That One Time I Moved To Australia | A Two-Year Review

Posted On October 7, 2017

September 30, 2015. I remember the day so perfectly, and perhaps always will, for it’s the day I landed in Sydney, Australia with no return flight, no plans to leave, and really, no plan at all.

My plane descended into Sydney at approximately 6am local time, and I had harbour views to my left and my best friend to my right. Although I was blindly moving to a new country, I was fortunate enough to have my life partner-in-crime beside me for 30 whole days, to experience Aussie life with me and help get me on track. We had plans to travel around, job hunt, house hunt, immerse ourselves in the local culture (aka go to the pubs as many times as possible), and spend endless days in the sun and sand.

Well, even the biggest planners always face a change of plans, because one week before my move, I managed to secure a full-time job whilst overseas, which would begin the day after I landed in Sydney. All the plans I had to sit back, plans to take my time, plans to have no plan…ended abruptly. My best friend was a trooper and gave me the utmost support, even though I knew the timing of my new job affected her Australian experience too. She made me dinner, greeted me at the ferry after work, and was never void of positivity and jokes amidst me realising how much I despised the new job. I couldn’t have been more thankful and appreciative to have her around amidst one of the biggest turning points in my life.

Fast forward two years.

730 days (technically 737 as I write this post one week late), 26 flights, 3 roadtrips, 2 trips home to America, and 1 indescribable experience later… I am still here in the land down under and the happiest I’ve been in a long time.

About the said first job that made me miserable? Well, I pushed through for two years and managed to find (and by find I mean hunt down) a few silver linings, and I have to say, that job is the best thing that has happened to me here in Oz. Forget the everyday mundane tasks, illegal pay, visa issues, crap culture – that job gave me some of the most important, inspiring, intelligent, and supportive people I will probably ever know. It’s astonishing to know that if I had quit, threw the towel in, my life would be completely different.

Throughout my two years here, I do have to say, I know hardly any Australians. I blame most of that on the fact that my job also gave me my best friends, who are all international and foreign. Being here on our own, with no family, has allowed us to create a family with each other (HA how cheesy does that sound). But it’s so true. We’ve learned how to get through every bump and hurdle on our own, push through the loneliness and homesickness together, experience the same challenges with visas, insurance, taxes—you name it, we’ve tackled it. Working in the job that we did, which was basically phone sales, exposed every possible side to a person – the positive, angry, stressed, optimistic, light-hearted, honest, dishonest – and because of this, at the end of it all, we realised how much we still liked one another, and in that moment I knew these people would be friends for life.

But this post isn’t about the people I’ve met, or the job I work at, but keep in mind these two factors alone truly shaped my two years here, and I am so grateful. At my two-year mark, I have decided to leave my job and pursue new opportunities. I managed to find a new role that will indeed transfer my visa, whilst challenging me and giving me the chance to learn again. I have many feelings: excitement to finally grow as a professional, optimism that this is the right move, sadness that I gave up my long-lost dream of getting permanent residency for the sake of a new profession, worry that I will be lonely being so separated from the colleagues/friends/family who made every day the best day, and so much more.

I have no idea what this next year, or 2.5 years (until my visa expires!) hold, but part of beginning a new life on the other side of the planet involves just “winging it” and believing that your choices are the right ones, trusting that you will grow and learn from them, and endlessly searching for ways to make you happier and stronger.

That was a rant in itself, but just know that these two years have been both an uphill trek and a downhill cruise, but overall the most beautiful and life-changing journey I could have ever wished for. Thank you, Australia, for bestowing upon me bravery I never knew I had, confidence I never knew existed, and independence that will forever be what I love most about myself.

I did reviews of my first 75 days here, as well as my first year, so many of those observations still remain true, so definitely check those out.

To add on a few new ones, alas, here are 30 thoughts/observations/experiences of a 26-year-old American expat who has been living the Aussie life for two years (& counting).

1. Everybody in Australia is unbearably slow. I’m sorry but if I ever moved home, this would be the one reason why. I cannot handle the lack of order on the sidewalk (footpath) – everyone walking on the left and right sides, constantly dodging people traffic, having people walk straight into you whilst they look at their phones. Walks down the street in the city give me the utmost anxiety. It’s probably the only negative I’ve experienced here, but it’s a big one!

2. Solid deodorant is simply not a thing. I’ve had to bulk up while home in America, but the spray-on mist deodorant is the normal find here. I cannot vibe with that.

3. Standard Australian cuisine is pretty…standard. Compared to Italy, Mexico, Thailand…Australian food leaves a lot to be desired. I can absolutely say the same about American food, but Aussie meals are likely to be sausage rolls, meat pies, chicken burgers, lamb, beetroot on said burger, sausage sizzles, and maybe just maybe something exotic like crocodile or kangaroo meat. The lamb here is phenomenal! Southeast Asian cuisines are highly popular too, including Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian.

