Getting paid to travel

Teaching English or becoming an Au Pair is by far the easiest, most interesting way to travel. It was a life-changing experience for me and absolutely introduced me to my true love; travel. Most people think that you have to have a bachelors degree or some kind of teaching certification in order to do so but there are ways around that. Here is my experience with teaching English and some tips on how to prepare!

GeoVisions

I wanted to teach English in Italy and I didn't care what I had to do to get there. I was clueless to the industry and clueless to the concept so I did what any 19 year old college student would do, I researched. I researched until my eyes were bone dry from looking at the computer screen for too long. After weeks of this, I decided to partner with a company called GeoVisions. This company was incredibly helpful. They paired me with a consultant who would schedule monthly calls with me leading up to leaving for Italy to answer any questions I had. Looking back, I realize the company that you work with is so important in your experience.

We agreed that the "Walk and Talk" program would be the best option for me. This allowed me to teach English and Au Pair at the same time. Having no experience with either, this allowed me to dip my toes in both without being overwhelmed by one or the other. I decided to go for 3 months because to go any longer than that, you have to pay for a working visa and at the time, I was broke. My day-to-day was spent waking them up, preparing breakfast, taking them to school, an hour session after school spent teaching English, reading, or helping with homework, and of course lots of playing and having fun. It was the perfect balance.

How much $$$ we talkin'?

I know, I know. Who really has the money just laying around to up and move to another country for 3 months? When I did the math, it made more sense to pay to live my dream than I would have staying home and paying rent for another year. I paid a $550 program fee up front. This placed me with a carefully screened family, provided me with international travelers and health insurance, assistance with paperwork and the placement process, and allowed me to have the help that I needed even when I was over seas. This company has 24 hours agency support in every country that they have programs in. They check up on you during your time with the family and are there if any issues arise. They provided me with student access to cheaper flights (which was life changing!) I scored a round trip to Italy for just $850!

Getting Paid

With my program, I was only getting paid about 40 Euros/week for 12 weeks. You have the potential to make a lot more than that, but I chose this route because it worked better for me. I was living with the host family for free and they let me eat pretty much every meal with them. The costs balanced out very evenly. I would have done it for free honestly. The chance to live with an Italian family and completely submerge myself into the culture was the experience of a lifetime.

I hope whoever is reading this gets an idea of what making money while traveling is like in the au pair/teaching English world. I would do it over and over again.