“I had always dreamed of a career in the creative field, but I couldn’t see a viable future in Chile for my creative fulfilment. My partner & I had some career goals that seemed challenging to execute if we hadn’t pushed our boundaries; that is how the idea of relocation came up. I looked around and zeroed in Australia since it had the opportunities we were looking for, along with the well-suited climatic conditions. We finished a large pile of paperwork (counting visa, new bank accounts, health care) and started the down under journey.

Since I had never moved before, I was initially worried that I might not like it here, but I got mesmerised by the bay and beaches. I hail from a small city. I had never seen too many people in one place, and that way, Australia looks so varied. I explored different suburbs, tried to cover all landmarks like a tourist. It was fun for the first few weeks, but this place started looking like a hard nut to crack once I started looking for a job. The first year was the toughest one because I was unsuccessful in bagging a Graphic Designer role. I came on a working holiday visa, so many companies I applied for didn’t want to get into the hassle of sponsorship. It took me eight months to find a part-time job. Simultaneously, I started studying some courses in UX design which helped in professional growth. After a year, my company offered me a full-time role. It was such a relief. When you’re starting life from scratch again, building yourself from nothing can be emotionally daunting but, in hindsight, turns out to be quite empowering as well. It was also beautiful to forge new friendships, meeting people who became like family. 

My partner & I didn’t have any sponsorship in the first three years, and it was hard. We knew we wanted to stay longer. We worked hard on our skills and relied on each other for emotional support. There were some heavy days, but we were stubborn to make it work, and we finally did. The day we finally landed with the PR felt like a big win. 

It’s been six years, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the move. As an artist, I now dare to pursue my passion and grow it into a profession. There’s a sense of security and peace at heart.”