Leaving Australia to live overseas.
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These feelings are normal and they will be more intense in you first month or two... u will constantly be thinking wtf have I done especially when things go wrong, seem hard etc...
I reakon 3/4 months is the rough time you can get a true gauge on if the move was right or not.
It usually gets better and better as you settle.
Have just moved to London!
Living in West Kensington
No regrets yet
Had been good fun for the first few weeks. The GF is struggling to find a job though
Hasn't been difficult apart from the above
Sylvia Saint
Cancelled
Firstly I am a big advocate for expat living. Have been doing it since 2011. Australia will always be my home but I always feel a bit meh when I'm home to visit. Expensive and mundane given I spent the first 23 years of my life there. I'm 30 now and see Australia as a sort of 'young retirement home', i.e. move back there when I'm ready to settle down and have kids etc. Don't get me wrong Australia is and always will be a great country but I don't regret becoming a global citizen at all.
Like 90% of Australian expats, I did a stint in London. Thought it was overrated tbh. Crazy expensive and miserable weather for 350 days a year. Nightlife is pretty good but the relatively low wage and cost of living means you're watching your bank balance while house sharing with a bunch of randoms. That's just my experience though, I've met plenty of people that LOVED London and leads me to believe my decision making wasn't the best there.
The best bit about London is that it is a hub for traveling Europe. Aussies are inundating most of the good holiday spots, but irrespective of that, places like Croatia, Spain and Hungary are unforgettable experiences. Croatia was a personal favourite. Also, Edinburgh is incredible and accessible by train.
More recently, I've done stints in South East Asia and could not recommend it enough. You can live in a place like Thailand and Vietnam and live a luxurious life with the incredibly low cost of living, whilst still getting your Western fix if need be. The people and food are great and the beer is cheap. The weather is hot. What's not to love? Taiwan is more expensive but some of the nicest locals you'll ever meet.
I have friends that live in Dubai. Not for me, but they don't pay tax and are forking in squillions of dollars.
Like 90% of Australian expats, I did a stint in London. Thought it was overrated tbh. Crazy expensive and miserable weather for 350 days a year. Nightlife is pretty good but the relatively low wage and cost of living means you're watching your bank balance while house sharing with a bunch of randoms. That's just my experience though, I've met plenty of people that LOVED London and leads me to believe my decision making wasn't the best there.
The best bit about London is that it is a hub for traveling Europe. Aussies are inundating most of the good holiday spots, but irrespective of that, places like Croatia, Spain and Hungary are unforgettable experiences. Croatia was a personal favourite. Also, Edinburgh is incredible and accessible by train.
More recently, I've done stints in South East Asia and could not recommend it enough. You can live in a place like Thailand and Vietnam and live a luxurious life with the incredibly low cost of living, whilst still getting your Western fix if need be. The people and food are great and the beer is cheap. The weather is hot. What's not to love? Taiwan is more expensive but some of the nicest locals you'll ever meet.
I have friends that live in Dubai. Not for me, but they don't pay tax and are forking in squillions of dollars.
Jimmybob
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- May 26, 2012
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- #30
How did everyone fund these changes? Was it just working and saving your pennies up to afford life in another country without a job for a few weeks/months until you were working? Was it having a job lined up before you left Australia? It's obviously a lot harder than just "wanted to travel/live overseas so i left aus" lol
What are the steps you need to take to be able to do this?
What are the steps you need to take to be able to do this?
I left Australia with about 5 grand in cash, which translated to around 3,5k in euros. Was never gonna last forever and this was a scary prospect. I left with a woman I'd known a bit longer than 6 months(she's now my wife) and all I had was a 3 month visa so I really threw caution to the wind and just let whatever will be, be. Moving to a country where I dont speak the language was obviously going to be tough, but that was hugely off-set by my wife being a native. She had chosen to do her Masters in the south of France, thinking with the huge English contingent it would help me find work. I found a few ex-pat sites/FB groups that were advertising for some work here or there and i did random odd-jobs for a while. I remember my first job was for a Kiwi, he lived on the edge of a cliff and his swimming pool was leaking through the walls and to the cliff, so he hired 3 of us to manually dig a trench about 3 metres deep by 15 metres long, in hard rocky soil, in the middle of summer with temps at 33 degrees. It was ******* gruelling for 15 euros an hour, but I had to do whatever I could.
Eventually I found everyday work with a English gardener and we worked on big luxurious mansions with multi-million dollar views. I remember thinking to myself it would be pretty cool to get a permanant gardening job in one of these palaces. Flash fwd a few years, and after doing 2 stints in an English pub in Antibes, surrounded by English, Aussies, Kiwis and Saffies I found myself and my wife managing one of those luxurious mansions where I earn more than I ever did in Australia, have no rent, no petrol, no utilities to pay. We now own a small property in Nice and that gardener I use to work for.... I occasionally call him when we need big trees cut down or big work thats too big for our gardeners.
