Campiglio, the resort town where I would be spending the next month of my life, I met the three kids I would be looking after. Awaiting me was a stubborn, silly, blond 6-year-old boy, an even more stubborn, clever 4-year-old girl, and a sweet 2-month-old baby.

These three kids became my family, my friends, and sometimes, my enemies for that next month.

We went to the park together every day where they attempted to teach me some Italian despite the language barrier. We would spend the afternoons hiking and picnicking with some other families who had all been coming to Campiglio for years.

For the most part, my time here was rather picturesque. The Dolomites, the mountain range that the city was nestled in, were stunning. I ate all the gnocchi my stomach could hold, I spent time with a kind and interesting family that I would have never met otherwise, and I learned so much about the people and the culture of Italy.

However, there are a few things that I would change if I were to do it again and would recommend to anyone considering a job as an au pair.

In most cases, the au pairs get some planned time off each day during which they can explore the city or even make friends. I was allotted some time to myself each day, but it was unpredictable and varied in length. Sometimes it would only be an hour a day which prevented me from adventuring out as much as I would have liked.

That being said, I was incredibly nervous the whole time I was there. I let the language barrier intimidate me more than it should have. Looking back, I wish that I hadn't let that keep me from trying new things. If you are thinking about nannying in another country, I urge you to not make my mistake. Soak up as much adventure as possible. You never know if you will be back there, and you would hate it if you squandered your chance because of fear.

Before going to Italy I tried to learn some Italian. I mostly picked up a few greetings and some simple questions which came in handy at points, but this was not really the language that I needed. I was essentially herding kids, so I needed to learn words like "stop," "wait," "be careful," and "slow down."

For me, being an au pair was more about the experience than the money. The family paid me what I was promised, but I worked much more than was originally agreed on. It was not a big deal, but if I were to do it again, I would have been more assertive about sticking to what we had discussed. It is okay to negotiate and stand your ground.

I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to become an au pair. Even though I was scared at the time, I feel like I am a much more capable and independent person because of it. I am so grateful for that adventure. I hope that if you are considering doing something similar that you can learn from me and make the most of your time abroad.