“I had been a profound lover of the backpacking lifestyle since I was 17. I wanted to explore Asia mainly, and I had saved up for about two and a half years before going ahead with the plan. I booked a trip to Indonesia, and it struck me to try visiting Australia too. It was never really a part of my plan, but since I was close enough to the country, I thought why not? I was 25- at the golden age of whim and possibilities. Without further ado, I booked a flight to Sydney. My mom had loaned me about 500$. After about six months of travelling, I realised I didn’t want to slip back into the routine of everyday life in England and follow the status quo. I was getting under short of funds, so I started looking for a job. I still remember buying an oversized $50 suit from an outlet store and using that same suit for three different interviews. I finally landed a job at the start of winter and lifted myself in a hostel that had zero privacy. The year I moved here was also the wettest one on record, and I was close to throwing in the towel since it felt quite sad and lonely. There was this English summer with Aussie winter, it just rained every day, and I didn’t have any friends. In short, it was a weird time. But I’m glad I stuck it out- running four times a week helped too. Things started picking up after I grabbed a job where I could interact with people and eventually, move ahead to make my circle. Who knew something that just started as a spontaneous pledge would end up being a concrete one. I am now thriving with a better understanding of what it means to live truly. All weekends look like a short vacation. I can hop out anytime only to realise how every new beach I travel to looks more fascinating than the last. It is an experience of its own. This place is full of so many cultures, and it can be beautiful to see the way they complement one another. In my experience, if you want to lead a smooth and balanced life down under; then you need to identify your long-term goals first and then work on those goals persistently so that you don’t have to break the banks.”