Month: June 2016

Light + Cheap Decor Perfect for Personalizing your Destination Wedding

Published by Jenn

  Opting for a destination wedding I was a bit worried it would feel like a resort wedding versus our wedding. I didn’t have much in the way of photography provided by Melia Varadero (a property we had never been to) so I didn’t have a clear vision of what we were working with. My solution was to bring decor items with us. They needed to be compact but have high impact. They should be light enough to travel with yet inexpensive enough to leave behind. It just so happened that I was shopping for decorations in November. Turns out, Black Friday is a huge opportunity for brides to score steep discounts. Some items were reduced as much as 40% off with free shipping. I’d estimate we spent about $400-$500 on extra decor items which felt adequate. Here’s what we brought: CHAIR SASHES $2.95 USD for a 5-pack from chaircoverfactory.com These pops of colour communicate your wedding’s theme, colour scheme and personality. Melia Varadero did not have the champagne-gold sashes I was after so I easily sourced them online. …

Warning Signs You’re not Ready to be an Au Pair

Published by Jenn

  This post contains some of my most valuable knowledge about au pairing. It addresses you. The following needs to be considered with real thought and honesty. Your answers are critical to finding a compatible family. Happy au pair, happy kids, happier home. What is my time commitment? Consider things like upcoming academic endeavors, how long the host nation will permit you to work for and how long you can afford to go for. Be realistic about how long you would like to be abroad. Be firm. If you don’t want to commit to a full year then don’t! It is a long time to be somewhere when you don’t necessarily want to be in that somewhere for that long.  Your time commitment should be a deal breaker. There are plenty of families to choose from. It’s kind of like dating and this is certainly one aspect of (in)compatibility. Conversely, if you are looking for a 1+ year placement then leverage that commitment. I’ve never met an au pair who was crazy enough remained with one …

How to Find the Perfect Au Pair Host Family

Published by Jenn

  You’ve decided you want to au pair! How exciting.  Family hunting is really exciting. When in your life have you ever decided to so drastically change your lifestyle? Savour the experience, be picky and communicate with a lot of families, and frequently. Real communication too. Don’t just email; you need to make telephone calls or Skype at least twice before departing. But before you even start liaising with host parents take ten minutes to seriously consider the following. Trust me, once you know your parameters you can better search for compatible families. 12 Things to Consider Before Picking an Au Pair Host Family Kids |Too many, too young, too close in age to you? Timing | How long do they want you there for and does this mesh with your commitment? When do they want you to start? Is this possible? Visas | Some families prefer EU citizens for visa purposes. Nationality  | Some families actively seek au pairs from a certain nation or region so that their children learn a certain language (which you are expected …

Au Pairing: How to Travel the World for Free

Published by Jenn

Up until my early twenties all of my independent travel sprang from au pairing. My first experience was in 2007 during the gap year between high school and university. It was the first time I travelled internationally and I did it alone at that. Touching down in Zurich I was hoping that the whole thing wasn’t a cruel joke and that indeed there would be a family at the gate to greet me. And there they were. My second au pair experience was a four month contract in 2010 in northern Germany. Yet another positive experience. Living overseas has had a fundamental impact on my personal growth and au pairing made it possible. I would absolutely recommend it to young adults looking to travel internationally.  Among a wealth of learning, I no doubt attribute my present day domestication to the fact that I was preparing mid-day meals for a family of four at age 18. When I graduated high school many girls in my community were arranging au pair gigs in Europe, which is how I …

The Best Things I ate in Cusco, Peru

Published by Jenn

The food in Peru blew me away. Before arriving in South America I had set my expectations low, envisioning plates heaped with gallo pinto and guinea pig. Boy, was I wrong. In fact it wasn’t until we reached Peru that dining became travel priority numero uno. Here are our most memorable bites in Cusco, and where I think you should dine too: Pucara Address: Plateros 309 Location: Centrally located, just off the main square Price: Mid-range, very good value Website: Click here This quaint eatery is flooded with warm, low light and flickering candles. A few blooms sit atop each table and clay pots with small wooden spoons dish up Peruvian salt, pepper and granulated brown sugar. At S/8 per glass, the house wine satisfies budget-minded travellers though wine snobs might take a pass. Start with one of the many enticing soups; I recommend sopa de ajo (garlic soup with poached egg and a slice of baguette). Other options include sopa la criolla (a mild and milky Creole soup), sopa de quinua (quinoa), potato cream soup and aguadito de pollo …

It’s OK to get Married in Cuba Just for the Havana Photo Shoot

Published by Jenn

I left Cuba married and heartbroken. You see, I fell madly in love with Havana. I adored her pastel hues, crumbling architecture, and the vintage cars. I loved the doorways that lead to concealed courtyards coated in dust and draped in nostalgia. Most of all, I loved the city’s decaying beauty; it’s as if Paris was stowed away in an attic for half a century. The love affair was a brief 16-hour whirlwind romance; I left Cuba intoxicated by Havana and wanting more. Two days after the wedding we drove to Havana in a 60+ year-old vintage Chevy  to don our wedding attire one last time for a photo shoot. As the city awoke we wandered aimlessly photographer in tow, champagne and cigar in hand. We ducked through walkways, into lobbies and through public squares. By mid-morning we had attracted a small crowd of admirers and paparazzi. I wondered what they’d do with the photos they snapped of us. Would they print them and put them on their fireplace mantles? Likely not, so why the invasion? They fired away with such dedication …