Hi lovelies!
OMG I cannot believe I have actually sat down to write! It has been so long that I have almost forgotten the drill. I used to write 2-3 blog posts per week and now it is a huge deal for me to even decide the title of a post. What has happened to me? Oh well, life! This post was meant to be written in March 2019, when I completed one whole year in Australia. And well, that's what this post is about. As you all know, my husband and I made this huge decision to make a continent-wide move in early 2018. Has life changed since then? COMPLETELY and from all possible angles!
Let me give you a quick recap of how the last two years have been. The initial year or so, I was super energetic and excited about this new journey I had embarked upon. From setting up a house from scratch to visiting new places to experiencing new things, everything was fun. I started painting in my spare time and also enrolled myself in a fashion designing course. I was doing extremely well at work too. I was in a whole new country that gave me this vibe that everything was possible here and the opportunities were endless. I was glad that I didn't have to deal with nosy padosi aunties back home or the 12-16 hour work culture in Bangalore. Life in Australia was extremely balanced. But after a while, it definitely does get to you and you tend to notice the downside of living away from India. It crushes you when you have to spend your day's salary on something as simple as getting a pipe fixed. It is not too comforting when you don't know whether you need to carry a jacket or an umbrella. It definitely would help having your family around in a faraway place that could sometimes get a tad bit lonely. When you play the role of a cook, a maid, a plumber, an electrician and sometimes even a mechanic, all at once, it does get a bit tiring and I don't even have the energy to blog anymore.
Every time someone asks me how I am liking it here, I find myself in a trance. I honestly don't know how to answer that question. Let's just say there are pros and cons for everything. I like how everyone here is organised and don't break the rules. I love how well the city is maintained and it's nice to breathe fresh air for a change. Let me also highlight that Australia is a very family-friendly country. You're not expected to work after 5 pm and that gives you a lot of time to spend with family. I notice that with time I stopped converting Aussie Dollars to Indian Rupees. I started understanding and embracing the Aussie lingo. Whether I liked it or not, I stopped making "Indian" references and started using Aussie phrases in my day-to-day speech. From bright, loud ethnic dresses, I started moving towards subtle shades of clothing. Over a period of two years, I guess, I have blended in pretty okay.
It does break my heart every time I come back to Australia from India after my annual break. I miss walking across the street and gobbling some pani puri as and when I felt like. I terribly miss cuddling with my 9 month old nephew. There's not a single day I don't wish my mum was here to pamper me. But I am also really thankful for having a wonderful life out here. I am grateful that I get to see the Opera House every single day from my balcony. Living in a foreign land helps you develop skills you never knew you were capable of, helps you disengage with unnecessary drama and toxic people and all in all, helps you grow as a person. If you are in my shoes, do comment below and share your experience with me!
Love,
Hand On The Hip
OMG I cannot believe I have actually sat down to write! It has been so long that I have almost forgotten the drill. I used to write 2-3 blog posts per week and now it is a huge deal for me to even decide the title of a post. What has happened to me? Oh well, life! This post was meant to be written in March 2019, when I completed one whole year in Australia. And well, that's what this post is about. As you all know, my husband and I made this huge decision to make a continent-wide move in early 2018. Has life changed since then? COMPLETELY and from all possible angles!
Let me give you a quick recap of how the last two years have been. The initial year or so, I was super energetic and excited about this new journey I had embarked upon. From setting up a house from scratch to visiting new places to experiencing new things, everything was fun. I started painting in my spare time and also enrolled myself in a fashion designing course. I was doing extremely well at work too. I was in a whole new country that gave me this vibe that everything was possible here and the opportunities were endless. I was glad that I didn't have to deal with nosy padosi aunties back home or the 12-16 hour work culture in Bangalore. Life in Australia was extremely balanced. But after a while, it definitely does get to you and you tend to notice the downside of living away from India. It crushes you when you have to spend your day's salary on something as simple as getting a pipe fixed. It is not too comforting when you don't know whether you need to carry a jacket or an umbrella. It definitely would help having your family around in a faraway place that could sometimes get a tad bit lonely. When you play the role of a cook, a maid, a plumber, an electrician and sometimes even a mechanic, all at once, it does get a bit tiring and I don't even have the energy to blog anymore.
Every time someone asks me how I am liking it here, I find myself in a trance. I honestly don't know how to answer that question. Let's just say there are pros and cons for everything. I like how everyone here is organised and don't break the rules. I love how well the city is maintained and it's nice to breathe fresh air for a change. Let me also highlight that Australia is a very family-friendly country. You're not expected to work after 5 pm and that gives you a lot of time to spend with family. I notice that with time I stopped converting Aussie Dollars to Indian Rupees. I started understanding and embracing the Aussie lingo. Whether I liked it or not, I stopped making "Indian" references and started using Aussie phrases in my day-to-day speech. From bright, loud ethnic dresses, I started moving towards subtle shades of clothing. Over a period of two years, I guess, I have blended in pretty okay.
It does break my heart every time I come back to Australia from India after my annual break. I miss walking across the street and gobbling some pani puri as and when I felt like. I terribly miss cuddling with my 9 month old nephew. There's not a single day I don't wish my mum was here to pamper me. But I am also really thankful for having a wonderful life out here. I am grateful that I get to see the Opera House every single day from my balcony. Living in a foreign land helps you develop skills you never knew you were capable of, helps you disengage with unnecessary drama and toxic people and all in all, helps you grow as a person. If you are in my shoes, do comment below and share your experience with me!
Love,
Hand On The Hip
1 comments
Loved this piece... it is straight from the heart. Wish you happiness, always! <3
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