5 Year Anniversary of living in Australia — Reflection

On reflection, people would always say you’re so lucky to live in Australia, by the beach, with a better work/life balance.

I would think, “There’s no luck to it”. I quit my job, spent all my savings on a last-minute flight, and arrived on a vast land not knowing anyone. Yet I slowly built a life for myself and in 2021 can look back and think I’m lucky.

Against the world falling apart with countries burying 1000s citizens a day from covid, political unrest, and economic pain. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else right now.

Especially after the past 18months of drought, bushfires, floods, and containing a pandemic to 0 cases a day— You soon realize the local sayings of “harden up" & “no worries” become part of life.

No complaining about a government you voted for. No letting your neighbors, friends & family get a virus because you want to travel abroad. No future uncertainty. You live by the Australian mantra and in return get to live in a safe place.

With international borders shut for 2021 (& beyond), I’ll happily pick up my citizenship passport & watch every other country take a hard look at itself whilst I lie on a beach and think yes I’m lucky to live here.

So upon reflection, my advice for anyone searching for a better life, away from long stressful hours of work with bleak weather and little hope for the society around you — Go for it. No one believed me when I started to say I’m going to live in Australia for a year or two. Their response would always be negative, ‘What if you can’t find a job’, ‘What if you don’t like it’, ‘What if you miss your family’. Well if the experience fails then so what. At least I tried and can always look back with gratitude I gave it a good shot.

Jumping outside your comfort zone can be scary. Even tiptoeing brings anxiety. But the rewards of success or learning from failure far outweigh doing nothing.