4. I finally found my Chipotle equivalent(s). Ladies and gentlemen, the closest you can get to America’s favourite Mexican comfort food is… Mad Mex and/or Guzman Y Gomez! Keep in mind the portions will be half of the Chipotle norm, but it fills the void!

5. International grocers have changed my life. I have finally gotten my hands on Franks Hot Sauce, Franks BUFFALO Hot Sauce, Cherry Coke, Ginger Ale, and more. I’m still hunting for proper honey mustard and crescent rolls (although puff pastry works wonders), but lately I have had no problems Aussifying my favourite American recipes.

6. I have learned to drive here. After a giant roadtrip to Melbourne, as well as up to Byron Bay, I can calmly drive on the right side of the car, left side of the road, in kilometers, without fearing for my life. Don’t worry, I still let Jesus take the wheel and sometimes close my eyes when I merge or make a turn, praying for the best, but I can naturally drive without having to force myself to think about the turns, roundabouts, lanes etc. It even got the point that when I was home in the States, I found myself on the left side of the road! The blinkers are on the right side of the wheel, and the windshield wipers are on the left. Definitely keen to buy a little car here – that’s my long-term goal as of today.

7. It’s nearly impossible to get concert tickets in Sydney. I have had to sit back and watch Justin Bieber, Adele, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Zac Brown Band, and Elton John tickets go on sale, with no success on my end to actually acquire them. (PS, don’t judge my music taste.) Ticketek is the main ticket site here, and because concerts are pretty far and few, they sell out within minutes. Ticketek crashes, and additional shows get released in each city due to high demand. Yet, tickets sell for $120 and up, even getting to the $300 range PER TICKET. People buy tickets in bulk and sell them for higher on Gumtree (Craigslist equivalent), and I have had hardly any luck getting to see some of my favourite musicians. However, I managed to sneakily get on a presale for Jack Johnson and am stoked to say I will see him perform at the Opera House in November!

8. Forget the spiders, magpies, snakes, sharks, & ants – cockroaches are still the worst creature here. I still haven’t been exposed to many crazy spiders, and as long as they’re not in my house, I’m actually really intrigued when I see one. Magpies haven’t victimised me yet, only seen one snake, never seen a shark, and the ants are just ants. But bless me, the cockroaches…huge, they fly, and they are truly the devil in insect form.

9. Most dogs here are a form of –oodle. Cavoodle, poodle, goldendoodle, labradoodle, schnoodle, etc. They’re everywhere, little curly-haired pups! Bulldogs, pit bulls, border collies (<3), and staffies are pretty common as well.

10. My body still cannot handle the Australian sun. I’ve probably written this in every review I’ve done, but back home I can get away with 7 hours in the sun with SPF 15, reapplying once. Here, 5 hours in 80 degree F weather (25C) with SPF 50, reapplying 2-3 times, still is not enough. To any Americans who plan to visit Oz…the sun is most certainly stronger! Lather up because you will not survive otherwise.

11. I can (somewhat) convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, and vice versa. Simple formula that is fairly accurate: to get Celsius— take the Fahrenheit temp, subtract 30, divide by 2. For example, 80 F (minus 30 = 50, divided by 2 = 25), is 25 Celsius. 30 Celsius (multiply by 2 = 60, plus 30 = 90), is 90F. However, 5 degrees in Fahrenheit makes all the difference on whether or not to bring a coat (jumper), whereas Celsius would show this difference as 1 degree, so it’s a bit tricky sometimes.

12. Two years in, and I have never felt safer. I thank my lucky stars every day, especially among all the terrorism and terrible events that have happened in the past 1.5 years, that I live in a place so warm and safe. In two years, I have been cat-called ONCE. A stranger has never touched me. Never been harassed by beggars on the street, whether you choose to help them or not is up to you. This is one of the most beautiful parts of living in Australia, especially Sydney. Hit-and-run accidents have unfortunately increased in recent times, fights are common, and stabbings are known to happen, but the quantity and degree are absolutely nothing compared to back in the States. I can see myself staying here for the remainder of my life simply for the safety. One time I was trying to get to the local beach, took a back way through a cute neighbourhood, and my GPS misled me. Two women passed me and saw me standing with my phone, Aussie GPS voice and all, turned around and ended up asking if I needed help. Completely unnecessary, but somehow they knew! I was so grateful just for that moment of kindness, and that’s just the norm here.

13. Chicken salt. GAME-CHANGER. This stuff goes on fries (chips), potatoes, even meat and vegetables, and it is just amazing. Adds a salty yet chicken-y flavour…there’s no way to describe it.

