Chasing Amy-Lou

Last time I blogged I’d just lost one of the two jobs I’d managed to bag in Brisbane. I was downbeat, worried and slightly peed off. I began frantically searching online for anything I thought I’d be good at. I applied for waiting-on jobs, barista jobs, bar jobs, admin jobs, temp receptionist jobs, Au Pair jobs, nanny jobs…literally anything.

The first couple of days I heard nothing back from any of the places I’d applied to. In all, there must have been at least 20 applications filled out. And then, suddenly, I got three replies…not from the countless barista or bar jobs I’d applied for (of which I still haven’t had any contact) but from three different families looking for an Au Pair.

Before I came away, I told myself that being an Au Pair would be my ideal job in Australia. It would give me great experience of looking after children on a long term basis which in turn would perhaps prepare me for when I eventually had kids of my own, and ultimately would help me to decide whether or not to venture into the teaching profession when I finally moved home.

I admit, I was a little cautious when first replying to these families. How did I know they’d be genuine? How did I know they’d be fair? How did I know whether I could trust them in terms of what they were offering, where they lived and what their children were like? You hear horror stories all the time about backpackers accepting jobs based on a written advertisement, only to be picked up from a designated meeting place and driven into the middle of nowhere, tied up, tortured, sliced open and then buried half-alive somewhere in the outback…

Of course, these families were also taking a big risk by inviting backpackers into their homes to take care of their children and look after their house. How did they know that whoever they chose to employ was not a serial paedophile, a thief, a convict on the run? They had to be very trusting in their nature to begin with. It was a big risk.

Anyway, on the Thursday afternoon, just one day after losing my second job, I got in contact with a nice family from the Ormiston area, about a 40 minute drive from central Brisbane. I spoke to the mother of the family on the phone and answered numerous questions while also posing questions of my own and generally getting a feel of what the family were like. We arranged to meet the following day for a “face to face” interview and more probably to scope each other out.

Well, I’m pleased to tell you that the interview went well (otherwise I wouldn’t be sat here writing this blog would I?), and the family offered me the job there and then! I must admit, it was slightly scary accepting a job with a family I’d only just met and kids I knew virtually nothing about. It was also going to be totally out of the comfort zone I’d found myself in over the last few weeks. I’d be moving out of the hostel (thank god), I’d be leaving the barista/espresso bar job (no more 5am wake-ups, hoorah!) and I’d be leaving the big city. Was I ready for it? You bet your big fat arse I was!

Why would I take the job you may well ask? Here’s what I figured: working in the espresso bar I was earning just enough to cover my accommodation and my food, therefore dipping in to the money I had saved in order to enjoy myself (as I stated in my last post). With the Au Pair job however, I would be getting my board and food paid for and would also be getting a weekly allowance which would in turn, allow me to save a bit for the next chapter of my travels. I’d also be taking on work which would enhance my cv, provide me with invaluable experience and all in the comfort of someone else’s home; I’d be able to eat well, I’d be kept occupied with housework during the day, I’d be able to start getting fit again, I’d have use of the family car and bike should I need it, and I’d get my own space. Plus, I’d be right by the bay and would have time to myself once all the chores were done. I reckon it was a pretty darn good win-win situation to be in.

In the last six weeks, I’ve been slowly making my way through the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. While reading, it’s kind of baffled me as to how the protagonist afforded and funded her year out. She travelled and lived in Italy, India and Bali, and never once mentioned how she paid for the experience. As a writer, I can only assume she had savings that she used. Maybe? However, she writes frequently about the messy and expensive divorce she suffered and the fact she lost a lot from the tussle between the properties her and her ex-husband owned. I can’t imagine she walked away from the marriage any better off than she was when she was in it. Elizabeth Gilbert seemed to glide through her ‘search for everything’ without a financial care in the world. Although I’d certainly like to be able to swan off to exotic places and not worry about money, I’m afraid to say that it’s pretty much impossible from where I’m standing at the moment.

My point? Well, I didn’t have to take any work while over here in Australia, but I can tell you now, I’d be getting on a plane home before Christmas if I hadn’t worked at all.  If I had tried to rely upon the espresso bar to see me through, I doubt I’d last much longer than February 2015. None of the other jobs I applied for last week have gotten back to me, not even the ones I’m clearly over qualified for and have a wealth of experience in. Therefore, it seems like the sensible option to take what is offered to me on a plate.

Once I get to Sydney and see in the New Year, I’ll have had an almost two week reprieve from work. That’s when it will all begin again; I’ll be back on the job hunt, seeking out the next form of employment in order to fund my continuing adventure. Unfortunately, we can’t all be like Elizabeth Gilbert and have a seemingly endless pot of money to dip into: a proverbial money tree similar to what your Dad used to talk about when you were little. The main premise of this trip is exactly what my visa stipulates: ‘a working holiday’. It’s only now that I’ve actually realised this and come to terms with it that I can begin to work my way around it and make the most of the situation.

So I end this blog as I’ve ended previous ones, with a metaphorical toast: To the next chapter. To change. To being an Au-Pair!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO2_077ixs