Month 1 of life in America. July/August

Well, I have been in America for just over a month now and this is, sadly, my first blog. For all three of you out there that read my ramblings, I am aiming to update this site once a month, minimum.

Where to begin. Ok, I arrived here on Sunday 12th July and attended St John's University for 5, 10 hour days, of au pair classes- Learning social emotional and physical development stages, food and nutrition and communication skills. I loved these classes and although I was severely jet-lagged, I learnt a lot. I met two great Australian girls- Erin (san fran) and Jess (Denver), we flew over together and are still in touch.

I caught the bus to White Plains where I was picked up by Jessica, Alex (3)& Ella(2). The first few days were spent settling in to my room and driving around Ridgefield getting to know the beautiful area. This town is so quaint and pretty... you cant even describe it.. This is a google-ed picture of what I can expect to see this winter....

The family is great, they have made me feel so welcome and I am so surprised at how quickly I feel at home. New York is so close that Ive been catching the train down every weekend. I meet up with 4 or 5 great people that I met at St Johns.. 2 Germans, 1 French and a South African..fun people.. I, sometimes with them or sometimes alone, spend the day walking through Central Park, Times Square or Greenwich Village.

One day, I had the afternoon free, I was around Broadway and about 10mins before a show begins if there are any empty seats, they knock about 60% off the price.. I got tickets to Shrek for $55 instead of $135. I went to Soho and checked out the flea markets.. went down to Brooklyn, this whole city is fun... but it requires a lot of walking and return home exhausted.

During the week, I play housewife. I cook, clean and explain to a 3 year old why putting vegetables up her nose isn't a good idea. I have become a chief negotiator.. 'if you put all of your toys away, without whinging, you can have a Popsicle'... Probably not the best teaching method but it sure works. I fix things, I stir things, I make things. I can glitter-glue it and can now remove krazy glue from the kitchen counter top. I am helmet Nazi. I am scissor Nazi. I am 'don't run across the road' Nazi....I am basically Hitler himself. During nap/rest time, I fall asleep next to Alex watching Tinkerbell. I know all of the Hi5 lyrics and sing them in the shower. I sit at the table and colour with the girls and without realising, continue to colour even when they have both moved onto a different activity. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I don't...

I miss home. I am happy that I have made this move but I can say that it is, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever done. I think that deep down, if I could snap my fingers and go home, I would.. but I know that this feeling is temporary and comes in waves. I am going to be proud of myself when I return home in a year, knowing that I have done this and I have done it by myself.