14. The meat-flavoured crisps (chip) obsession continues. Every time I see a meat-flavoured chip, Pringle, etc. I just have to try it. I’m personally not obsessed, but this country sure is. I recently found Chicken Salt Pringles, Meat Pie Pringles, and get this: Slow Cooked Lamb & Barossa Valley Shiraz flavoured chips. How elaborate, hey? They actually tasted like lamb…

15. The Department of Immigration has changed the visa rules, and they are terrible. When I arrived to Australia, I was on a Work and Holiday visa, which allowed me to be in the country for one year, working for an employer for no more than 6 months at a time, but I could have multiple employers, if that makes sense. At my 6-month mark, I hit my sales goals and was sponsored by my company, putting me on the 457 visa (Employer Sponsored Visa). I am currently still on this, which allows me to stay in the country until May 2020, on the terms I am sponsored by the company I work for. Sounds easy, but finding an employer in the field you WANT to work in, who meets the criteria to sponsor and has the money to sponsor, is so incredibly difficult. The company has to nominate you in that field, and on top of it, cover the visa sponsorship. I managed to find a new job that not only changed my nomination from the Sales field to Marketing field, but also honoured my visa end date of May 2020, and WANTED to hire a foreigner and was willing to sponsor, so that was just a rarity. But now… the Dept of Immigration has changed 457 visa terms from a 4-year visa, to either a 2-year short term visa, with no pathway to permanent residency, or a 4-year long term visa (BUT the nomination categories are more medical and science-based and hard to get). You are also required to be within a certain age range, with a certain level of education, and language/skills assessments. It’s difficult to explain… to get permanent residency, you used to have to work in the same company whilst sponsored under the 457 visa for only two years, then you could apply for PR. Now, the rule is 3 years in the same company to apply for PR. That would have put me at May 2019 in my old job, which was simply unbearable. Now in my new job, my visa will expire before I hit the 3-year mark, so I’m pretty certain I have given up my chances of getting residency, which is all I wanted and was once so feasible. I have optimism that I will find a way to stay here longer, but for now, taking each small step as it comes and worrying about the long-term plan a bit later on.

16. Australia is certainly behind on the times – especially with same-sex marriage. Currently, there is a vote going on to legalise gay marriage. Believe it or not, there is large opposition and many voters in support of NO! It’s so hard to get my head around, and if I can be honest, I will be surprised if gay marriage gets legalised, given a large portion of the country seems stuck in their ways. I almost get the Trump vibes…where when he was running for President, the obvious choice was NO and how widely hated he was. Yet, so many Americans stuck in their ways and not open to change and acceptance stood behind him, and now look where we’re at. This is not a political post so I’ll leave this here, but one day I was at the beach and saw a huge “VOTE NO” written in the sky! Come on, guys!

17. I cannot afford to shop here. Honestly, my closet only grows when I go back home and stock up on Marshalls and Target attire. I’m in need of a nice beach towel, yet the price I keep seeing is a whopping $99. Shoes, dresses, forget it. Even athletic gear is a no. I only shop at H&M or Forever 21 (sticking to my cheap American ways), or if I really want to splurge, Forever New, and truly cannot get my head around $90+ pants or $120+ dresses. Please, if anyone has recommendations on affordable but cute and decent quality attire for a girl, I beg you to share. Shopping here is my least favourite thing to do. Also, I still don’t understand the sizes. I will continue to fly to America just to clothe myself.

18. Mexican food is hard to find. It’s not impossible, as I have my few city favourites (Barrio Cellar, Contrabando, Slip Inn), but tacos will usually cost $7 per piece, $20+ for nachos or fajitas. I’m still on the hunt for affordable yet authentic and flavourful Mexican cuisine, but it’s definitely not as common as in the States.

19. The Australian Bachelor and Bachelorette is my guilty pleasure. I have caved, I am addicted. Maybe it’s the accents, the cute fashion, or the silly sense of humour, but my heart melts every time I watch the show. This has surpassed Farmer Wants A Wife, which documented Australian farmers wanting to find love.

20. The accent still gets me…but I have grown accustomed to it! I am so used to the adorable Aussie accent that it no longer has the WOW factor for me. How sad. I am most affected when I board the plane from California to Sydney and hear the accent after a few weeks away from it, but it has become so natural to my ears. I knew this would happen.

21. I miss air conditioning and dryers more than anything. I don’t need a dishwasher or even a heater, but living in an apartment with no air con amidst 30C/90F heat (we’re talking going to sleep in 25C/80F heat too), where you exit the shower and can’t even dry your hair without sweating through your outfit, yep that’s my life now. I know some apartments do have central air, and some do have dryers, but it truly is common to rely on open windows and a clothesline/dryer rack. It feels incredible in autumn and spring, as I currently sit at home with all windows open on a 65F/17C breezy beautiful day, but just give it two months and I will be suffering in the summer heat.

