All my life had been spent within the confines of a little ‘bubble’ in Northern Virginia. It’s where I celebrated my first birthday and gained a little sister. This bubble is the place where I graduated from high school and is home to many happy memories. The majority of my family and friends also live there. Vienna, Virginia was my home. It was not until the subject of college came up that I realized I wanted something completely different than most of the students around me. I had a strong desire to be pushed out of my comfort zone; I needed a drastic change. While my high school class became excited about college visits and applications, all I could focus on was my desire to experience life far away from the security and refuge I found in Vienna. I knew I was not ready for college yet, and yearned for something more than the anticipated college frenzy that everyone surrounding me craved straight out of high school. After completing a couple dissatisfying college applications, I officially decided to take my own path and become an au pair abroad. It was the most freeing decision I had ever made – I was finally going to get my chance to break free from the small town I knew all too well. Despite my parents’ worries and my friends’ confusion, I dove head first into the ‘Au Pair World’. This organization connects you with families abroad looking for a live-in nanny. This meant I could obtain a steady job, while also getting to travel way outside the realm of my tiny Northern Virginia bubble. However, much to my distress, the process of applying to become an au pair took much longer than I had anticipated. While my friends were getting college acceptance letters, I was sitting at home still desperately searching and praying for a host family abroad. I was always confident with my decision to do something so different, but was also worried about the possibility of not finding a family in time and ending up stuck at home. This waiting period continued for several months, and finally in August I made a connection with a family in Australia. Before I knew it, I had my suitcases packed and a plane ticket booked to Sydney for departure at the end of September.
Traveling solo to Sydney was my absolute first time out of the country and on a plane alone; yet I had never felt so fearless. I was so ready to embark upon this new journey in my life. The growth I experienced within myself, and ability to adapt to such different circumstances was astounding. I even landed a part time job at a small café along with the main responsibilities that came with working as an au pair. This allowed me to interact with a lot of local people and truly experience the diverse cultures that I never knew were found in Australia. This little detour I chose to take along the road to college turned out to be the best decision I could have made at that stage in my life. It left me feeling rejuvenated and ready for whatever was next in life. Going off on my own made me much more independent and allowed me to grow immensely as a young adult. I no longer see my home as a bubble. My previous disposition has changed comepletely. Due to the new experiences and expansion of knowledge I was able to experience, I returned home satisfied; My gap year had been a success.
