Roaming with Red

There is a slight disbelief as I write this blog realising that we’ve hit the 12 months in London mark. Rewind to this time 12 months ago and I was hopping off the plane to a sunny London starting a completely new adventure. A whole year later and it’s been an adventure of ups and downs and a whole lot of learning and growing. Despite the challenges at times, there is not one cell in my body that regrets my decision to move overseas. I’ve met so many wonderful people, wined and dined at some incredible places, gone on lots of fun adventures but, most importantly, developed so much as a person.

When I was writing this blog, I was thinking about what I actually wanted to say. So much has happened in 12 months that it’s sometimes hard to put it all down into words. So below I’ve written the 5 main lessons I’ve learnt over the last year in an effort to put into words everything that has happened in 365 days and potentially help anyone who is thinking of doing the same thing. At the end of the day, however, while I won’t stay here long term, this has been one of the best experiences of my life and would encourage anyone who is already thinking of moving overseas to take that leap.

I also want to acknowledge that the below is my journey and it does not mean that everyone else who has moved overseas has had the same experience. An experience like moving overseas is extremely personal and it means that no two journeys will be the same. So, if you’re reading the below and think it’s all complete bollocks, I’m not offended I promise!

The Hardest Part is Taking the First Step

Despite the highs and lows you’ll experience post move, actually getting on that plane is probably the most difficult step. There is never the perfect time and there will always be a million reasons that you can find to stay home. Sometimes, you just have to decide on a date, put in your visa application and get on that plane without looking back. If you wait for the right time, you’ll miss out on all the opportunities moving overseas can bring. I promise you, once you take that first step, you won’t look back (partially due to the adrenaline of knowing that you’re actually moving).

You’ll Feel Lonely at Times, Even When Surrounded by People

One of the best parts about moving overseas is the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. While this can be an exciting prospect, it can also be super daunting. Making friends as an adult is seriously hard work! And sometimes this means you’re going to feel incredibly lonely. Even when you’ve found your people and you’re developing a friendship group, there is a loneliness that comes with being away from family and friends that isn’t easy to shake.

The best thing to do when you’re feeling a bit lonely and homesick is to be kind to yourself. Feeling lonely by no means suggests you’re a failure or not fully enjoying the experience. It simply means you’re human and you have strong, personal connections back home that you crave. At times like these, try to find a connection to home, no matter how small. Get on the phone and talk to your family. Drink a glass of wine or make a dish from your homeland. Or, if you’re a sport fanatic like me, watch a game of your local sport (AFL for all you Aussies reading and yes, it is tough going as a Carlton supporter right now!). Those little elements of home will do so much for your mental health. When you move, you leave your support structures behind and that can be incredibly difficult, especially when other things in life are tough. In these moments, it’s more important than ever to acknowledge those feelings and be kind to yourself. At the end of the day, you’ve moved away from your family and friends so it’s only fair that there is a little bit of home sickness!

Be Open to Anything and Take Every Opportunity You Can

Become a yes person (within reason of course). Because, when you become a yes person, you get to experience things that you never would have thought of! The joy of moving overseas is that you get a chance to start afresh and feel that wonder for a new city again. It’s the perfect opportunity to get out of the every day habits and go exploring. No matter where you’re moving to, it’s bound to be filled with new things to discover, things that you likely would never have had the chance to enjoy if you were just visiting for a few days. So, do those day trips on the weekend. Say yes to the mid week events. Carve out some time on the weekends to walk somewhere new, even if that’s just 20 minutes from your house. While it’s definitely important to have some down time on your days off, you’ll never regret properly exploring your new home as a local rather than a tourist.

You’ll Find a New Found Appreciation For Home… or For a Distance Away From Home

For me, it was definitely the former of the two above options. When you’ve lived in a place for so long, it’s so easy for it to feel mundane and lacking excitement. Home can lose any form of inspiration or magic as you get bogged down in the every day and forget to continue exploring. Moving away for an extended period of time is the perfect antidote to this. By being outside of Australia and Melbourne for so long, I’ve come to realise how much I actually love my home country and the lifestyle. Yes, family and friends are a big part of this but there’s so much more to my longing for home. I miss the more laid back lifestyle of Australia. I miss the proximity to the ocean and the forest and the variety this provides. And I miss the much more decent weather! I definitely appreciate Australia so much more now, having lived outside the country for a while.

Most Importantly, You’ll Grow Beyond Belief and Have Incredible, Lifelong Memories

I know I’ve said this before, but it truly is crazy how much moving to another country helps you grow and learn more about yourself. One of the best parts about moving away from home is it throws you completely out of your comfort zone. While scary at times, it really means you have no choice but to sink or swim. And if you can find a way to swim, even when the going gets tough, the rewards are so worthwhile. You’ll learn so much about yourself, become so much more resilient and discover a completely different view on life. The best part, you get to do all this while making life long friends and travelling the world!

At the end of the day, moving overseas is never easy. Whether you’re moving a 2 hour flight away or to the complete opposite side of the world, you are still choosing to leave everything you know behind for a new country and that is not a small decision. However, there are so many benefits that come from moving overseas that there is no part of me that regrets taking that leap! So, cheers to the last 365 days and here’s to wherever the next 365 days take me.