22. I haven’t travelled this side of the world nearly as much as I wanted to by now. I blame my two trips to the USA, which I loved but also used up all my annual leave. I have travelled around the eastern part of Australia, including Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Jervis Bay, Port Stephens, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Byron Bay, New England region, Cairns, and Gold Coast. I have yet to see Darwin/the outback, Adelaide, Perth, the entire Western coast, Canberra, Ayers Rock, or Tasmania. I plan to do two weeks exploring New Zealand’s south island next year, and ideally Bali or Fiji. My next big travel plans, apart from within AUS, also include Japan and South Africa. Now it’s time to really explore this side of the planet!

23. Australian possums are the most adorable creatures. I saw one the other day with a baby on its back, and I melted. American possums look like grungy rats, but Aussie ones have the cutest little faces and hands and eat right out of your hands. I’m obsessed.

24. I finally saw a wild koala, wild echidna, and numerous wild kangaroos. The koala was on the Great Ocean Road, eating in a tree. I saw its little white chin and was just standing under the tree crying at how cute it was. The echidna was just last weekend, crawling through the bush on a hike and resembled a porcupine. Kangaroos I’ve seen on the side of the road as roadkill, but also when I was in Jervis Bay, hopping around the beaches. They even let me pet them and pose for photos with them. I’ve never seen a wild shark, whale, or sea turtle, and all 3 are on my list.

25. Most of my weekend adventures involve hiking and exploring outdoors. My lifestyle has certainly changed since I moved here. Back home, I would go out drinking, sleep all day, wake up and drive my car to either run errands or eat, and then repeat. I definitely had an unhealthy lifestyle, and here I find I drink substantially less than before, go to bed earlier, and wake up earlier. I’m always finding new bush walks and hikes, often that I can do from my own front door, and sitting by the ocean or harbor with a book beats the hell out of anything else. Still working on a healthier lifestyle, but my best weekends are spent cooking, reading, and hiking. When I’m not roasting on the beach, of course. Luckily for introverted me, these are all activities I can do by myself without feeling lonely.

26. Going out drinking will wipe your wallet dry. This is partially why I’ve adopted a calmer lifestyle here. A bottle of wine (of decent quality) on average is $17-$23 a bottle. You can pay $10 for a bottle, sure, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re battling a two-day hangover after just one glass. A bottle of Cuervo or Vodka will set you back $50-$60. The better the quality, the most expensive, so Patron or Don Julio will force you into bankruptcy. A glass of beer at the bar will be $8-10, wine anywhere from $8-11. Happy hour is far and few. A six-pack of beer on average is $20-$23. Keep in mind most of these prices are bottle shop (liquor store) prices, so binging at a pub or restaurant is certainly more expensive.

27. Now…Aussie lingo. More recent ones I’ve heard, mind you. Service station = gas station. Petrol = gas. Pot plant = potted plant. Chardy = chardonnay. Eskie = cooler. Snag = sausage. Mobile = cell. Ute = truck. Pub = bar. Flat = apartment. Lift = elevator. Superannuation = 401k. Doona/duvet = comforter. Sunnies = sunglasses. Prawns = shrimp. (Shrimp on the Barbie is not really, um, a saying here.) Mince = ground. Tomato sauce = ketchup (although taste is a bit different). Thongs = flip flops. G-string = American thong. Rockmelon = cantaloupe. Arvo = afternoon. Footy = football/rugby/a form of rugby.

28. Spaghetti squash and normal-sized artichokes are impossible to find! Spaghetti squash is just nonexistent, amongst other beloved American foods, but you will not find an artichoke bigger than the palm of your hand here.

29. Monterey Jack cheese, Mexican blend cheese, all the fun cheeses do not exist here. Cheddar cheese is called “Tasty Cheese” and it only comes in the white, not orange, colour! However the Aussie brie, goat cheese, feta, and camembert give other cheeses a run for their money.

30. Uber trips are unfathomably expensive. Again, compared to the American pricing, it’s massively inflated here. A minimum trip is $9, and on average, a 10-12 minute drive from the city to home costs $18-22 (without any increased fares). That same drive would cost about $10 back in DC. On average, my short little trips around Sydney cost $22-$35.

So, there you have it. Two years done and dusted in this beautiful sunburnt country. Two years of extreme highs and the lowest of lows, which would require many more hours of writing and probably too many personal details to share on a public blog. I plan to write more often, not just about my Aussie-specific experience, but what exactly drove me to make this decision and little tips I have on making global travel dreams achievable.

If you have any feedback, thoughts, questions, or input on what you’d like to see on The Life Coast, please don’t hesitate to share! Thanks for reading, mate 🙂