Society & Culture Moving cities - whose done it?

[sabre_ac]

Its true, I have met so many Aussies here who 'came for a three week holiday 25 years ago' etc.

I dont see the big flap about leaving home, or home sickness. One day I went in to uni, said i wanted to go on exchange, pointed on a map, and signed the papers. I'd never thought of going on exchange previous to that morning. It didnt hit me I'd gone to Sweden till 6 months later when I had opened the door to my flat in Sweden.

Now, everyone asks me if I think I will settle in Melbourne or Berlin. Why does it have to be either? If my girlfriend said to me today 'next month lets move to US, Japan, Cameroon' or whatever, I'd just go. Why not? I mean I will still always have family in Australia, with technology its easy to keep in touch, I get to see things I wouldnt otherwise, and get to have a great time. My theory is people worry too much.

I agree to a certain extent, there is too much adventure to be had to limit yourself to just Australia.

It'll always be home and if you can afford to move around as much as you do chances are you can afford to go home for a holiday regularly.

Good mates will stay your mates for life and if you get to see them once a year so be it, people's lives become more complicated and there is a good chance you wouldn't have seen them that reguarly had you stayed at home. If your a decent bloke you'll have no problems making friends wherever you are.

I've found living abroad the only thing that I worry about is parents getting older and the impact on their lives I am having by being away. I then take it further and think about what happens if I have kids abroad and how can I ensure they grow up knowing my parents and benefiting from having them in their lives.

End of the day, my parents wouldn't want me coming home just for them and like you said technology makes life abroad allot eaier these days.

 

[THRILLHO]

I moved from New York City to Denver in January to finish up my degree, and the best advice I can give you is treat it like an adventure. I've always wondered why homesickness to football players is such an issue in Australia. Is it not common to leave your home state for university?

Certainly not.

Most Australians are far too scared to leave their comfort zones and would rather bank money than live life. It's all too common to run into people on campus who qualify for Youth Allowance but live with their parents and don't envisage moving out until their mid-to-late 20s.

Universities in Australia don't really have that collegiate feel that the ones in America do, primarily because there isn't the large sporting competition drawing everyone together nor is there a pressing need for people to move interstate (unless you live rurally) to study.

I grew up in Albury, lived in Sydney for three years for uni and then moved to Melbourne to do a post-grad degree. Been living in Melbourne for about three years now. It's not hard and there's no real homesickness to speak of (especially as I'm able to get to Albury pretty regularly if I feel like it) but it is hard knowing that your friendship circle is so spread out. Pretty easy for friendships to fall by the wayside if you don't work on them. Which is why FB is good and bad. FB makes it easy to keep up-to-date with someone's life, but it also makes it easy to forget to ring them and say "hey" or organise a weekend catch-up.

 

[Werewolf]

Moved from Melbourne to Adelaide in '09, but return in summer to see the folks.

Popped in this weekend too, saw the Doggies get flogged. FML

 

[Silent Alarm]

Speaking of the uni thing, does anyone else wish we had it like the US/UK?

I moved for uni this year. I grew up four hours south of Perth, where I'm in now. I'm not foreign to Perth so it's pretty samey. Moving cities or states would be a real thrill, especially because the majority of other people at uni would be from out of state as well. It sounds like a lot more of an experience. I'm moving states for uni next, so I guess that qualifies... but I dunno. It'll never happen though because of the costs and size of the country.

 

[cats2rise]

Yep, I reckon its amazing that uni goers in Europe have to do a semester abroad somewhere. I wish it was the same in Australia.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Yep, I reckon its amazing that uni goers in Europe have to do a semester abroad somewhere. I wish it was the same in Australia.

Wait, is it actually compulsory?

 

[cats2rise]

Not sure if its compulsory as I know of a few people who have not had the money.

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

I moved up to Lismore for uni five months ago and it is one of the greatest things I have ever done. I grew up in Adelaide and love the city life, but at the end of year 12 a change was calling and I was really interested in the field of Osteopathy which I am now studying. The interesting thing is, is that from the moment I got to high school I always saw myself moving away straight after school. Initially to join the forces, but that interest kind of waned and I wanted to join a medical field. Throughout high school, I always mentioned that I was keen on breaking tradition and moving interstate to go to university and most people laughed it off as just a fad. It wasn't until it come to university application time that friends and family really understood that I was serious about moving away. I mean, I didn't even apply to a South Australian uni

But yeah, in Feburary I came up here. Before I left, the girlfriend and I called things off as we were in completely different stages of life and came to an agreement that we both didn't want to hold each other back at the moment. Never know what will happen in the future though. My last week in Adelaide was absolutely hectic as I was seeing many people for the last time, but I really didn't think too much of it. I was more excited for the adventure that would lay ahead at uni. Then the night before I left, my different friend circles got together and threw me a massive surprise party which was quite amazing. But to be honest, it made me even more excited to move onto a new adventure as it felt like a chapter was closing but it would forever be open.