I left with not much money, not much idea of where I was going to end up and landed well and truly on my feet in a foreign land. My wife and her family were hugely supportive and helpful and I doubt I could have done it alone at my age at the time(late 30s).
One way I could recommend if someone wanted to move to southern Europe is through luxury yachts. It's a huge industry here and it's full of Aussies, Kiwis and Saffies. The pay is very very good... Some will take home 20 or 30 grand in cash tips alone, in a 3 month season. It's a young persons game, but it offers a great lifestyle and way to see the world. And if you dont drink and party too much, you could save a couple hundred grand in 2-3 years.
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- #32
You definitely don't need to line up a job before you leave Australia, if anything I'd argue it's a bad idea as it can lock you into something that may not be that great when you land or cause you to miss out on better opportunities that will likely present themselves soon after you arrive.
Under 25, looking to party, happy to share with randoms and happy to work low paying jobs, would probably only require 1-2 months savings. You'll always find work
Over 25, looking to continue a career and a little more selective who you live with, would probably require 3+ months savings.
The one thing I would not recommend doing is moving overseas as soon as you've finished university if you want to work in a career related to your degree, you're far better off getting at least 2 years experience before moving and then getting a job in that area.
If I had my time again and got really lucky I would have done the following.
1. Moved overseas at 18, do the party/low pay/random room mates thing for 2-3 years.
2. Move back to Australia at 21, get qualified and if possible do a semester in the states, finish uni 24.
3. Move back overseas at 27/8 after 2-4 years work experience.
I do regret not being abroad alone for a short period of time at 19/20, I think it would have been an incredible experience as would doing a semester in the states, something else I missed out on.
Moving late 20's with marketable work experience does enable you to make up for lost time and it's still 100% worth it though.
Jimmybob
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- May 26, 2012
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- #33
Thanks for the replies, guys. It's always interesting to know the different ways people do this. I suppose at the end of the day, whatever way you go about it, you're going to have to throw yourself in the deep end to be able to do it.
Eaglespur
Premiership Player
Got used to the rain yet bro! what scared me home.
Eaglespur
Premiership Player
I waited till the mrs finished uni and quit my job 
. Backpacked Europe for 8 weeks (12 countries) then we flew to Toronto then onto Vancouver and lived there for 5 months, working visa. Basically all i wanted to do was pack up and travel see the world and all that. Ended up getting pretty home sick and got over the constant rain in Vancouver and the winter scared me off! got to do a nice USA tour on the way home.
. Backpacked Europe for 8 weeks (12 countries) then we flew to Toronto then onto Vancouver and lived there for 5 months, working visa. Basically all i wanted to do was pack up and travel see the world and all that. Ended up getting pretty home sick and got over the constant rain in Vancouver and the winter scared me off! got to do a nice USA tour on the way home.
Its been summer since i landed (early June) so its just starting to get dark and rainy now, from what I've heard I think I'm definitely gonna struggle!
I lucked out on this front.. redundancy payout funded my move to london
Was nervous about being jobless so got on the hunt early then landed a decent job in 2 weeks.. 15 months later and im still there, visa running out next year and have the option to be sponsored through my employer if i want it
Also knew the redundancy was on the way so had a bit of time to plan it out, although making the move is nowhere near as hard as you make it out to be in your own mind.
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Eaglespur
Premiership Player
It's tough, probably had 6 weeks straight of rain at one point.. very different from WA! don't forget the snow
. How do you go with your accent? people loved mine but did struggle to under stand sometimesSo far so good, it's more so the slang / Aussie terms for everything.. Had some funny moments with things like a stubby holder, footpath, taxi, mobile, toilet (washroom) etc.. The all time classic has to be the growler though. I can't get used to hearing the locals say "growlers are so much cheaper" or something along those lines!It's tough, probably had 6 weeks straight of rain at one point.. very different from WA! don't forget the snow
Eaglespur
Premiership Player
haha yeah man, its the R's also. We say Socka they really pronounce their rs Sock errrrrrr.
But yeah try asking to have a cuppa down at maccas this arvo. they will think you're an alien
Eaglespur
Premiership Player
7 years! you must like the rain
. It is a beautiful city and lifestyle if you can get over the weather and let go of certain parts of Australian lifestyle.
7 years! you must like the rain
Only just getting a bit of rain now. Was dry for 10 weeks. I'm fine with the weather and don't imagine leaving here. We get it easy really. It's already snowing in some parts of the county.
Bump. Here's a question that I was discussing with a friend the other day as we've both been living outside Aus for a while now.
Australians tend to spend more on less, would you agree?
