Julia Koggelmann, 21, Germany

Au Pair Life in El Puerto de Santa Maria

Being an Au Pair can be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences that people can have after leaving school and searching for something new. You are exposed to a new culture, new lifestyle and a new language. These things can help you develop as a person, allowing you to become more independent, more confident and discover new skills and talents that you never thought you had. There is also plenty of opportunity to travel, meet new friends, who are in the same stage in their lives as you, and party! It is also a great way to learn the language of the country you are living in as you are constantly interacting with your host family and the locals. You are also forced to pick up certain aspects of the language you may not have the chance to learn in a textbook and you can experience the authentic, natural way of speaking the language.

Julia Koggelmann, 21, is a former Spark Spanish student from Hamburg, Germany who is currently living and working as an Au Pair in El Puerto de Santa Maria. Julia and I were actually in the same Spanish class at Spark in September for 4 weeks after we both arrived in El Puerto around the same time and we both wanted to kick-start our new lives being able to speak a little bit of Spanish. Being a very close friend of ours, she was happy to catch up and update us about her life as an Au Pair in Spain…

Me and Julia enjoying El Puerto

What’s the best thing about being an Au Pair in Spain?

“Being an Au Pair in Spain gives you the opportunity to live in another country and enjoy a new culture and gain so many experiences.  For me the best thing is learning Spanish while working with the children in a nice family environment.”

What’s it like being an Au Pair in El Puerto de Santa Maria?

“Living as an Au Pair here in El Puerto is so nice. You have nice and relaxed people, beautiful beaches, so many traditional and cultural things (like Flamenco, the Osborne Bodega, old tapas bars,…) to do and visit…and great places to party on the weekends!”

What’s the best moment of your experience so far?

I was lucky enough to get the chance to be a guest at a Spanish wedding! It was so much fun and there was so many people there! There was a long ceremony in a beautiful church with an amazing dinner for everyone but It was a lot more reserved than I expected. It was very traditional and I felt very fortunate to be there. Let me tell you this: it was a lot different to a German wedding!”

What is an average day like for you?

“I normally get up around 7:30h and prepare breakfast for the girls, something nice but simple, they like to have toast with olive oil and sugar and they love their drinking chocolate in the mornings! I then help them to get dressed and ready for school. Between 9am and 4pm I am free and I can do whatever I want, If the weather is nice I may go to the beach and relax or visit friends and go shopping. At 16h I pick the girls up from school and we go to the park or the beach until 18/19h when we have a big meal all together.I then prepare them for bed and from 20h30 I am free again!”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming an Au Pair in El Puerto de Santa Maria?

Living as an Au Pair with a Spanish family is a great way to experience Spanish culture and to learn the language. El Puerto de Santa Maria is a beautiful town with lots to do and see and it is ideally located near to other cities like Cadiz, Sevilla and Jerez for fantastic trips away. I have had one the best times of my life and I still have the warmer weather and the Ferias to look forward to!”

How well do you think your Spanish has improved since you moved to El Puerto?

“When I first got here 6 months ago I had no Spanish at all and I was quite nervous about it. Now my Spanish is good and I feel comfortable having long, natural conversations with the family and with the locals. The 4 week Spanish course at Spark really helped me to get the basics and help me to get ready for life as an Au Pair. Now I am able to practice everyday in real situations and I am really enjoying learning Spanish.”

Muchas gracias Julia for speaking with us, the next drink is on me!

If you are an Au Pair in the El Puerto de Santa Maria area and want to learn Spanish check out our special courses designed to meet the needs of Au Pairs. Or if you are interested in becoming an Au Pair and would like Spark to guide you through the process click here for more information. Perhaps you would like a less intensive Au Pair experience as well as learning Spanish with us, find out how to become a Demi-Pair!