If you’re like most au pairs, whose host parents also enjoy social interaction (and probably hired you so that they can actually have a social life), you”ll likely be babysitting when the ball drops. But don’t despair – you might still get to have some fun outside of work. Depending on what time you get off, you might still be able to go out and catch up with the rest of your gang. Going out late is better than not at all, and you can still have fun.

Worst case scenario – your host parents aren’t back in time for you go out and party – then make the best of it and throw a mini-party with the kids you take care of. There’s no reason you can’t have fun with them too, and you should be, anyhow. And remember…while New Year’s is a big night to celebrate, there are stll 364 other nights to go out with friends. If you’re having a good time as an au pair, most days feel like holidays anyhow. So keep things in perspective and try to enjoy the evening, regardless of where you’ll be!

If you get the holidays off from your au pair duties, you can especially enjoy them. Days away from your host family (or even with them, if you aren’t working), can be a great time to relax and take it easy. If you’ve been working hard, or longer than usual, take advantage of the down time. If you’ve managed to save some of your au pair money, this might be a great time to splurge on a holiday shopping trip, stocking up on gifts for family and friends back home, or buying something special for yourself! You deserve it after toughing out the au pair job…This might also be a good time to go sightseeing, especially if there are places you haven’t had a chance to visit yet.

If you are going to have to work through the holidays and are not looking forward to it, try to remain in good spirits. You can have a lot of fun with your host family, and if they’ve been including you in their family activities up to now, they’ll also treat you as one of the family over the holidays. Even if you would rather be somewhere else, have a good attitude about working on holidays. And don’t forget, you can always go out and join friends after your babysitting duties, so you shouldn’t be missing out on too much!

In addition to museums, there are art galleries, amazing eateries, and special events, such as festivals, as well. If you are working in Europe, it is likely that there is a festival at least somewhere near you, most times of the year. Area event magazines will clue you in to the local goings-on. Don’t forget to ask your host family for suggestions on places to visit as well. They are sure to have suggestions for you.

Depending on what your host family is involved in and who they know, you might luck up and get to spend days off doing things completely off the beaten track. My host parents in Germany were both very enthusiastic helicopter pilots who loved to take close friends and family on flights with them. I was able to take a tour of the area, via helicopter, soon after my arrival, which was a great welcome to the area. Even if your host family is not involved in such pursuits, chances are they know someone who is involved in something you can take part in (horseback riding, sailing, or other hobbies). And if they haven’t offered to involve you on such activities yet, don’t hesitate to ask!

Of course, if you’ve exhausted other avenues of fun, or just don’t feel like organizing activities on your day off, shopping is always a possibility, and a great way to destress!

With Christmas and other holidays right around the corner, now is a good time to nail down holiday plans with your host family, if that hasn’t been done already. You will more than likely be given time off over the holidays, but don’t make your own plans unless you know this for sure. Some host families prefer that their au pairs spend holidays with them, whether off or on the clock. Others will let you decide if you want to join them or do your own thing. Some families out there will also pay to send their au pairs back home to visit family, which may be a welcome break.

However you decide to spend your holidays, keep in mind that you should be enjoying yourself and using this time to learn more about the culture you are in. Have fun, and don’t feel guilty if you eat one too many sweets – calories can always be burned off chasing children after Christmas! If homesickness hits and you are not able to visit home during any of the holiday season, hang in there and try to make the best of where you are, since it is only temporary.

Here are a few suggestions for curing the occasional bout of homesickness:

1. Call a friend or family member from back home – while this may make you feel better, beware that hearing familiar voices might also make matters worse. If hearing news from home makes you happy as heck that you aren’t there, this will work for you. If the sound of your mother’s (or best friend’s, or sister’s, etc,.) makes you weep, then try something else.

2. Talk to other foreign friends – chances are, friends who are also new to the area have experienced homesickness too. This is especially true for those who have been there for some time. They’ll be able to tell you how they dealt with missing home. Of course, simply talking it over with them might also be enough to make you feel better.

3. Go where others of your nationality are – this has always worked for me. No matter how much I missed home, a few minutes of being around other Americans always made me remember why I left the States. Nothing wrong with my fellow citizens, but I didn’t go to Germany to hang out with Americans – especially not the loud, touristy sort.

4. Eat/drink/watch something from home – If you’re American, then you will have no problem finding familiar items – from Coca Cola to Sex and the City dubbed in a foreign language – virtually wherever you are. In today’s “global village,” it’s likely you’ll even be able to find your favorite candy bar. Familiar things like these work wonders, and may have you cured quickly.

5. Take a break – stress frequently triggers homesickness. When things get tough and you get tired, life back at home may seem awfully appealing. Take some time off for yourself to relax and rejuvenate. Spend a weekend away, if you can. If not, take a day trip somewhere interesting. Getting away by yourself may banish the blues and keep you from missing home so strongly.

