Au Pairing in the UK during Coronavirus with Sarah W.
Sarah W. arrived in London to start her Au Pair journey just before the world went crazy. She’s jumped on a bike and has been able to see London in a way that it will probably never be seen again.
I’m Sarah from Melbourne, Australia. I recently just moved to London to be an au pair and it’s my first time trying this whole live-in babysitting thing. I wanted to travel, gain new perspectives and live overseas before my 30th birthday and what a whirlwind it’s been with this whole COVID-19 lockdown!
It’s been six weeks since I’ve landed in Heathrow and I’ve been in lockdown for 4 of those weeks! What does it feel like moving overseas, into a new family, working and living under the same roof 24 hours a day? You know, I wish I could say it was easy but the truth is it’s been strange and stressful. However, I have had the freedom to ride my bike through London City while it’s under lockdown. To see the city so peaceful (on my weekends off) has taught me how our brain can easily grow and absorb stressful environments and can manifest a tired and negative feeling. The doubt and all rationality runs in a loop.
Luckily I’ve had the pleasure of using a bike to sightsee this beautiful historic place without the busy traffic and can get used to the unfamiliar road signs without the rush of cars passing by. The unforeseen future seems far, and for now I have found my tranquillity through the quietness of my own mind when by myself. Which is not something you can find at home when you have 2 boys who are missing school, parents who are used to working from the office and me adapting to this completely new chapter of my life.
The shots I’ve taken of this beautiful city whilst under lockdown are a sight to see. Perhaps we will never be able to see it like this again. It’s just like something you see out of a movie, one of the biggest cities in this world is deserted and looks like an old European city – so clean, fresh and peaceful. The positive experience can outweigh the negative and I’m slowly learning to be mindful of the life I am living in now and to find balance for my own mental health.
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