Behan - Malibu Nanny: Adventures of the Former Kardashian Nanny

This book is about my journey. A rite of passage that started in a small town in the Midwest. Growing up, I dreamed of great adventure and excitement. I hoped to travel the world and accomplish noble things. As happens in life, it didnt quite turn out the way I planned. Following my best friend to California after graduating from high school, I ended up working as a nanny for nearly a decade for two families who were successful and somewhat famous in their own right at the time. Imagine my surprise fifteen years later when those two families the Jenners and Kardashians became one of the most famous blended families in the world.

That decade in Hollywood taught me a great deal about life, helped to define my priorities, and prepared me for motherhood. During the five years I worked for her, Kris Jenner taught me how to be tenacious at multitasking; and my eight years working for Bruce Jenner instilled inspirational qualities that have impacted my life personally and professionally.

I was just a kid myself when I started working as a nanny, and I made some big mistakes along the way. Yet, each twist, turn, and stumble along my path led me to where I am now. Character is developed and wisdom is gained only through trial and error. Its the times we fall down and get really hurt that lead to our greatest triumphs. My proudest accomplishment is being a good mother to my young son, and I see how every step on my path contributed and led to this blessing.

My journey was also a discovery of spirituality. The awkward, fear-based religious experience of my youth transitioned to many years when I didnt give God much thought. Desperate and lonely amidst deep hurt and disappointment, I finally turned back to God, discovering a new relationship with Him, defined by love, grace, and forgiveness.

I always kept on dreaming and taking chances, yet stayed true to who I was. Even when things didnt turn out as I planned, and I made bad mistakes, I continually held on to hope. I chose to believe in my dreams and tried to learn from my poor decisions.

When I maintain the right attitude, yet stay authentic, every day of my life can be an adventure.

But Im getting ahead of myself.

It was the spring of my senior year of high school in Norcross, Minnesota (population 123), one thousand eight hundred and fifty miles away from Los Angeles (population 8,419,000). My grand adventure was about to begin

I nervously tug on my turtleneck sweater as I walk to the front of Mrs. Itzens College Prep English class. Looking down at my notes, I notice for the first time that my mom polished my favorite white and red leather Nikes. Probably because she knew I had a speech today, I reason. I turn around, and fifteen smiling faces greet me expectantly. Mrs. Itzen nods her head.

Okay, Pam. Go ahead.

Clearing my throat, I begin. My speech today is called Why I Want to Be a Cruise Director, by Pam Behan.

It is the spring of 1987, and as my high school graduation quickly approaches, I hold big dreams for my future. One of my favorite television shows is The Love Boat, and the cruise director, Julie, embodies all I want to be. She is fun loving, energetic, cute, bubbly, and lives a glamorous life, sailing to exotic locations around the globe. Each week, another crazy adventure entangles Julie and the crew, always involving the eccentric, famous and sometimes outright nutty passengers. I am hooked. Thats how I want my life to be. She always seems so happy. It is enticing. And, it could combine my two loves of sports and music. If I was the cruise director, I conclude, I could lead aerobics and referee basketball games during the day, and entertain my guests at the piano in an elegant ball gown at night.

I want to be a cruise director for three main reasons, I state enthusiastically, following Mrs. Itzens rule to always develop three or five main points, and then introduce them at the beginning of a speech.

Number one, I will get to travel around the world to many interesting and exciting destinations. Number two, I will enjoy directing activities for the passengers and ensuring that they have fun. And, number three, I will meet many amazing new people.

I look up, as Mrs. Itzen had taught me, to connect with my audience. She is nodding her head again, and with the exception of one smirk, everyone else is smiling, so I take a deep breath, and finish my speech with confidence.

I want to explore the world beyond the confines of the small town I now call home. I hope to experience the thrill of great adventure, taste a bit of danger, and conquer new challenges. Setting sail around the world on a cruise ship seems to be a good avenue to achieve my dreams.

With a population of just over a hundred, Norcross, Minnesota, requires only one main intersection with a four-way stop. It also boasts a small grocery store, a caf, and a couple of churches, and thats about it. If you blink on the highway that runs through town, you might miss it.

Growing up in a small town feels like warm apple pie, a favorite soft blanket, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on a cold day. Comfort, pure and simple. Its also kind of like having a big extended family who all live within a few blocks of you. There are a few crazy aunts and kooky uncles, but for the most part, theyre all genuine, down to earth, good people. The funny thing (or not so funny depending on how you look at it) about a small town is how everybody knows your business. They learn your routine, what time you leave in the morning, what time you get home, and what you do every day, and when that routine is disrupted, folks know about it. If youre sick and in bed and turn the lights out much earlier than usual, you might get a phone call or knock on the door asking if youre okay. Thats just how it is in a small town.

After school, Id run out the door, yelling a hasty, Bye Mom, and head down the street to play football or baseball with my friends. As evening approached, Mom would yell loudly from our front door several blocks away, Time for supper, and Id skip back home. There were no strangers, only neighbors and friends. When a new car drives through town, necks crane to figure out, who is the intruder? Several days a week, especially on weekends, friends drop by unannounced for a cup of coffee and a chat.

The Norcross Caf a few blocks from my house is a warm and reliable beacon of light in early morning, as farmers dressed in overalls and baseball caps drive in to town as early as five a.m., to pour themselves a cup of coffee at the tiny, quaint restaurant, settle on a stool at the counter, and chat with each other about the weather, the crops, and the gossip around town.

My mom is Suzy Homemaker. She makes the most scrumptious lemon bars, wears bright cotton candy pink lipstick, and loves interior design. Our house a small, single-level, three-bedroom home that looks like a page torn from Better Homes and Gardens is always filled with delicious aromas. My brother and I often return home from school, lessons, or practice to the smell of something freshly baked. Besides her famous lemon bars, mint brownies, seven-layer bars, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and pies are some of her other specialties. When she makes pie, she always makes two cherry for me (I dont like blueberry), and blueberry for my brother (he doesnt like cherry). Mom aims to please.