6 months down under: our life in Australia
It feels like just yesterday that we stepped off the plane and into the blazing hot Australian heat. We had just a suitcase each and no set plans other than an AirBnb reserved for a month.
Michael and I had weighed the pros and cons of moving ‘Down Under’ for so long but now was the true test, now we were going to find out what life in Australia was really like.
I still remember the flutter of butterflies as we sped along the highway into the city, Michael spotting kangaroos at the roadside and me just distracted by everything that was going on around us. As I often am in new countries, I was mesmerised by the houses lining the city streets, imagining what life was like for the people inside them and fantasising about how our own lives here would look. Well, now’s the time to find out.
Canberra, Australia’s underated capital, during a particularly magical golden hour.
We visited Canberra for the rugby earlier in the autumn and were surprised to fall in love with the city and its quiet life.
We’ve been living in Melbourne for around six and a half months now, and so much has changed since that first scorching summer’s day. I’ve launched a new business, become booked out with clients, and learnt more about myself than I ever would have imagined. Whilst Michael has forged a new career of his own, becoming a successful freelance contractor.
But it’s the smaller things, the day to day, that I want to talk about here. My surprises about Australia, both good and bad, and how they’ve affected my life in this country over ten thousand miles away from home.
Did you even go to Bondi Beach if you didn’t take this photo?! I joke, but after years of seeing this shot on Instagram I was a little excited to get a version of my own. There’s something so special about Sydney in the summer.
The Things
I hadn’t realised how much of a Londoner I was until I arrived in Melbourne. Both of us had become so caught up in the fast-paced life of the UK capital that we didn’t even realise it wasn’t ‘normal’. And Australia’s been the greatest teacher in showing us how to slow down a little bit
Back home in the UK, I found it so easy to go out every night of the week, rushing from after work cocktails to dinners and events so quickly that I barely had any space to actually think, let alone dream up new ideas. Here, it’s a different story. I’ve learnt how to slow down and that nights at home are, really, just what I need. I’ve thrown myself into my work and creative projects in a way that might never have been possible had I kept my old attitude of ‘go go go’.
And that’s something that’s reflected across Australian culture. Working hours are shorter, with many folks actually leaving work at 5pm to get home to families or go out and socialise. The work-life balance is much more healthy, commutes are shorter and it’s a joy to have Michael walking in through the door several hours before he would return in our former London life.
A moment of quiet in Victoria’s State Library, where I’ve spent many a day working.
I can’t say how grateful I am to make this historical building my part-time office for a little while.
On the downside, that slower pace is reflected in the city’s public transport too. This impatient Londoner struggles to wait two minutes for a tube back home, so fifteen minute waits for a tram that travels slower than a car really isn’t my jam. In fact, many Melbournians choose to drive and that’s something that I’ve embraced. I have to say, I love the freedom that owning (or in our case, leasing) a car brings.
Our car has taken us on countless weekend trips, some further afield and others just outside the city, where we can immerse ourselves in country life for a day or two. I love that each weekend brings the opportunity for adventure, the chance to discover something new and so extraordinary to this British girl.
I’ve become an avid reader of Country Style magazine and am finding myself fascinated by the stories of the small business owners and makers living across this diverse nation. Australia’s focus on local product and independent business is something that makes me smile everyday. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen a multi-national chain coffee shop or eatery (with the exception of the usual suspects *ahem* McDonalds).
Three Bags Full has become one of my favourite coffee spots thanks to its reliable wifi, varied menu and, of course, top notch coffee.
They don’t lie when they say Melbournians make good coffee.
Here in Melbourne, homegrown producers and creators are making their voices heard. It really is quite magical. I will never tire of wandering Melbourne’s streets to discover, yet another, local café to try or a new boutique to slowly browse on a quiet afternoon.
Yet, I still long for my previous big city life. It’s hard to compare Melbourne and London’s size in words (a population of 4.9 million here, to 8.7 million back home). All I can say is that there’s a rush and buzz back in London that isn’t here. I miss the feeling that I could go anywhere and do anything at any time of day. Melbourne feels more like a country city which I both love and struggle with in equal measures.
I don’t think I’ll ever fully get my head around some of the quirks of daily life here. The internet is slow, the culture can feel a little blunt at times, the opening hours are shorter and I get frustrated each time I rock up to a shop or a café, only to find it closed at 3pm. But I am also so grateful to this city for everything it’s given to me. After all, it was here that I first launched my business, thanks to the space and freedom to follow a dream that I’d had for so long.
The Feelings
A mere five years before we moved here, I was making my way to another new country. Back in January 2014 I was headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina in search of adventure and discovery. To be honest, I expected our Australian adventure to be much of the same but I hadn’t taken into account everything that I was now leaving behind.
One of my favourite sunsets, viewed from our Sydney Airbnb.
When I moved to Argentina, I was fresh out of university with no set roots in the UK. When we chose to come here, we owned (and still do) an apartment in South London, lived in a city that we loved, and were surrounded by friends who had become our family. We didn’t leave London because we were tired of it, we left because we never wanted to utter the words “what if”.
And I am so glad that we’ll never have to wonder because this adventure has given me so much, and there’s still another six months here to go. Yet, at the same time, I’ve learnt that I’m ready to stay in one place for a while. But perhaps that’s a gift in itself.
It’s a strange feeling, having an expiry date on your time in a place. In many ways it can feel incredibly freeing, knowing that the time for adventure is now. But it can also bring a limiting sensation, as though nothing really lasts.
A sunny afternoon on Phillip Island where visited the little penguins.
More and more, I’m becoming ready for those lasting moments. I’m all too aware that life is moving on at home without us. Babies are being born and weddings are being planned, all whilst we are thousands of miles away. Each time I hear a new announcement, my joy and celebrations are tainted with a hint of sadness at the fact that we’re not there to bear witness to the moment.
In fact, there was a time that we nearly went home completely. I was battling with my anxiety and depression and felt the need for familiar faces, and spaces, around me. But we decided to stay and I am so glad that we did. I know that there is so much more to this adventure that I can’t wait to explore.
I’ll be checking in again in another six months. We’ve got a couple of big family visits, a trip to Japan, a tour in a campervan and a Christmas in Sydney all coming up. I’ll be working along the way, so don’t worry – I’m not going anywhere! In fact, I’m taking you with me.
Have you ever moved abroad? How did you find it?
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