“We were expecting our firstborn when we decided to relocate to Australia. We’re originally from France, but we were living in Singapore at that moment. Did I know much about Australia, when we put it on the list? A little. Did it stop me from thinking about putting our stable jobs at risk and moving on to the next stage in life? Not at all. We were pretty confident that we’re only going to upgrade our lives a notch higher. When we put Australia to balance against other countries, it felt a lot better at every level. We believed we could hone our crafts better, have good professional opportunities, blend in with people ranging from different backgrounds, and provide a premium quality education to our baby when she grows up. To find all of that and more in a big city seems hard so we were delighted to choose Down Under.

We started looking for houses as soon as we arrived in Sydney. We had a brief idea of how expensive this city can get but learning about the heavy rentals in detail was our first shock. My wife was in the fifth month of her pregnancy, so the challenge was not just to find a suitable apartment that made us feel comfortable, but also close to the basic amenities, the hospital. We used to visit and explore different suburbs. We’d see some lovely parks with blooming flowers, playgrounds with small cafes around. We’d tell each other that our goal is to settle down in a similar environment. It took us a couple of weeks to actually have one.

Four months later, we were thrilled to welcome our angel in this picturesque space where there are so many greens on one side that complement a breathtaking view of the sea on the other end. Australia will always remain special to us since it filled the missing puzzle of our heart in the form of our beautiful daughter.

The thing about this country is that it’s full of immigrants who are both open-minded and respectful towards one another. I am French, and I don’t speak perfect English. But the beauty is that you can still make it work and achieve your dream goals if you just try, adapt and show that you’re the best in your field.”