“When I came to Perth in 1997 for a blissful holiday, I immediately knew this would be the place I would happily like to spend my life and retirement. I was moved by the vastness, the diverse and unusual animals, nature, its beauty, and intricacies. We were based in Indonesia at the time. Due to the nature of our jobs, we had to get transferred every two years, so I decided to immigrate with my five kids to Perth and give them stability while my husband continues his banking tenure. It was indeed a very bold and adventurous decision, but don’t these make for exciting stories?

I’m talking relocation on my own, which wasn’t quite as simple, but I knew how to make great use of the creativity and find opportunities, which was the force, to begin with. When I moved, I could not handle a full-time job as my kids were little, ranging from 9 months to 14 years. I was alone, with no family in Australia and had to cater to all their needs single-handedly, which was an around the clock job. But I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and needed to divert myself into other interests for my personal growth and wellbeing. This was when I took a small loan from the Bank, with my husband as guarantor, and bought my first investment property, which I then renovated, subdivided, sold, and repeated multiple times until present. It kept me busy and motivated me to keep experimenting. I learned about the nitty-gritty in real estate, the coexistence of cultures, foods, and languages. Now I can speak 4 languages and a smattering of others.

Today my children are all adults and have done very well for themselves on their own merit. I am a proud mother and grandmother of 3, and this has been my best recognition. I took the entire responsibility of relocation on myself as I knew exactly where my home would be. I struggled to get my PR for 9 long years but look at it with gratitude. I was determined to cross all the hurdles and fulfil my dreams in Australia. Now I enjoy nature even more and bring it to life in my published poetry books. So, my message to new migrants is to be ready to face your hardship; it makes you a stronger, determined, independent person. It gives you a better appreciation for life and above all makes you a caring, humble human being.”