Headed Home

So as most of you know I will be heading home at the end of this week. I am full of a multitude of emotions, and it’s very bittersweet. I’m excited to go home see the family, friends, nieces, and my dog, but I’m going to miss so many things including my friends and family I have made here in Australia. Here are some of the main things I’m going to miss from Australia, and I will try and recreate as many of these back home as I can.

·         Café/coffee culture- It’s so common to meet up with friends in Cafes to catch up, and they are all unique and cozy cosy and not Starbucks!

·         Food- the food here is so much better than back home, it’s fresh and delicious and isn’t chalked full of added crap like in the states.

·         Some foods that aren’t common back home- cheese and bacon rolls, cordial, tomato sauce, roast dinners, I could go for a while with this list.

·         Aussie Humour- the humour here is full of sarcasm and I thoroughly enjoy it. Americans are much more serious than Australians. Australians will find a way to make light of anything.

·         Aussie/British speak-I really enjoy the terms and phrases they say, it sounds so much more proper when they talk. Why is America the only country that has all these different words, spellings, and mannerisms? And don’t get me started on the imperial versus metric system!

·         Beaches-the beaches here are GORGEOUS! I’m not sure if I saw an ugly beach while here in Australia.

·         Friendliness- the people in Australia are genuinely friendly. No matter where you are people are willing to help out, want to talk to you, and customer service at places is fantastic.

·         Non-tipping culture- The fact that I haven’t tipped in the past year and I’ve had some of the best service of my life. When you get paid a decent wage and don’t have to rely on tips, everyone is friendly, willing to go the extra mile, and helpful. It will be a shock to go back to America and have to tip.

·         Fashion- I think the fashion is more diverse here and I’ve grown to love it. Even the shorter shorts on men!

And of course the wonderful friends that I’ve made in the past year. The amount of things I’ve done in the past year has been more than the past 5 years, I’ve tried so many new things, and met so many amazing people that live all over the world. I have learned a lot about myself. The person I was when I got here isn’t the person that is leaving Australia. Traveling to a foreign country alone has made me have to become more outgoing, sure of myself, and willing to try new things. I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone more times than I can think of, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that will manifest once I return to my comfort zone of home. 

Bye for now <3

And the Wait Begins....

As I sit here I reflect over the past month. A month ago I was leaving Cairns to head back to Sydney. I was so excited about my future in Australia and getting a job and visa to stay here. I knew there would be lots of paperwork to be completed and money to be handed out, but I was up for the challenge. Those that know me know I don't back down from a challenge, and when I want something I do everything I can to achieve that want. However the past few days I've felt quite defeated. I have applied to over 40 positions in social work, and have had 2 interviews with 2 more later this week. I haven't heard back from the positions I've interviews for, so I assume that means they went with someone else. I know that not being a permanent resident is a negative factor in getting jobs, but I feel I may have underestimated the importance of being a resident and how much that is negatively affecting me. I am trying to stay positive and tell myself that it will all fall into place. The interviews this week  are for roles in a behavioral school, which is exactly what I want to do. I'm anxiously waiting to get a job, and on top of that, waiting to hear back from the social work board in Australia to see if they find my qualifications acceptable to apply for the skilled visa. I don't wait well, I don't like being patient, especially right now when I feel so vulnerable. My life is in the hands of these companies that are looking to see if I can bring something special, unique, or important to this country.  These agencies have to find my qualifications and my character a better match than a permanent resident. Can I be that person? I worry that I will not be offered any of these jobs and I will have to head back to the states. I will have to leave this wonderful country that I have started to plan my life in, and move back to a place that I struggles to be myself and struggled to feel accepted for who I am.

The waiting game has commenced and I am trying to stay positive and patient, but it's not easy. I will update with information, when I have new information to give.

Bye for now <3

Cairns

Wow this is very late! I didn't realize that I haven't written about my last stop on my east coast trip. Cairns was the last place Karianne and I stopped along our trip. She only had a few days there so we had to pack it all into those few days. We went out to the Great Barrier Reef one day, and swam with the fish, sharks, coral, and all the wonderfulness of the Great Barrier Reef. It was fantastic and the pictures really don't do it justice. It was such a fun experience. The day after we went out to the rainforest and did a day long tour of the Atherton Tablelands. We saw several waterfalls, rivers, and lakes. It was a long day but very fun. Karianne left the day after and once she left it rained the majority of the next week of my travels. I didn't do much during that time, just visited the shops, went to the movies, went out with friends that I had met along the coast, and said goodbye to new friends that I met along the way. Cairns Ironman was happening when I was there, and a girl I know from Sydney was competing in it so I went and cheered her on and was shocked by how well she did in her first Ironman. It was a nice end to the trip, however I didn't like Cairns as much as some of the other places I visited along the wast coast. The city itself was run down and a bit dodgy.

Now back to Sydney to try and find a job and get my visa apporved so that I can stay longer in the fabulous country.

Bye for now <3