Hanlie always dreamed of visiting Chicago, fascinated by its architecture, history, and especially drawn to TV series like Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med. When she embarked on her au pair journey, she aimed to at least visit Chicago once. After enduring the challenges and sadness of the first six months, she found herself not just visiting but living in Chicago. Excitement was an understatement.
The final host family Hanlie joined included the host mom (a marketing manager), host dad (a product developer), and their two kids, Hayes (3) and Grace (8 months old). They resided in the suburb of Chicago called Glen Ellyn, a 40-minute train ride to downtown Chicago. The neighborhood was picturesque, offering parks for the kids, a frisbee golf course (a new concept for Hanlie), and various stores to explore. Downtown Glen Ellyn had a unique charm, featuring a library, coffee shops, interesting stores, restaurants, and a movie theater. Hanlie fondly recalls watching movies there, feeling like she was in a cinematic experience. The theater had an old-school vibe, showing only four movies at a time, basic chairs, limited snack options, but it was affordable, and that suited her well.
After being with the host family for a month, the decision came to extend Hanlie’s program for a second year, and if the host family wanted her to stay. To her delight, the host family expressed their eagerness for her to consider extending. In a short time, Hanlie and the host family built a strong relationship, and she began the paperwork to submit to the agency. A few weeks later, they received approval from the Department of State. It was the easiest decision for Hanlie—she felt truly at home with the family.
Over the 15 months Hanlie spent with the family, she created lasting memories with them. The family consistently included her in everything, making her feel a sense of belonging—a feeling she wasn’t accustomed to. Experiencing Halloween and Thanksgiving with the family was delightful. The abundance of food at Thanksgiving dinner left them with leftovers for a week, a tradition that amazed Hanlie. Christmas brought unexpected joy as Hanlie, thinking of others, bought small presents for the family. To her surprise, they returned the gesture with thoughtful gifts, such as her favorite lip balm, candy, and a Starbucks gift card (acknowledging her love for coffee). The host family’s attention to these details impressed Hanlie, surpassing any care she had experienced from previous host families.
Working with Hayes and Grace was an amazing experience for Hanlie. She cherished them and still does. Her workdays involved preparing the kids for the day, playing with them in the basement every morning, and taking Hayes to daycare. Hayes, a sports enthusiast, insisted on wearing specific attire for each sport, a memory that remains Hanlie’s favorite. After dropping off Hayes, she would spend time with Grace, whether at the library for baby story time or playtime, at the park, or on walks. Grocery shopping for the family and handling everyday tasks like tidying bedrooms, cleaning the kitchen, and doing laundry were part of her routine. Despite the workload, it never felt like a job; instead, it felt like contributing to the family. The host family always treated her as a valued family member.
During these 15 months, Hanlie had numerous memorable moments with the family—celebrating birthdays, meeting extended family (who played a significant role in making her feel welcome), and going on trips. From a family Christmas dinner in Detroit to a weekend in Cincinnati (complete with a stop for Skyline Chili) and a family vacation to Long Boat Key in Florida, the memories with this family are endless.
Outside of her host family, Hanlie had no trouble making friends—an opposite experience from Portland. From having a friend visit during Christmas and New Year’s to spending time with friends from her training in New York and meeting fantastic people in Chicago, she found a vibrant social life. Two friends, in particular, stand out: Mikayla, an Au Pair from South Africa, and Julia, an Au Pair from Austria. Reflecting on the time spent with them floods Hanlie with memories.
Hanlie and Mikayla’s friendship began when Hanlie’s host mom mentioned that her boss was also getting an Au Pair from South Africa. Since Mikayla wouldn’t be far from Hanlie’s Au Pairing location, they decided to connect. Their first meetup exploring downtown Chicago was fantastic, and they immediately hit it off. Over time, they became best friends, always finding something fun to do—exploring Christmas markets, going to the movies, hanging out at the house, embarking on a day trip to Milwaukee, and even attending a live concert by Imagine Dragons. However, certain memories stand out in this friendship.
