1st of April 2023
Australia a New Hope
“I’d rather be an immigrant and foreigner in a foreign country than a foreigner in the country that was supposed to feel like home.”
What is this article about?
This article is about how I experienced leaving almost everything behind in Germany to go on a Working Holiday in Australia. How the change felt and what I appreciate most about the new environment in Down Under.
I did it again, quit everything, to start something new. In 2020 I quit my IT job to become a Multimedia Designer and Photographer. Now it’s 2023 and I made an even bigger step. Leaving friends and family behind (at least for one year) to start a new chapter in my life. In Australia, with a Working Holiday. I get support from Waters and The Work and Travel Company, to adapt to the Aussie way of life and get jobs.
Why Australia?
Photo by Joey Csunyo on Unsplash
I chose Australia for basically three reasons, the climate, the language, and the people.
The climate
I need sunlight and the right temperature. That doesn’t mean the weather is always good here, but in general, the climate is different, not as depressing as it is back in Germany In fact when I landed, it was drizzling.
The language
I simply need an English-speaking environment, because that’s my chosen language.
The people
Being surrounded by nice, friendly, and helpful people. A society that is driven by ‘matehood” and being part of a community is something I always wanted, but never got until I made it here.
Why did I decide to go on a Working Holiday?
My new profession just seemed to get rolling. I had my first two corporate jobs and quite a few freelance gigs as a designer and photographer. I turned down a few jobs offers on LinkedIn. I finally got recognized, but I had to cut the line. For too long I’ve been living in an environment that was holding me back from my potential, from the way I always wanted to live. An environment that not only is more open-minded, but also supportive, kind, and easy-going. The strictness uptightness and sometimes greediness is something I couldn’t stand anymore. I was looking for a change, healing from the environment that’s holding me back for far too long. Nothing is more important than mental health, if you don’t care about that as a creative professional, you simply can’t do your job properly. You can’t evolve and grow as an individual.
I made this decision to mostly heal myself from the harsh, cold, and depressing environment in Germany. Even when it means to yet again start all over, to me it’s necessary to be able to live to my fullest potential and evolve as a person in an environment that’s not constantly throwing rocks at you or insulting you in some way.
Photo by Almos Bechtold on Unsplash
So how does it actually feel being away from that?
I’ve been in Australia for almost a week now and what I can say is that this is what I was looking for for so long in terms of living and interacting with one another. I was looking for an easygoing, don’t worry mate, helpful and kind social interaction. I found it in Australia. This attitude and mindset are what I admire most. For too long I lived in an environment that’s stressing those who decide to go a different path, wanting to start something new. Skepticism, critics, negativity, and doubts are holding us back. When everyone is just taking care of themselves, sometimes even being greedy and strict in the ways to live. I can not imagine ever being able to live a happy, fulfilled life in such a society. Whoever has managed to deal with that and became happy, has my respect.
Having rules and laws are important to keep order and everyone safe, but being so strict and inflexible adds something to the mix of a society that’s discomforting.
Okay to be honest a lot of that mindset and feeling is due to the German language. That formal part divides life itself. Talking to officials and talking to family and friends. It’s almost like having split personalities, one informal and one formal. Everything seems divided, everyone is so strict
What’s worse being mistreated in the country you grew up or being a Backpacker or Immigrant in a foreign country?
To be honest, although I have a pretty simple backpacker kind of life (except that I’m caring around too much gear) I’ve never been so free and almost happy. I’d because I left the pain, stress, and struggles I had in Germany behind. I didn’t fit in there and that to me is even worse than anything. Of course, I feel like an immigrant right now, and I try my best to distance myself from the language that didn’t serve me and the people that doubted and hurt me, but it’s almost impossible unless cutting the very last ties.
Conclusion
To me, I can really feel a process of healing happening. I left the negative and toxic environment behind. It’s a feeling of freedom and joy. Although life right now is very modest, I can’t remember when I felt so relieved and joyous. The first few days have been tough, I’m still recovering from the Jet Lag. What I had to deal with as well, is that I wanted to adapt to the new life asap, which put even more unnecessary pressure on me. Yet again it’s all about hunting for jobs but fortunately, I have great support from the Work and Travel Company. It lets me stress about everything a little less, which is a huge plus for me. It still feels like an adventure but to me, it’s decently a step in the right direction, into a more pleasant and brighter future.
I’ll do Whatever It Takes.
Self-educated creative problem solver and entrepreneur. Writing about personal development, self-education, photography & filmmaking.
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#ProjectRightCountry #RightCountry #personality #nationality #NationalIdentity