Missing Australia

It’s been 8 months since I left Australia. Not many people know this, but when the plane took off leaving the Sydney airport I cried.

I cried because I knew I was leaving the best experience of my life behind.

I cried because I had changed so much and yet I knew everything at home had stayed the same.

I cried because I was leaving behind friends that had become my second family.

I cried because I felt content in Australia, finally whole.

Don’t get me wrong, it was hard being away from home and not being able to see my parents and family.  I was looking forward to spending some quality time with them; however, I was sad because I felt like I was leaving a piece of me behind, a piece that wouldn’t/couldn’t exist properly in America.

The options are vast in Australia. I felt, and still do feel, that socially, emotionally and financially things were better for me there. Career wise the opportunities for me are plentiful. Mental heath in North Carolina is a very broken system, and realistically nationwide it has many issues and struggles. I’m not saying that Australia’s health care and mental health care system is perfect, but there are huge barriers that America still needs to cross for me to be productive in my work and make a living that I can survive on.

I also was so much happier. Most of you that know me know that I have had itchy feet for a long time. The constant desire to travel and see the world that drive to experience new things will never change.  I have never truly been content and happy in where I am living. Always moving hoping that the next place I live will fill the void. Until I moved to Australia. I finally felt that connection. I enjoyed living there.  Their culture, way of life and way of thinking mesh so well with who I am and want to be. The anxiety that I struggle with had decreased dramatically while I was there. I felt like I fit in. I felt at home.

Sure, Australia is not perfect.  It struggles with the same economic instability as the rest of the world and it also is quite expensive compared to certain parts of America. But as friends and family can attest, since returning I have done nothing but compare America to Australia: the food, people, fashion, nightlife, working conditions, the list goes on and on…but 95% of the time I’m explaining how Australia does it better. Except for the bacon. lol. Some feel it’s unpatriotic, I find it to be my truth. It doesn’t make me any less patriotic; I actually felt more patriotic while living abroad. Living there has just opened my eyes to a different way of life, a better life for me.

Needless to say, I'm missing Australia everyday. 

Bye for now <3