Dear Lauren & Scott,

This blogpost is especially for you (well okay, the rest of the world can read it as well, hope you don't mind

).

The last 5 months I spent with you and your beautiful girls. Although this wasn't the original plan, it was wonderful!
My first month in Australia was very rough, and I've almost been at the point of going home. Already after 2 weeks, I decided to look for a new family to stay with (credits to my family and friends in Holland, who supported this), and I ended up with you. By that time, it was just Lauren and the girls.
When I read Laurens 'Dear future au pair letter' I became so excited! I've always been attracted to little kids, especially girls. I hoped you were interested in me as well, and already after 30 minutes I received an email back. I didn't want to be too excited, though, because the dissapointment would be too big if you didn't want meto beyour au pair. Luckily, after a couple of days chatting, the agency sent me the following message: 'Great news Shalomé, Lauren would like you to be her au pair :) We'll send out our invitation shortly.' Omg, you just can't imagine how happy I was

!!

So, after a month on the Sunshine Coast, my trip to Sydney started! My first week here, I stayed with my wonderful (kind of) family, and I already met you once. I confessed that I was still feeling a bit homesick, and I was thinking about going home earlier. Oh no, that was not an option for you

. Luckily for you (and for me) I took your advice, and see where we are now: I sticked it out the full 6 months!

When I was here for one month, Scott moved in again, so I went from just a hostdad (Sunshine Coast), to just a hostmom, to a hostfamily (sorry not sorry, that's how au pairs call the family they stay with

). After that it remained stable, happy me.

Ok, so far the timeline of things you already know and don't care about that much

.

The actual reason I'm writing this for you, is to thank you for everything! I really want to thank you for giving me this chance, for involving me in Ava and Nyahs lives, just for giving me this unforgettable experience

!
I think I will discover what I've exactly learned from this when I'm at home, and look back at everything. There's one thing that I know for sure: I don't regret anything. I'm happy and thankful for every experience, and I think I've grown so much stronger than I was before!!
I hope we will keep in contact by chatting and Facetiming/Skyping!

I'm gonna miss you guys andmy life here so much

, but I'm also very happy to go home.

Thank you so much for everything! I really want to go back to Australia in a couple of years, I'll let you know (and take my boyfriend with me)!!

Love,

Shally