It Was the Idea of Not Doing It That Scared Me the Most
If you’d have told me four years ago when I was planning a year of backpacking around Asia and Australia that I would meet a British born Australian citizen the day after I arrived ‘Down Under’ and would end up moving to the other side of the world to be with him, I most definitely would not have believed you. I thought I would just spend a year travelling and then return home; never in my wildest dreams would I think that one day I would call Australia my home. When I met my partner, I was excited by the fact I’d met someone who seemed to share the same inexplicable love for Australia, something I’d never been able to explain, but knew part of my soul belonged there. Our mutual love for Australia, travel and adventure meant we instantly hit it off.
Fast forward a couple of years, living in the UK, we both knew that Australia was where we were just meant to be. We had talked of going back for so long and both being ‘doers’ and not just talkers, we took the plunge and booked a one-way flight. This, for me, had made it seem much more real and as the months started ticking by, I started to doubt whether I was doing the right thing. My partner had lived in Perth before, so he didn’t seem as anxious, he knew what to expect and had a good network of friends there. I had moments where I was just so terrified; giving up my entire life to start somewhere completely new, where I didn’t know anyone, where I wouldn’t have full working rights, I would have issues with jobs, money and visas etc. I was feeling overwhelmed with the decision I’d made to move to the other side of the world and sad to leave behind my family, an amazing network of friends and a good social life. More than once, I wondered what on earth I was doing. I was a bag of nerves and frankly, a mess. It was probably a good thing that we’d already booked the flights as I most definitely would have backed out otherwise. I started to research moving to Australia and soon realised that it was the very idea of not doing it that scared me the most. I was more scared than I ever liked to admit about moving overseas, but the idea of living the rest of my life wondering, ‘what if…’ filled me with dread. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a fabulous opportunity, one many people would love to have and I should run at it with open arms. It was scary, but it was also amazing and exciting and I knew that home wasn’t far away; we at least had to try first.
We’ve now been in Perth for just under a year and I can honestly say that moving abroad was the best thing I have ever done. People ask me what it is about Australia that I love and why I moved here, but I think it comes down to more than just the place. It’s stepping outside of your comfort zone and learning things about yourself, throwing yourself into a completely bizarre and new experience, learning about another country and ultimately, yourself. I came across a quote online that struck me so deeply, it made me realise that what I had done was massive and I had been so brave to follow my dreams.
‘Nothing is comparable to the new life in a new country. Though I am still always myself, I am changed to the marrow of my bones.’
Living overseas changes you, makes you appreciate and see things differently. You’re far away from everything and everyone you have ever known and loved and it can be lonely, overwhelming and tiring sometimes, but when you stop to think about what you have accomplished, you realise how proud you are of yourself for uprooting and starting afresh.
I miss my friends and family so much and think about them every single day and wish that we lived closer so they could just pop in for a cup of tea. That’s the hardest thing about moving overseas. But I try to fully immerse myself in daily life here; I want to feel as though I am making the most of the beautiful surroundings that are on my doorstep. Australia is truly an amazing place; the weather is stunning and the relaxed lifestyle and wonderful natural beauty are of course a massive bonus. I feel as though I belong here, that it is home and that my life is here. I am joining clubs, meeting people, going out for walks and exploring this amazing place that I live. Though I miss my life back home, I have no desire to move back there any time soon. We try to get out as much as possible and explore as much of the diverse Western Australia as we can, there’s so much to see and do, I don’t feel like I need to go on holiday anywhere else – we have it all here!
Moving abroad is scary, but as they say, ‘Ships in harbour are safe… but that’s not what ships are built for.’
The idea of never fulfilling my dreams is far scarier and for me, I just think life is too short to not go after what you want. We are lucky that we’ve been given such a fantastic opportunity to come and live in Australia but we made it happen, we made our own luck. If you’re scared or worried about taking the plunge and moving overseas, that’s OK, it’s perfectly normal. It’s scary, amazing, terrifying and exciting all at once but it might be the best thing you ever do; the only thing anyone can ever do is try. If it doesn’t work out, at least you tried. If you’re scared, have a little faith that things have a funny way of working themselves out and it could be the most wonderful experience of your life.
I was kindly invited to write this piece as a guest blogger for Olivia from
She writes about her life as an expat living in Melbourne, so please go and check out her blog where you'll see my original piece and other amazing stories and musings of her life in Australia.
Thanks so much Olivia for asking me to feature on your blog.
You can follow the adventures of Olivia and her lovely family by following her on
