Meg Goes Global

So I’m coming up to 6 months since moving to Australia and it’s been a rollercoaster. Very different to my first working holiday back in 2022, both personally and also the amount of people here. When I first came, I was one of a small pool of backpackers after the pandemic, which definitely isn’t the case anymore. It’s taken me this long to finally feel like I’m settled and can relax, which was my goal for this working holiday. To enjoy just being. I have a job I’m getting on well with, and that’s giving me consistent hours at last, so it’s onto mission save until my next adventure.

Managing expectations is the biggest lesson I’ve learnt so far this time round. Accepting that things might not be happening as quickly as I maybe want them to, but still enjoying the process. Not getting stressed when I don’t immediately have everything figured out, and always feeling like I should be doing more. I was getting frustrated at not feeling settled or having a secure job after being here for only a couple of months, but have realised that things just take time, and that’s okay! Also it’s more than okay to sit still. It’s natural for us to always be striving for better, for more: a better place to live, to make more money, to get a job that actually serves as career progression, to use my time to travel and not feel like I’m wasting it. But taking a step back and appreciating where I am has been important. Realising that I might not be everything I want to be just yet, but I’m a lot of the things that me a few years ago was dreaming to be. And that is something worth celebrating. Each rejection from a potential job or house has just been a redirection to now, which I know is where I’m meant to be. Okay enough of the spirituality, what’s the gossip?

1. Making friends is difficult. I’m glad I have friends here already because I can only imagine coming here not knowing anyone. Just being in your 20s is a weird age where everyone’s at different stages, so putting yourself out there can be testing, and living here as if I’m a local, except not having half as many of the connections is a weird one. Even maintaining adult friendships can be a challenge in itself with everyone’s massively varying responsibilities. People my age are engaged and having babies, buying houses, and others are still at home in hospitality jobs.

2. House shares are also an interesting one. I mean you just have to get used to shared spaces but everyone lives SO differently and has varying standards of ‘clean’… eek. It’s definitely a weird one to live with people from all over the world of opposing backgrounds, ages and lifestyles, and try to communicate enough to live a peaceful and happy life. Yeah it’s a mission. And the condition of share houses aren’t always something to rave about: we’re all just trying to make it through. But on the other hand, if I hadn’t stayed in this slightly cockroach filled house, then I wouldn’t have met some amazing people, that would become so important to me.

3. Leaning on friends is valuable, because your friends here become your adopted family. Both checking in here, and calling people from home is equally important. I think I’ve been better at not entirely forgetting to speak to my family this time round, so that’s always a good one. (Hi mum.)

4. Australian winter is COLD, even in Queensland. But there are some insane sunrises and sunsets, and the sun does still make an appearance so who am I to complain. Just absolutely don’t be fooled, and don’t laugh when I’m talking about the cold. Trust me when I say, it’s colder inside my house than outside in the sun a lot of the time, and that’s just the reality.

5. I’m part of the 5am club now. Maybe not entirely by choice but I’m embracing it, and can’t wait for summer mornings when it will be light then. And yes I do entirely have a superiority complex about it. It does however, also mean I’m an 8:30pm bedtime girl. No exageration when I say I was tucked in bed by 8 a good five out of seven nights last week.

6. And finally, I’m a step closer to being a surf girl. I’ve actually been out a couple times which is already an improvement on my last working holiday here. It’s just slightly on hold because I’m a pussy in the cold. Also I’m in need of someone to go out with me so I don’t get washed out to sea forever completely unnoticed. Surf buddy applications are officially open. Only requirement is that you are better shark bait than I am.