For example a lot of my friends who are late 20's in Aus would happily spend $200-$300 a weekend on alcohol, fast food, cabs etc. Essentially at the end of that you have nothing to show for it.
Contrast to Europe people tend to spend less for the sake of spending and instead it's more experience based.
Instead of $200-$300 on not much it's going out to dinner at a new restaurant once a month with a good bottle of wine or a trip away somewhere for the long weekend. Ultimately in my opinion this is more rewarding and less expensive.
Thoughts?
Australians tend to spend more on less, would you agree?
For example a lot of my friends who are late 20's in Aus would happily spend $200-$300 a weekend on alcohol, fast food, cabs etc. Essentially at the end of that you have nothing to show for it.
Contrast to Europe people tend to spend less for the sake of spending and instead it's more experience based.
Instead of $200-$300 on not much it's going out to dinner at a new restaurant once a month with a good bottle of wine or a trip away somewhere for the long weekend. Ultimately in my opinion this is more rewarding and less expensive.
Thoughts?
In Canada, I'd say it's more similar to your first example for most of the year. May to September people tend to save more for long weekends away to enjoy the nicer weather.
In France, or where I am and where Im at age-wise, I see plenty of people partaking in long lunches and dinners to the length that they destroy my stomach.
Entree, main, cheese, dessert... that's lunch-with bread and wine and then do it all again for dinner. No wonder the French dont get breakfast. They * themselves up later in the day. If Im spending a weekend at the In-Laws, Im absolutely destroyed after sunday lunch, There will be no dinner for me, Im in recovery.
But somehow, the Mediterranean peoples are some of the healthiest in the world.
Fortunes are spent here on long lunches and long dinners, not long evenings at the pub drinking pints and eating chicken wings. So I see where Ash is coming from.
Entree, main, cheese, dessert... that's lunch-with bread and wine and then do it all again for dinner. No wonder the French dont get breakfast. They * themselves up later in the day. If Im spending a weekend at the In-Laws, Im absolutely destroyed after sunday lunch, There will be no dinner for me, Im in recovery.
But somehow, the Mediterranean peoples are some of the healthiest in the world.
Fortunes are spent here on long lunches and long dinners, not long evenings at the pub drinking pints and eating chicken wings. So I see where Ash is coming from.
Der Kaiser
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I am currently thinking about doing one of these work in the US for 12 month things seeing as I graduated uni earlier this year. Can't seem to find any full-time work here so was thinking, why not go live and work in the states for a year. Has anyone done anything like this? I want to do it but I just feel the whole leaving family and friends behind is whats making me not go ahead with it.
Yep. Did it in both the UK and Canada. Not much is going to change in a year. Your family and friends will still be around. It’s pretty easy to keep in touch.
- Oct 3, 2008
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sounds like ur young. u should probably do it if u have nothing here job/money wise. u wont regret it.
like the above poster said nothing changes here...friends and family r always gona be there.
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- #49
There will be heaps on here who have done lengthy stints O/S.
To any poster reading this and considering it - I'd give a strong "do it" to as advice. There will be plenty of people who come up with reasons not to do it but it's well worth it.
However this recommendation comes with caveats.
Your experience might be more about the travel, new place and new people if you've lived out of home and had some 'real' jobs prior to going. I'm talking about people uni age and above (high school exchanges are different).
Better to cut your teeth organising various boring life things like utilities etc, had a few shitty exchanges with housemates and coworkers etc (ie people other than your parents) who pull you out of your own arse on your home turf rather than spend your valuable OS time picking up the basics. But if opportunity presented itself before this as long as it's safe enough, it's worth doing.
Also someone told me once it takes about 6 months to really start to settle in mentally after an OS move. That doesn't mean you don't have some great times in the meantime but be open to embracing some highs and lows in that period. When it gets to a certain point most people I know then just 'clicked' in their new location.
To any poster reading this and considering it - I'd give a strong "do it" to as advice. There will be plenty of people who come up with reasons not to do it but it's well worth it.
However this recommendation comes with caveats.
Your experience might be more about the travel, new place and new people if you've lived out of home and had some 'real' jobs prior to going. I'm talking about people uni age and above (high school exchanges are different).
Better to cut your teeth organising various boring life things like utilities etc, had a few shitty exchanges with housemates and coworkers etc (ie people other than your parents) who pull you out of your own arse on your home turf rather than spend your valuable OS time picking up the basics. But if opportunity presented itself before this as long as it's safe enough, it's worth doing.
Also someone told me once it takes about 6 months to really start to settle in mentally after an OS move. That doesn't mean you don't have some great times in the meantime but be open to embracing some highs and lows in that period. When it gets to a certain point most people I know then just 'clicked' in their new location.
Engimal v3
**** m**nl*nd*rs
A friend of mine just did 6 months in Canada as a camp counselor (or whatever you'd call it), and loved every second of it.
