Yes, already a year on ! A year we left the UK, a year we landed in Australia…Wow!

One may ask: How are you all? How has it been? Are you enjoying it? What an amazing experience!

Yes an amazing experience…full of challenges and opportunities! Some highlights, learning points and some exciting experiences! I suppose the main point is that it has taken us an immense desire to achieve our goals, perseverance and determination. It has not been always full of roses, singing and dancing all the way…we have probably grown a few more grey hair along the way…

Never ending challenges!

The challenges have been huge! It often felt that we were solving one problem and another cropped up. The main challenges have been related to moving internationally, buying a house, and qualification transfer for me. Adaptation to new school systems, employment and a new country. Our little one also had a very hard time settling at childcare. We also found it hard to deal with the complexities of the systems…it took a huge amount of patience to deal with a number of bureaucratic regulations.

Faced with challenges, we persevered through it…it has not been easy, but sheer hard work, creativity and determination have made it possible…We could have given up, but I suppose I don’t think it was an option! Many challenges felt as these were locked in a chain of events or like jigsaw puzzle. If you completed one piece, you could move on to the next part…It took a lot of patience to unlock one piece one after the other…

Some challenges have also been associated with living in the Southern Hemisphere, in a complete upside down yearly calendar and seasonal events. I personally could not get into the Christmas spirit. I also found it hard to experience winter in the summer…

Learning about new animals and possible dangers such as snakes, spiders, octopi and bush fires bring some fear and worries, mainly because it is not particularly innate to us, and also because you don’t really know how you would react if something happened…

For me, finding employment, studying for an exam, doing yet another supervised placement and a very small salary for a year have also added to some constant stress and worries…

Our highlights!

Although there have been important challenges, we have also enjoyed living in Australia for the past year. Here are our highlights!

Arriving in Australia, in a house in the woods, with a pool, at the end of the summer, after leaving the English winter…

A new lifestyle, lots of nature around us…Living in a calm and peaceful environment with land around the house…Coming back from work is just bliss…

The warmth and the weather…being outdoors…

Visiting animal sanctuaries…learning about new animals…seeing kangaroos and koalas for the first time…

Getting to know our beautiful surroundings…wineries, beach, shops, roads…discoveries and adventures…

Driving through an amazing forest on the way to camping in the Australian Alps…

Camping with lots of families…

Children are excited about new activities such as gymnastics and lots of cricket!

Watching a game of AFL at the MCG…

Getting to know lots of lovely people…being invited to lots of different social events…

The Australians are easy to get along with, have a great sense of humour, say what they think. They also are very helpful, people will give you a hand when you have difficulties. It really seems easy to socialise, make friends and have great conversations…Many people have travelled, have many connections with the UK so it seems easy to talk about these topics. It feels like we are understood easily. There is a sense that we belong…

Exciting experiences: Past and Future!

The is no doubt there were many challenges but future experiences look incredibly exciting. Our perseverance and determination have led to exciting experiences for the future…

For my husband, there are a number of exciting work projects ahead and it’s great to see him engaged and particularly enthusiastic about work.

Our little one will be starting school next year and now likes to go to childcare. Our oldest is thriving and is exciting about school, science, cricket and hockey. Our girl loves her school, friends, gymnastics and sporting opportunities. Both our eldest have joined Scouts, yes we could not let that one go! We have lots of work to do in the house, but it is exciting as we can make it our own. We are looking forward to build a room under the carport as my and guest room so that we can have people coming to stay with us!

My qualifications have been all recognised so I am now fully registered as a psychologist working in different and very interesting settings: a charity supporting children with special needs and disabilities under 8 and their families, and in a number of schools supporting children under a mental health plan. I have now set up my business and work as a sole trader for the school side of my work. It is a very exciting, full of opportunities.

Based on my blog, I submitted an abstract about topics related to global migration which was accepted! I write in a web magazine in Quebec about global migration topics. It feels that all the initial hard work setting up the blog is finally coming together!

Next steps will be finishing empty boxes, working on the house, applying for permanent residency…I am sure this will bring a few more challenges!