It wasn't until I was sitting on the plane, looking out the window at my closest friends and family staring through the windows that I realised what I was actually doing. I was just 18 years old, moving to a city I had never been to before, I didn't know anybody within a 300km radius of where I was going, I wasn't going to see a single person I knew for a very long time and apart from having a place to live and a course I was enrolled in, I really didn't have many plans. The initial adjustment was a bit difficult, as university life and Lismore in particular has a massive drinking culture, but I haven't grown up in that kind of environment and it was a little difficult to get used to. But I quickly made friends within the first week with a guy in a similar situation to me (moving away for the first time and not knowing anyone, he was only 17!) and a group of five American girls on exchange from Wisconsin. We all had extremely similar interests, weren't big drinkers and became like a family instantly. I think that made the adjustment easier, as it really was like a family. Within a month and a half, the seven of us went on a week-long trip to Cairns together and lifelong friendships were made.

In addition to the great times I had, it was also a brilliant decision academically. Being away from home, I was in more of a study environment and the lack of familiar surroundings constantly reminded me that I was up here for university.

So in conclusion, moving away from home for university has been a brilliant decision. I can't believe more people don't do it. In fact, when I enrolled for university, my high school careers counsellor had never, ever enrolled a student at an interstate university in her 21 years of doing the job. Meanwhile, in the U.S it is a way of life. The five girls that I became best friends with, were all from different parts of America, but went to the same university, while a couple of guys I met from the UK up in Cairns were from different parts of the country and met at university as well. I would encourage any body with the option of doing so, to take the plunge and not look back

I went back to Adelaide for a short surprise visit a couple of weeks ago and it was like nothing had changed. Those who you are close enough with, will always be around no matter what and I also believe that the best relationships are those where you see each other least. It teaches you to make the most of the time you do have together with friends and family, while a very good point was made above- technology makes it incredibly easy to stay in touch with those back home.


If anybody has any questions, I'm more than happy to answer

 

[Silent Alarm]

The thing I think about is not making friends.

I know a few blokes, but making friends at uni isn't that easy. Admittedly, I'm quite selective in terms of who I like, but it's hard for most people to submit themselves into group situations – almost every single person I talk to from uni is from Perth. They all have their friendship circles and it's hard to break into that. I'm sure it'll be different and I'm not really worried... I dunno. I'm still looking forward to it.

The other thing is, in my head, I just want to live in all these places. Travelling is on the plans. But I like the idea of 'settling' in a city for 18 months and just using it as a base. I can get a British Passport and work over there, so the pretty stock standard 'year in London' is probably on the cards when I hit 21/22.

 

[THRILLHO]

Making friends is incredibly easy. Making mates is harder.

There's four ways to make friends at uni. In class, living on campus, sporting group, joining a club.

If you're moving to Melbourne for uni, live in one of the colleges in College Crescent at Melbourne Uni and join a sporting club. If, after six months, you haven't made any friends, re-evaluate yourself. Or get a haircut.

 

[thegrach]

. But I quickly made friends within the first week with a guy in a similar situation to me

You tappin that?

of five American girls on exchange from Wisconsin.

You tappin that?

 

[Silent Alarm]

Making friends is incredibly easy. Making mates is harder.

There's four ways to make friends at uni. In class, living on campus, sporting group, joining a club.

If you're moving to Melbourne for uni, live in one of the colleges in College Crescent at Melbourne Uni and join a sporting club. If, after six months, you haven't made any friends, re-evaluate yourself. Or get a haircut.

Very true. There's people I'll always sit next to, kill some time, and have a laugh with. But the idea of seeing each other on the weekend is a bit weird. The hardest thing for me is befriending 'arty' types who aren't into the footy. I've had a spare ticket to the footy on two occasions, and I've had to palm them off to a school mate, rather than someone I met at uni.

The thing is, I'm not really lonely. I go to uni and talk to my friends there, come home and talk to my housemates, then talk to blokes at footy on Monday, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The other thing is that I'm thinking "why bother making a serious effort when I'll never see them again in six months?" Meh. It's not upsetting me and I'm happy with my social life. It's just an observation.

 

[Marns]

Most Australians are far too scared to leave their comfort zones and would rather bank money than live life. It's all too common to run into people on campus who qualify for Youth Allowance but live with their parents and don't envisage moving out until their mid-to-late 20s.

I'm glad you brought that up. There's so much wrong with being so sheltered and babied until you're in your late 20s. As someone who has moved around a bit (currently living in Canada), I'd love to see the rest of my mates moving around and living in different cities a) for their own enjoyment, and b) so I don't look like the only bloody nomad!

