When I came to Germany and wrote my first column for Expatica, I detailed how much I would miss my family and friends in England and how scared I was at the prospect of making the same mistakes that I had made in my first foray abroad, in Spain.

I was so worried that I didn’t even consider how I would feel when it came time to leave Germany - it was too far in the future. But sure enough, it’s crept up, much quicker than I thought it would, and in just a couple of days I will return to the UK.

It’s strange to think that I began my time in Germany, with the fear that I would not be able to cope in a new country, with a different way of life. But despite leaving everything behind, I have managed to forge a new life for myself here in Germany.

The majority of my time here has been spent working as an au pair for a family in Mainz. It's tempting to think of being an au pair as just a job but instead, you become part of the family. You take part in their daily lives, you wake up with them, eat with them, spend time with them and watch them learn and grow. And if you’re lucky, as I have been, you become friends with them.

Because of this, it is impossible to abide by the strict German regulations on how much an au pair is able to work per week. Coupled with their guidelines that an au pair should take part in the daily running of the house and be seen as a member of the family, it is difficult to say to the children that you are only allowed to play with them until 2 p.m. No child thinks, 'she will be in the house after this time but not working so I can't bother her.'

However, despite these difficulties, I have found pleasure in being involved with a new family and participating in their lives.

One of the activities I've participated in, is taking Anna, who is three, to kindergarten. Everyday, she is someone different - be it the mum, me or another child she knows from kindergarten. As I encourage her to put on her coat and scarf every morning, I ask, "So who are you today, Anna?" A question which is often met with the reply, "Ich bin die Mama."

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