Why Australia? I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been asked this question over the past year. Potential employers quizzed me during interviews. Family and friends queried when I told them our plans. And everyone (coworkers, patients, everyone) I meet out here asks, often incredulously, stupefied I would leave the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas for sleepy Brisbane. (Of course I have to remind them living in Vegas isn’t nearly as glamorous as one might imagine.)
Why did I push for us to come here? Why was I so determined? Believe me, I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’ve wracked my brain trying to figure out exactly what made coming here such a priority in my life. I know things would be easier if it weren’t so important to me. Life would be much simpler if I had been happy to continue on as per usual back home. But that wasn’t enough for me. I’m not sure why, but it just wasn’t. Sure, I can cite logical motivations like professional development and life experience, but my need to come out here was driven by much more than any of that. It started years before I even considered nursing school. It came from somewhere deep inside, something I can only attribute to an innate restlessness and wanderlust. Moving to Australia was an itch I absolutely had to scratch.
Maybe it was because Australia sounded so exotic. Maybe I was taken in by the stereotypical images of sandy beaches and bodacious surfers. Maybe I was just in love with the idea of it all. Whatever the reason, coming out here was a priority for me. I didn’t want to look back on my life and wish I had been brave enough to do something different. I didn’t want to regret not taking the chance.
As I approach the nine-month mark, I have to wonder if it has been worth all of the stress, expense, and trouble. Nothing has gone as planned and life out here certainly isn’t what I imagined. But being here has helped cast a new light on my life. I’ve learned so much about myself, and my relationship with Mouse. I’ve learned what it feels like to be a foreigner. I’ve experienced a different take on nursing. I’ve formed incredible friendships. And, most importantly, I’ve had a blast throughout all of it. So, yes - it was worth it all.
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