Although I felt right “at home” with the family I worked for, it took me a little while longer to adjust daily life in a place that turned out to be more different than I expected. Some places look deceitfully similar on the outside, but are quite different. Germany was one such place. Somehow, the longer I lived there, the more of an outsider I felt. I did manage, though, and you will be able to too.

Once you’ve gotten into a good work rhythm with your host family, it’s time to turn your attention outwards, beyond the four walls of your house. The sooner you get out and make new friends, the more comfortable you’ll feel in your new home. It might take time to establish real friendships, but don’t let the time and effort it can take discourage you from trying. More than likely, where ever you live, you will not be the only person trying to make new friends. It’s more or less a matter of finding places to meet new people.

The best place to start meeting new people will be your host family. Most host families will be happy to introduce you to their friends and family, and this can be an excellent starting point for making new contacts. Even though you may not want to spend every waking moment of free time with your employers, be sure to take them up on offers to spend time with their friends. You never know who you might end up befriending.

Beyond your family, your language class will also be a great place to meet new people. You won’t become any more fluent in your target language this way, but you will meet others who are also new to the country. Some of my best friends (whom I am still in contact with) were friends I made through my language classes. The only possible drawback is that you might find it all too tempting to cut class, hitting the up bars and cafes with your new friends, instead of staying and hashing out grammar…

If this is your first time abroad, you may be either totally overwhelmed or completely thrilled to be somewhere else. You may also be a bit ambivalent, as you realize that the place may not be as exciting as you imagined it to be. And after all, you are there to work, which may also be a bit of a struggle at first. Whatever your initial reaction is to your new home, try to keep your senses. Enjoy the newness, but don’t let your first impressions (especially if they are negative) completely dictate what your au pair year will be like.

Getting into a daily routine and getting plenty of rest will help you begin life in your new country on a firm foundation. Don’t feel compelled to see and do everything in your new area right away. Pace yourself as you visit new places and try new things. Keep in mind that you will be there – if all goes well – for an entire year, and possibly longer. So there is no need to rush to see and experience everything the area offers in the first few days or weeks. You don’t want to burn yourself out.

Likewise, you should baby-step your way through your new job. Understanding host parents will not expect you to work full-time right away. They should give you some time to get to know them and their children, gradually easing you into your work schedule. Adjustment is needed on all sides, and everyone will benefit from getting to know each other before being forced to spend a crazy amount of time together.

What do BK and supermarkets have to do with au pair work? Well, everything, really. In today’s world it’s easy to feel closer to your native land through simple things like fast food. It’s also easy to feel even more foreign when dealing with things that aren’t quite so much like at home.

Burger King was my refuge whenever homesickness would strike. All it took was one Whopper value meal, and I was happy to be in Europe again, despite whatever else was happening. For the most part, a meal at BK was just like that at home. For a set price (albeit a higher one), you get a drink, fries, and burger, and it tastes pretty close to the ‘real’ thing.  You can ‘have it your way’ with onion rings, but you’d only get five tiny, cold ones to an order. Drinks are also smaller and come with little (as in two or three cubes) or no ice, so if you’re from the South you might have trouble. The only other differences are that the employees, for the most part, tend to be more with it than those at home, and the place is usually cleaner. There is also a lack of free items we expect in the US – refills and condiments. That’s right – you pay per ketchup or mayo packet and only get one fill of your chosen beverage. Which isn’t so horrible – how much Coke do you really need with a meal? And ketchup – at least the packets are bigger than in the States.

While meals at certain chain restaurants are only slightly different from those at home, grocery shopping, as an example, is foreign enough to make you feel like you just landed on Mars. In Germany, shopping for food is not the quick and easy process it is in the States where most of the work is done for you. For starters, you have to park. Either you park on the street (difficult) or you maneuver your vehicle in the cramped parking garages, trying desperately not to hit another car (even more difficult), then search for the elevator that takes you to the store. You have then play the guessing game as to which floor gets you where you need to be.

The adventure continues when you try to get a shopping cart – these require coins that you get back once you dutifully replace the cart (Germans are all about duty). The carts tend to be a bit small and wobbly, which makes it difficult to move them around the store, although everyone but the au pairs seem to be used to them.

By the time you’ve managed to get everything you need, you face the checkout line, which can be especially painful. Waiting in line is bad enough, because personal space is a different concept in Europe than in the US, and you almost always will have someone breathing – quite literally – down your neck. Then you bag your own groceries while the checkout girl sits and stares at you. If you aren’t quick enough, you’ll pick up plenty of ugly looks from those in line behind you, and there is no waiting for you to finish and collect your goods. The next person in line will be ushered through, their items mixing with yours, until you’re on the brink of a panic attack. Then it’s back to the car with all your stuff, back to the cart line with the unruly cart, and home sweet home, if you don’t back into anyone leaving the parking deck. Wow – by that time you just about need a drink!

So yeah, while some things overseas can be relatively familiar and simple, others take a little more adapting. It took me the better part of the year to manage in the supermarkets, especially the shopping trips with a toddler and baby in tow – which is an entirely otherworldly experience altogether.