Coming to Boston
Why Boston?
After she graduated college in 2005, Gaby decided to come to America to learn more English so she could have more job options in Panama. Although she had fears about coming so far north in the United States, she had a friend who convinced her that Boston was worth it.
"I was really infatuated with Boston because my Mom had a friend that worked here for a few months and then she was always telling me how she was thinking of me because she knew I would love that place. She would always say that the city screams 'Gaby,'"
Throughout her education, Gaby always had a strong interest in history. The fact that Boston has such a rich history and so many historical sites to visit was the main reason that Gaby knew she wanted to go there to learn English.
Gaby at the Bunker Hill monument
The Journey
She first flew to upstate New York where she spent her first weeks in America learning how to be an au pair, living in a similar fashion to people at a residential college. There she also learned American customs, and how to be respectful guests in the country. After that layover, Gaby and a group of au pairs took a train to Boston where they got picked up by the families they would be working for and living with for the next two years.