I always dreamed big as a kid, but as I became a teenager I resigned myself to the fact I would probably live a pretty simple life.I was born in Australia and I lived in the same city for most of my life.
When I started university though, I had a plan. I was going to go on a 6-month exchange to Europe so I could travel (plus add to my resume), return, finish my studies, do an internship, get a job in my city, and so on.
I didn’t succeed in completing that plan in full – though I did complete my exchange in the amazing city of Amsterdam. In fact I’ve been living in Europe since my exchange in 2015!
At the end of my exchange in Amsterdam I was faced with a choice – do I go home? Or follow my heart/avoid going back to my old life? When facing this choice my main decider was, would I regret not taking this opportunity?
I also thought when else would I have to move like this in my life? I don’t have a job, a mortgage, kids – really if I’m going to do something crazy I might as well do it now. So In in the end I moved to Warsaw where I’ve been living for about 8 months now!
I have now lived in three vastly different places and I have experienced so many positives and my fair share of challenges that I never could prepare myself for.
Culture shock is a real thing and still to this day is one of my biggest challenges. Even though Europe is considered Western, every country will have its own quirks and customs that you will not know.
It can be the smallest things such as how you act on public transport, waiting in lines or even just staring. In Amsterdam it was obvious you were not a local if you walked on the bike paths (note don’t ever walk on those paths – bikes will not stop for you)
In Poland for me it was the staring, mostly old ladies love to stare at you on the metro, and to be honest it took me months to get used to it. I used to think there was something wrong with me (when you get deaths stared for 5 minutes straight it tends to feel that way) then I realised that they did it to everyone not just me.
The good experiences I have experienced outweigh the challenges I have and continue to face. For it is all the small moments.
Its discussing politics in a café in Amsterdam with people from around the world, to sitting on the back of a bike and looking at the canals go by, celebrating Oktoberfest, driving though mountains in Switzerland and just find small corners of a city and just going wow!
I have had some of the most amazing experiences in my life while away. Not just seeing incredible things, but making some of my closest friends.
I wanted to start a blog to share all my different experiences while being away. From the small quirks of the cities I’ve lived in, homesicknesses, falling in love abroad, being an Australian expat in Europe. I am also an aspiring political journalist thus prepare yourself for your fair share of politics and social issues posts.
Leah Roberts 