I'm Moving Down Under!

On January 12th 2017 I'm taking the plunge and moving to Australia! It's something I've always wanted to do, ever since travelling there in 2013, and now it's actually happening. Despite my leaving date quickly approaching it still hasn't quite sunk in that I'm moving to the other side of the world. Gulp.

Deciding to move my life down under hasn't been the easiest of decisions. I've been settled in London for nearly 2 and a half years now, with a great job, lovely flat and awesome group of friends. I absolutely love living in London, there's just something about the city that draws you in, and I've now come to call it home. But London isn't going anywhere. It will still be here when my visa runs out and I have to return home. It will still be the same crazy, vibrant, busy, overpriced, beautiful place. London is always going to be here, my friends and family are always going to be here. When I realised this it made my decision that little bit easier.

Despite being ridiculously excited, I still have moments of uncertainty. Am I making the right decision? Will I find a job? Is this going to damage my career? Is it sensible to take a year out at 26? What if I'm constantly homesick? These things do worry me, but not enough to put me off going. I know it's cliché, but it's the things in life you don't do that you end up regretting the most. Plus, with the recent state-side election results, being an extra 6,000 miles away from Donald Trump has surely got to be a bonus?

Like many other travellers to Australia, I've been granted a one year working holiday visa which gives me the option to work and travel while I'm there. You can also apply for a 2nd year working holiday visa, as long as you complete 88 days of regional work. This usually entails some kind of farm work, in the more remote areas of the country and is something I'm definitely planning on doing. For those that know me, this might sound like a hilarious prospect. I'm not exactly cut out for farming, so 88 days of manual labour in the Australian heat is going to be a struggle.

I'm lucky enough to have a couple of crazy friends who are also moving out with me. While I would have gone on my own, having friends to go with makes it so much easier. It immediately takes the pressure off having to establish a friendship base and gives you a ready made support network. So, exactly 2 months tomorrow we set off on our 36 hour(!!!) flight and land in Sydney on Saturday 14th January. We are pretty relaxed about our plans for the first few weeks. Ideally we'd like to stay in Sydney for a couple of weeks, celebrate Australia Day and then look for farm work. Hopefully finding a farm job won't be too hard and this will take up the first 3 months of our stay. After that... who knows?

I still don't quite believe that I'm moving to Australia, so I'm pretty disorganised in sorting out the logistics of moving. I'm only planning on taking one suitcase with me (brave or crazy, who knows?) and the rest of my things in my London flat will be moved to my Dads house. I've applied for an Australian bank account (which is pretty organised) and that's the extent of my pre-planning. I don't actually know if there is much else I need to pre-arrange or research? We'll be staying in a hostel while in Sydney so our initial accommodation before farming is sorted. I should probably get some kind of travel insurance and double check the health care situation. Other than that, I'm going to take a 'wing it' attitude and sort anything else out while I'm there.

I've handed in my notice at work and given my landlord notice on my flat. I've slowly started clearing out my wardrobe and getting rid of old junk that I've hoarded. I'm planning to take most of my stuff back home after Christmas, to keep at my dads for safe keeping. I'm also working up until the 10th January, giving me one day for packing my suitcase. The 2 month countdown is officially on and I now need to make the most of my time in England. Wish me luck!