“In early 2011, my wife made a grand plan to travel to Australia for 12 months, where she could pursue a degree, and I tagged along. To me, it felt like a great change of place. I’d worked in the same place for a long time and was keen for a change. We decided on an English-speaking country because that offered the best chance of getting a job. We had carefully assessed the impact of the 2008 recession on various countries, and luckily Australia seemed to be stable, so we decided on it. 

The biggest challenge was getting that first job. I didn’t look up job postings before I arrived, which was quite naïve of me. In Canada, my job was in high demand. I thought it would carry over wherever I went. But in Sydney, I soon realised it could take a while before something clicked. The challenge was to get the first job and accept that I would have to take a role that would be several steps below what I previously did. The silver lining to all the hiccups was that they prepared me to face anything that life might throw at me. The success gave me confidence, and the hurdles humbled me. 

Now on weekends I try to explore different suburbs because Australia is such an interesting place to be. There’s so much to admire – the coastlines, breathtaking architecture, and you find these little hidden gems along the way. I like walking around without a purpose and with a good coffee in my hand. 

We assumed it would be just a 12-month adventure, but the longer I stayed, the more opportunities started coming my way. It’s come to the point where I can’t think of leaving. The weather feels nice, the job is right, I’m having fun, the coffee’s great, so why change? Everything is perfect. I’m also the kind of a guy who doesn’t live with many regrets, and I don’t second guess too many things. When I commit to something, I want to make it work, no matter how many challenges I may encounter on the way.”