4 years ago I left Australia to travel roughly 10,000 miles around the world. I was only 21 and hadn't really had much experience stepping outside of my comfort zone.
Here are 5 things I have learned from my experience:
1. Talk To Everyone
When I got to my first stop in LA, I was holed up in my room. Apart from visiting apartments/houses and talking with the landlords, I didn’t really speak to anyone. What I didn't realise is that as soon as I started talking to people, it would make the transition a WHOLE lot easier. Reason being, the locals are clearly your best source of information for everything. You will also make friends quicker, and they may even know someone who needs a roommate. You just never know. In fact, I hopped in a car one time and was told we're going to San Francisco on a whim, purely because about a week or two prior, I had randomly started talking to some people at a bar. That led to a crazy adventure!
2. People want to help
One of the most important things you can do when you arrive somewhere and know noone (and as stated in the previous post), is to just start talking! When people discovered that I had just landed in LA in the past few days, they immediately wanted to help (I'm sure the fact that I was only 21 and Australian helped..). Some of the first people I met within days of arriving I am still in contact with and will forever hold my thanks for making the transition easier. These people voluntarily took me on tours around the area whether it be on foot or by car, and one of the nicest people I've ever met even took me to have dinner with his family on the first day I met him.
3. Take Some Risks
You're not away to keep being the same as you were back home. You're here for adventure and to grow as a person, so get out of your comfort zone. Of course, don't be stupid with the risks that you take, and make sure they're calculated and you understand the worst case scenario and if you are prepared to deal with that. Otherwise, enjoy the adventure, the new-found sense of freedom, and pushing the limits of your comfort zone.
4. Sacrifice
My biggest mistake when I moved to LA was that I didn’t want to sacrifice my standard of living. As such, I made the foolish mistake of moving into an apartment in West Hollywood, right next to Beverly Hills. Well, my job as a personal trainer allowed me to 'afford' it, however, I was left with only money to pay for food, and unable to travel anywhere. This led to me calling where I lived 'The West Hollywood Bubble' due to the fact that I literally couldn't escape. I had no money to do so.
5. You Can Re-create Yourself
One of the coolest and most appealing things to moving somewhere is that no one knows who the hell you are. You start completely fresh and you can be whoever you want to be. Of course, most of us will not change ourselves on a drastic level, but this is the perfect time to maybe change some small things that you may have wanted to make earlier. For example, maybe you LOVE hats but never felt comfortable making that change around the people who know you out of fear of being made fun of. Well, now you can wear all the hats you want and no one will bat an eyelid because as far as they're concerned you've always done that! I call this 'Setting The Precedent' which I will explain further in another post.
Thank you for reading and I hope you were able to take some value from this :)
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Had a big smile on my face reading this! Moving across the world is probably the most scary yet exciting thing anyone could do and these are some very usful tips! ❤️🙏
Thanks babe! I know you have a lot to share as well on this topic :)
Fellow Aussie here too, been living in Canada the past 2.5 years and totally agree with all of this! Such a unique experience. I've followed you! Feel free to follow me to see more photos of my time in Canada :D
Followed! :) Found more Aussies than I expected on here haha
Wow. Nice piece bro.
I hope to travel round the world also.
Thanks brother! I wish you the best on your adventures you will learn so much!
I agree with everything you said. When I moved to the states for my studies, I went out and about to meet new people. It is worth to set yourself aside for a second and listen to what others have to say. After all, you are a visitor and you should learn about cultural conventions rather than enforcing your own. Cheers!
Thanks for your comment brother! Totally agree. We’re there to experience their world. I’ve never understood when people who go to other countries and then just hang out with people from the same country as them haha... seems to very a common thing
It is the easy thing to do I would say. I just told myself to not talk to any other international students in my first few weeks. Actually, I am not sure if I met any outside my classes to this day haha! Cheers!
Haha! 😂👌