Let's not beat around the bush, most twenty-something year olds have woken up one day and thought about travelling to Australia (and New Zealand, and Asia), it's just what people our age do. And I can guarantee as soon as you've sat and gone "I want to go to Australia" your TikTok was like - "here's a bunch of travel videos to make you want to do it more."
But what if you actually do it... what if you actually book the ticket, pack the bag, drive to the airport, and get on the plane. What if you wake up the next day in Australia. Don't get me wrong, we all have different reasons for booking that ticket - I came over to study, you might come over to backpack. But it's still the same destination right? Wrong. We see Australia so differently based on why we have come here and that is the same for life. When you go somewhere to live, it's real, you see the day to day life and you either love it, or you don't. For me - I love it, and it is now so much more than just a travel destination, it's a way of life that I want for myself.
Here are a few things I've learned since arriving:
There aren't snakes and spiders around every corner, in fact, unless you're camping, you hardly ever see them
The weather can change in a split second so always be prepared
You won't see koalas and kangaroos and wallabies every five minutes, if anything, seeing koalas particularly is very rare so if you do, stop for a second and appreciate how lucky you were to be in the right place at the right time
You will not be able to do this entire country in a few months, instead, focus on one or two states if you truly want to do it justice
Never underestimate the kindness and friendliness of the people. Australians are some of the most generous and welcoming people on the planet, be friendly and it will be returned to you in unmeasurable amounts
Take a minute to learn the history and the culture, if you want to go and see landmarks which are special to the Dreamtime Stories then read the story and do your research beforehand, I promise you it will mean a whole lot more
Just enjoy the journey
You will never regret seeing the world, and if seeing the world makes you realise that where you are in life isn't where you want to be, embrace it, don't run from it.
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