Moving Overseas

Finishing school and having no idea what I wanted to do with my life was fucking amazing! Did I want to go to uni? Did I want to save for a few years? Did I want to move to another city? Most people would be traumatised by the idea, but not knowing where I would be in a year or two's time made me grow in ways so many people my age haven't yet. I am from a small town on the east coast of New South Wales in Australia that has a population of around 1,000, so my next big move to the other side of the world would have to be the weirdest, most life changing experience I will ever experience, and hopefully for the better.

I was 19 and a year and a half out of school when I decided to travel Europe, no plan and no idea on where to even go or what there was to see. A friend mentioned to me the idea of moving to London, and that was it! I booked my ticket and the countdown was on. A few months to save every dollar I could get! I worked behind a bar seven days a week, in a kitchen on weekend nights, and even helped out my dad being a labourer for him, and even sold my car...every cent counted.

I talked about the idea of traveling with the family and they were all for it; so supportive and excited for me. When I told them that I decided to move overseas for two years, they were a bit shocked, and I was just as shocked as them... I hardly lived out of home, let alone traveled before. I'd never even been through an airport by myself, so it was bound to get interesting. It was a few months of hectic organising, visa gathering, planning trips and festivals, and of course, partying with everyone I was leaving behind.

A trip to Sydney to go to my visa interview was probably one of the most stressful few days of my life. Like I said before, my town has about 1,000 people, so I wasn't used to so many cars, people, and on top of that, public transport! After being sent in the wrong direction and sprinting up what should've been named "struggle street," I finally made it to my appointment with one minute to spare, to only find out they were running 45 minutes late...typical! I was sitting in the waiting room stressing about all of my documents and if I had them all when I suddenly thought that if I struggled that much in Sydney, how was I going to cope living in London? Oh jeez, what had I got myself into?

Leaving my closest friend (God Bless her) and the family (the dog) was one of the hardest things I've ever done. A few farewell parties and it was already time to say goodbye...where did the last six months go?

The day came and my whole life was packed into one bag, and what a heavy bag that was. But off I went. What a mix of bloody emotions! Excited, nervous, sad, and ready to jump on the plane and begin the big adventure. Having no idea of what was ahead of me was friggin frightening, but I mean...who wouldn't take the chance if they got it, especially when you're young and single and ready to meet all of the beautiful European guys that everyone talks about...but little did I realise that all I was bound to meet were more Aussies! WE ARE EVERYWHERE!! LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!

I said my goodbyes to everyone at the airport when I was boarding and looked up at them and gave them a big old wave, to all of a sudden get a FaceTime call from my younger sister just to say "Hi."

Finally, I was on the plane with my emotions all over the place, but I was ready to begin the life changing experience I was about to take on...a 22 hour flight from Brisbane to London...