Living where you work

I was an RA for 3 years. I lived on campus; worked on campus; all of my friends were on campus. I ate on campus. My room was the "office" where I was always available to residents or to a 3am page because people were being to loud or were too drunk to get to their rooms. I thought this experience would help me in taking on my new job. I mean I had in fact lived where I worked.  There were weeks when I didn't leave campus at all. It was my life and I loved it!

It is not the same working as an aupair. Your friends aren't your co-workers.  My employer owns the house I live in. They buy the food for me and cook some of the meals.  I am asked regularly if I will be having dinner with the family or not. It is a tricky balance to find too.  It is nice to have dinner with them when I am not working but I also feel like I am invading family time.

It is Saturday. Gabrielle came into my room. She was looking at my pictures and asking me about my family.  I was fine with it.  The host Dad came down and said "Gabrielle, you know your not supposed to bother Michelle on the weekends."  It is moments like that when I realize that I am the help.  I think it is awkward and difficult for Gabrielle to understand that I do get paid to hang out with her, but it doesn't mean I don't like doing it.  I do appreciate that when I am in my room, it is my time. When you live where you work the line must be drawn.  But how can I really ever be off? I wasn't "off the job" as an RA unless I was off campus.

I think I have found the solution to the problem. I am going to start going on day trips as much as possible.  I can get to Germany, France, Italy, and Austria within a couple of hours by train and I can get all around Switzerland as well. So it is a great excuse to get out of the house.

It is difficult to go from having my own everything to living under someone else's roof and essentially living their life.  I also know that I will learn how to find the balance of it all but for now it is just a tad awkward to live where you work.