Hanlie and Mikayla planned a trip to Boston and Washington DC—places they both wanted to see. Boston was a great experience, despite the questionable Airbnb at least it was positioned near public transport. They used Big Bus tickets for guided tours and transportation to various attractions. The tickets also included a boat tour on the river and discounts at select restaurants. During a 5km walking tour through the city, they visited the bar where “Cheers” was filmed, cemeteries of famous political figures, and concluded with a tour on retired Navy Ships. They indulged in local cuisine and even role-played the Boston Tea Party at the historical site. Overall, Boston was filled with captivating scenery, and they were exhausted from trying to do and see everything in a few days. Next stop: Washington DC.
When planning the trip, they opted for bus tickets to travel between Boston and Washington DC, a decision they would soon regret. Taking the bus overnight saved them a couple of bucks, but the lack of sleep wasn’t ideal. Couple that with fellow passengers boarding the bus with spiders in containers and another with a small tortoise in a box, the bus ride to Washington was an adventure in itself. Upon arriving in Washington DC, they checked into the micro hostel called the Hotel Hive they had booked. Despite the small room, it was surprisingly modern, and downstairs featured a full bar and a pizza bar. The quality of the accommodation exceeded their expectations for the money spent. Even better than the stay’s quality was the hotel’s proximity to all the national museums and monuments. But before they could think about exploring, they took a much-needed 2-hour nap to recharge.
After waking from their nap, they decided to visit some of the nearby monuments. Upon exiting the hotel, the warm, stuffy air hit them right in the face—little did they know the weather could be so brutal in Washington DC. Opting to use Big Bus again, they explored every inch of the National Mall, with highlights including the Air and Space Museum and a visit to Arlington Cemetery. After an eventful few days, it was time to head back home.
Although this trip was a great memory that Hanlie shared with Mikayla, the memory that stands out the most was their shared love for the Chicago franchise TV series. It turned out Mikayla also enjoyed the shows. One random morning, Hanlie called Mikayla to ask if she wanted to go downtown to visit the Fire House, Police Station, and Bar where they filmed the TV shows. Excitedly, they got on the train and started their adventure, fangirling over the show sets. When they reached the Fire House, they were at a loss for words—starstruck by a building. Shyly, they stood in front of the building taking pictures, and to their surprise, one of the firefighters offered them and another family a tour of the firehouse—it looked exactly like on TV.
After completing the tour of the firehouse, they headed down the block to the police station. Unfortunately, they could only take photos at the entrance and were not allowed inside. Hanlie felt a bit scared and aware of her surroundings, as the neighborhood seemed a bit dodgy. To escape the neighborhood, they got an Uber to the bar named Lotties Pub on the show, Molly’s. They loved the aesthetic of the bar and went inside for a drink, only to find a bunch of people having a chili cook-off. So, they decided to head to downtown Chicago to find a place for lunch. After walking around for a while, unsure where to have lunch, Hanlie noticed a commotion in the street. Taking a closer look, she realized the street was blocked off, and there were cameras everywhere. Unsure of what they were filming, she didn’t think much of it. Just as she was about to walk away, a few actors from Chicago Fire and Chicago PD walked past her. She nearly fainted from excitement. What were the chances that on the day they went to visit the show sets, they would find them filming? To this day, it is one of her favorite memories of her time in Chicago.
Julia was another good friend of Hanlie. For 2 months, Hanlie took Grace to a baby music class, and Julia attended the same music class with twins she was looking after. They both thought the other was the parent of the kids and made no effort to talk to each other. One day, showing up at the class (Hanlie can’t quite remember how), they figured out that they were both Au Pairs and not parents. As soon as they realized it, they immediately made plans to get together. They quickly became close friends, exploring downtown Chicago and Glen Ellyn, going for walks, having playdates with the kids, and hanging out at the house. Julia introduced Hanlie to her other Austrian friends, and they all spent time together. Hanlie, Julia, and Maria (a friend from Austria) decided one day to go to a light festival in Wisconsin. The memory stands out for Hanlie as each person had to write a wish/something they were grateful for on their lantern, and at a certain time, all the people there released their lanterns. It was the most beautiful sight Hanlie ever saw. It was beyond magical; the sky looked bright with all the lights, and everyone was laughing, and it was just such a happy moment.
