Moving to a new house can be a busy but fun time. Apart from the big move I made from the UK to the US to become an au pair, I had never moved before. So when my host family told me that they were looking to move ... I was a little nervous.

I had finally made the area I was living in feel like my home. Everything was familiar—I could get around without needing to use a GPS, and I knew where I could find a decent coffee. What if the new place didn’t have these things? It felt like I was starting over.

My thoughts about moving:

My initial feeling about moving was a fear of not liking the new area and missing the things I had grown accustomed to. But after talking to my host family about it and realizing that we were only moving about an hour south of where we were, I understood that I could still do exactly what I was doing before. So I started getting used to the idea—and excited for the opportunity to experience another part of Maryland!

Being kept up-to-date:

If you’ve read my other articles for Candy Picnic, you know that I’ve got a great relationship with my host family. So being kept up-to-date with what was happening during the moving process was important to me—and I really learned a lot about the moving process in the States as well as about my family. For instance, what they like and don’t like about certain houses or neighborhoods. I think that seeing their decision-making process helped us form a closer bond.

It also helped me learn more about the area we were moving to. I could meet my new LCC beforehand and find local activities for both me and my host kids before we made the plunge. Although I was still a little nervous about the move (and having to meet a whole new group of people), I knew that I had plenty of support from my host family.

New place, new experience:

We’ve been in the new house for about a month now—and it’s been such a fun experience discovering new places with my host kids. It’s a new chapter in my host family’s life, and I’m so happy that I get to be a part of that! I didn’t think that I would have this opportunity to experience a new part of the state I call my home with the people that have welcomed me here.

Although in the beginning I was scared about moving and having to “start again,” I decided to see it as another adventure I get to take—it’s all about meeting new people, seeing new things, and finding a new decent cup of coffee.