As a few people have already said in this thread, it'd be great if our university experience was similar to that in North America, where most kids are uprooted and need to move to another city for a few years of college/university. It introduces you to leaving home with a whole lot of other kids in the exact same situation, and teaches you to feel comfortable out of your comfort zone. There's a lot to be said for that.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I couldn't think of anything worse than being at home until your 20. At 17 I felt I was too old for high school and bored of the comforts of home. Being 18 and living away from home isn't hard for me, but it's a test of independence and a lot more enjoyable. Pushing the envelope (god, why am I using cliches?) is something I'd love to do.

 

[stmookeyj]

Whilst I haven't experienced moving about from city to city as an adult, did it a few times as a kid. It's really about how quickly you can adjust to the new surrounds. I know when moving from Central Queensland to Darwin, it took me about a fortnight to not have to have a cold shower after school such was the different climate.

 

[FootyJunkie]

did it as a kid (of course that was out of my control), and now as an adult.... i've always loved it, just another incentive to delay wife/kids for another ten years

i'd probably start to get bored if i lived in a city for more than 5 years, no matter how wonderful a city might be... did 8 years in Melbourne once and despite having a ton of mates and the footy on tap, i was desperate to get out of there and move some place new

big world out there to see... if inter-planetary travel were possible/practical, i'd probably do that too

 

[kfc1]

Forcing everyone to do the same thing doesn't result in the same outcome for everyone. I would've thought that much was obvious. For some people, staying at home works, for others it doesn't.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Forcing everyone to do the same thing doesn't result in the same outcome for everyone. I would've thought that much was obvious. For some people, staying at home works, for others it doesn't.

Exactly. I try not to force it down other peoples throats. My ambitions to travel and live in different cities across the world was always seen as weird to most at school. For them, a European Contiki and living in Perth for five or six years before going back to 'settle down' is more than enough for them. Whatever.

 

[sabre_ac]

Exactly. I try not to force it down other peoples throats. My ambitions to travel and live in different cities across the world was always seen as weird to most at school. For them, a European Contiki and living in Perth for five or six years before going back to 'settle down' is more than enough for them. Whatever.

I'm currently living abroad and can definitely see some of the advantages this lifestyle but at the same time I can appreciate the other side. Through much of my teenage years and early twenties I dreamt of a life abroad, I'm currently living that dream and completely content..

However...

Living close to where you grew up and going on holidays (Let's not presume Contiki is all most people know about) once a year isn't a life wasted, end of the day most people end up living the life that suits them best and are ultimately content (There is some science behind this). There is a certain confience that comes with knowing people you have known your whole life live down the road and your day to day life moves exactly how you expect it. Those that stay at home normally settle down and have kids earlier (larger families as well), those who jetset often have kids later in life or not at all (From what I have seen), neither life is superior.

For me the key to a life abroad (I'm talking longer than a two year stint here) is having the financial means to come home regularly, personally I feel I owe it to my parents to see them once a year (I want to as well). My recommendation to anyone in school or university dreaming if a life abroad is graduate, get work experience and go in your mid to late 20's. Moving fresh out of university with no experience will result in minimum wage.

 

[Leslie_Chow]

For me the key to a life abroad (I'm talking longer than a two year stint here) is having the financial means to come home regularly, personally I feel I owe it to my parents to see them once a year (I want to as well). My recommendation to anyone in school or university dreaming if a life abroad is graduate, get work experience and go in your mid to late 20's. Moving fresh out of university with no experience will result in minimum wage.

Probably some really decent advice here. I am eager to work overseas, preferably in the UK. I've only recently started a grad job and know the experience I gain over the first few years will be invaluable. I wouldn't want to move overseas only to come back and find it difficult to get a job, whilst also going over there working for nothing

 

[The_Reaper]

Probably some really decent advice here. I am eager to work overseas, preferably in the UK. I've only recently started a grad job and know the experience I gain over the first few years will be invaluable. I wouldn't want to move overseas only to come back and find it difficult to get a job, whilst also going over there working for nothing

You eligible for an easy visa through your grandparents?

I have two grandparents who were born in the UK and plan on using that to spend a few years in Europe.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

You eligible for an easy visa through your grandparents?

I have two grandparents who were born in the UK and plan on using that to spend a few years in Europe.

I hate you people.

 

[Silent Alarm]

You eligible for an easy visa through your grandparents?

I have two grandparents who were born in the UK and plan on using that to spend a few years in Europe.

Same here mate.

Though as a Commonwealth citizen, living in England won't be too hard.

 

[Leslie_Chow]

You eligible for an easy visa through your grandparents?

I have two grandparents who were born in the UK and plan on using that to spend a few years in Europe.

Unfortunately not, but my dad is eligible for an Italian passport which means I am as well, hopefully get that sorted in due time.

To have Europe on your doorstep for a few years would be amazing

 

[The_Reaper]

Same here mate.

Though as a Commonwealth citizen, living in England won't be too hard.

UK is pretty similar to Australia. Closer than the US at least.

The UK is the bridge to Europe though.