“I was really curious about the wider world and longed to experience it. At the same time, I married a guy who had always lived in one place. So, I wanted him to live in another country and experience life outside Canada. We first made the plan to move to Australia in March 2008, but it took us three years to make it happen because by then the Global Financial Crisis was at its peak and we waited to see what would happen globally. Once we were finally here, I was welcomed with my share of challenges. There were a lot of differences between my new country and the old one. The more those differences started adding up, the more I started feeling out of place. On some days, I did not feel motivated, but on other days I took inspiration from my husband, who had a strong career trajectory. His success gave him a powerful sense of belonging and identity, and that became a driving source of motivation for me. I knew I wanted a strong sense of belonging for myself, as well. In the process, I joined some public speaking clubs, got involved in the local community and made a lot of friends. By connecting with people, I could get through the hard times. Nearly ten years on and after two published books, I can say that I love every bit of my time in Australia. I think it’s important to focus on the reasons for the move. I know I made the right choice because I worked hard to make it work. Even though I miss my family back home, Australia makes my husband and I very happy because we met lovely people. Because we have good jobs. The birds make us laugh every day. The culture, the weather here makes for a lovely day-to-day lifestyle. We can go to cafes, restaurants, or simply walk around and meet friendly neighbours-ask them for their best ‘spider story’ because everyone has got one for sure.”