Archive for 'Vacations'
15
Travel Restrictions for Mexican and Czech Au Pairs Visiting Canada
Published by spetrosky, under Au Pairs, News, Travel, Vacations. No Comments.
New Visa Reqs for Czech and Mexican citizens visiting Canada
Effective immediately, all Mexican and Czech citizens require a tourist visa in order to enter Canada. This is an important change for Canada, and we wanted to make certain everyone was made aware.
For a complete list of all countries whose citizens require a tourist visa to enter Canada as well as information on how to apply for a visa, please follow this link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
CCAP urges all au pairs and host families to check to see if they need a tourist visa for any country they plan to visit. If you have an au pair in your group looking to travel out of the U.S., it’s important that they check with their embassy/consulate to see if a visa is required. A great resource to find their embassy is www.embassyworld.com Rules and regulations regarding travel can change, so please take the time to educate yourselves about requirements early in planning your trips
03
Vacations - Just Relax!
Published by spetrosky, under Vacations. No Comments.
Sometimes, I receive questions about how to account for time on vacations. Here is what CCAP has to say about that!
Basically, the Department of State regulations only specify that au pairs need to receive 2 weeks of vacation over the course of their program year, but they don’t break that down into days. Many of our families and au pairs will go about their year and never ask us to weigh in, but if they do ask specifically about vacation and they want a specific answer, as a program sponsor, we’ve interpreted this as 14 days. We encourage this to be taken in blocks of a week at a time so that it’s not 14 individual days over the year which could turn out to be problematic and tough to monitor from the host family perspective. We have not gone so far as to define the start time and end time for a “week” of vacation and I would prefer we do not get into that level of detail as I believe this is something to be negotiated between the family and au pair.
The bottom line is that the au pair vacation policy is created in order to provide au pairs with the opportunity to travel and experience the U.S. while they are here and to require the host family to allow them to do so. Some au pairs will take two weeks all at once and some will break it into two separate chunks and still others will do a series of longer weekends. Ultimately it has to be mutually agreeable between all parties just as you need to discuss vacation before you just go ahead and book it because there may be a problem that you’re not aware of until that dialogue begins.
I hope this helps to clarify this issue, if you have any questions, let me know!
12
Trek America Trips
Published by spetrosky, under Vacations. No Comments.
Many au pairs use their vacation time or “13th month” to travel throughout the United States. It is a terrific way to see the many varied places the US has to offer. Here are some tips for camping with Trek America or other programs like it.
Camping travel tips from the TrekAmerica
TrekAmerica makes camping easy; supplying everything you’ll need for a fun and comfortable holiday. In fact, you might find that camping isn’t too different from staying in hostels or hotels—except for the fact that you have to walk outside to the showers. During a camping trip, you’ll spend a lot of your time outdoors, so this is the perfect time to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather. Here are some tips for a fun and healthy life outdoors! Who needs walls anyway? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 24 million students nationwide start their school day with a trip on the school bus. Although NHTSA reports that riding on a school bus is nearly eight times safer than riding in a passenger vehicle, an average of 11 school-aged pedestrians are killed by school transportation vehicles each year. Whether they walk, ride the bus or travel by car, teach your kids these few tips to ensure they get to and from school safely.
- 1. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes. If you bought new shoes, wear them around for a couple of weeks to break them in before your trip. If you are planning a long hike, applying Vaseline between your toes will reduce friction, and prevent blisters.
- 2. Prevent mosquito bites by using a bug spray with DEET. Spray your pants, socks, and all around your ankles, neck, and back. If you are bothered by itchy bites, common items such as cold water, ice, cold cream, or toothpaste can help relieve itching.
- 3. Pack plenty of high SPF, broad-spectrum sunblock. The sun’s damaging rays can affect you even through the windows of a car, or under cloudy skies.
- 4. When away from the comfort of your bed, use an eye shield, use soft, silicone earplugs, or bring your pillow with you to assure the best rest possible.
- 5. Don’t buy a whole new wardrobe for camping and hiking. Although expensive “outdoor” clothes are nice, your own t-shirts, shorts, and trousers will work nearly as well, and you’ll be more comfortable in your usual clothes.
- 6. Find peace in the outdoors. Find a beautiful spot to just sit still and listen to your breath. Let the world pass around you—feel empowered by its beauty and wonder.
- 7. Water is essential while spending time outdoors. Avoid headaches and dehydration by bringing a 1-liter water bottle, and refilling it throughout the day. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, bring some powdered drink mix along.
To learn more about Trek America, please visit www.trekamerica.com/aupair