Hanlie, Julia, Maria, and another friend made plans to go to New Orleans. With everyone on tight budgets, they chose the cheapest flight. Why is this important? Because imagine 4 girls trying to fit clothes into a backpack each for 3 days. Yes, cheap meant no checked luggage or hand luggage. To this day, Hanlie doesn’t know how she did it, but she even managed to fit her camera in her backpack. Sharing accommodation meant that the place only came with one bed, meaning two had to sleep on the questionable couch. But the accommodation did come with a rooftop pool where Hanlie and her 3 friends would have deep conversations about life until late in the evenings.
They spent the long weekend exploring Bourbon Street, the graveyards, taking in the views of the Mississippi River, eating delicious beignets at Café Du Monde, and visiting numerous museums. What Hanlie found the most fascinating was visiting The National WWII Museum. As all three of her friends were from Austria, they had extensive knowledge of this part of history (they learn a lot about it in their schools in Austria, so they were quite educated on the topic). For Hanlie, it was like having personal tour guides. Although it was hard hearing all the information, she would not have wanted to experience it any other way. New Orleans was a city to explore, even getting a glimpse of a traditional wedding, where the whole wedding party walked behind the bride and groom from the church to their reception. Hanlie felt bad for the bride’s thought as it was pouring that day. All in all, New Orleans was one of the top cities Hanlie had visited during her Au Pair year.
During 2018, Hanlie discussed the idea of her mother coming to visit her for her birthday. The host family was more than happy to welcome her mother into their house. Hanlie’s birthday is on the 4th of July, and she was excited to celebrate it with her mother. During her mother’s visit, they went to a baseball game, had drinks on the top floor of the Hancock Tower, enjoyed deep-dish pizza, and watched the parades and fireworks show on the 4th of July. It was a busy couple of weeks, but she and her mother covered every inch of Chicago. Having her mom there was comforting, and she still reminisces with her mother about their time in Chicago.
Hanlie traveled to 16 states during her 2 years as an Au Pair, a highlight of her journey. But what Hanlie is most thankful for is the friends and the people she met. She wouldn’t change it for anything. Finding the family in Chicago was worth going through all the challenges she faced. When asked if she would recommend this program to anyone, she said without a doubt! Although she faced numerous rematches and struggled to find her feet, she truly believes that every Au Pair can have a happy ending. You just have to be willing to face your challenges and find solutions. There will always be challenges; it might not be a rematch; it might be homesickness or culture shock—everyone has their thing. But with an open mind and a positive attitude, you can overcome anything.
Hanlie is thankful for the experience. The hard times are what pushed her out of her comfort zone, and she experienced the most growth. She also learned that sometimes when you look for the positive in a difficult situation and hold on to that, it will get you through the challenge staring you in the face. To this day, this is something that she applies in her life. It’s not always easy, but there is always a solution. Hanlie is incredibly glad she made the decision to be an Au Pair and would make the same decision again, even if she knew she would have to go through everything again.
The Puhalla family from Chicago has forever etched a place in her heart. She will always be grateful for their love and support, making her feel like she belonged in their house. They were always open to communication. It was the first time since arriving in the USA where Hanlie felt like she could relax and breathe. She was happy; she can’t recall a time being unhappy while she was in Chicago. Hanlie felt like she was part of a family in Chicago, and she will always cherish that memory.
Looking back at her journey, she now knows not to settle for the first family just because you think there won’t be more options. You can match with the first family, but then it needs to be because you are sure you are a good fit for their family. Or settling for a family you have nothing in common with unless you are open-minded and adapt to their lifestyle. Never make decisions because you feel desperate, a lesson Hanlie still remembers to this day. She also regrets missing out on certain things, like traveling to Seattle (only an hour by train from Portland) because she was too scared to explore on her own. Her best advice for future Au Pairs is to just do it, whether you are doing it alone or with friends; don’t go back home with regrets because you were scared.
It has been almost 5 years since Hanlie returned home. She has since worked for an Au Pair agency, recruiting Au Pairs for the program. She is passionate about helping people succeed in their journey as Au Pairs. She loves to see the growth a program like this can bring to someone. Hanlie is passionate about the travel industry as a whole and hopes to one day have her own business in the travel industry. She wants to do a lot more traveling in the future, but for now, she is extremely happy and content with her life. Whether it was a wish on a shooting star, or her determination and persistence that were the reasons she did not give up, is something Hanlie still thinks about to this day. Maybe looking back, she needed the luck of a shooting star, but now she is set on creating her own luck and success.
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