In a recent post, I asked a question and asked for any questions readers may have about me in general. The questions shared a very similar theme so it is nice to add them here and answer them in a dedicated post. My question was, if you had to only travel for two weeks a year, would you stay at home and travel abroad for those two weeks, or live abroad (anywhere) and go back to your home country for the two weeks. The answers I would say were 50/50. Some people like home. Others like to make new places their home. There of course is no ‘right’ answer.
So without further ado, here are the questions I received. I am sorry if someone posts a question after I put this out, I will of course answer it in a comment reply. Hopefully this is a good opportunity to learn something new about me and I have linked those bloggers that asked the questions so please feel free to check them out too.
Let’s start with this one from TracyNicole:
Where have you lived and do you have a job that is easy to obtain no matter where you live or do you do a new job each place you live?
I have lived in four separate locations. They are (in chronological order):
County Durham, England
Lubbock, TX
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Sydney, Australia
Notice the similarity of the bridges in Newcastle and Sydney. Although the same company built both, Sydney Harbour Bridge looks more like the Hell Gate Bridge in New York. Apparently both of the above bridges had designs derived from the Hell Gate Bridge, but Sydney certainly has more of a resemblance. The same people, but slightly different designs. I have always found that pretty cool, especially now that I have walked over both of them. Once is certainly bigger and more well known!
Regarding the second part of the question, I feel very lucky when it comes to finding work. I was born in Durham, but my first real job was in Newcastle. I was working for the tourist board helping promote the city, I commuted to and from Durham via bus (an hour and a half commute that I hated) but the job was worth it. This was during university and after graduating I was offered a paid internship in Texas, and of course I accepted it. This has been the easiest job to find as I didn’t even have an interview. I simply graduated and there were enough spaces available to apply. After my 12 month contract came to an end, I stayed in contact with the company I worked for in Newcastle and found an apartment there. I continued to work in hospitality here for roughly four years.
When I arrived in Sydney in September, I did not have a job secured. I was very lucky to find a hotel hiring on Circular Quay and because of my experience, started work a couple of days later.
So in terms of employment, I highly recommend anyone that is at university to look for internships and opportunities to travel abroad. Travelling to Sydney I did not have anything secured, but if you have the experience or just enough motivation to keep looking for work, it can be found. I personally like to go into workplaces in person and introduce myself instead of simply uploading a CV online, I feel it makes you stand out more and shows a little more effort. So my work isn’t flexible in the sense that I can be transferred, however hospitality is everywhere and having the experience in this industry helps me to find such work anywhere I go. I have never been able to keep the same job once I have moved, but always had similar work. Only one company (in Texas) hired me before I moved there. Everywhere else, I had to find employment after landing.
Thanks for the question!
Thank you to atheistsmeow for this one:
Have you set a time limit for how long you will stay in one place to work, or are you playing it by ear?
Unfortunately, my current visa restrictions means I can only work for six months with any one company. So my last working day was March 11th. I am playing it by ear in terms of where I will be and who I am working for with these restrictions in mind. I feel it is a good thing however, as it forces me to keep moving. What is different with my american visa was that I could only work for the one company that sponsored me for 12 months, meaning I was restricted to one city. I did travel, but probably not as much as I will do in Australia.
Here’s one from Pins for the Wins:
How do you make each new place feel more like home when you move?
Interestingly enough I don’t really do much to my new home once I move. For example my current apartment isn’t filled with things to remind me of home. But this is because I like to be out of the house more than I am in it, and when I am here I like to Skype with family and friends back home. I know some people take pictures and put them in frames, or take along certain possessions and foods. I probably would have been more like this if I was travelling before the days of instant communication. Now, I know I can Skype in an instant and see family as well as the home I left behind for travel. What I do like to do however is bring back items from my travels to keep in my home back in the UK. When I am back there I like to have reminders of where I have been!
This is interesting to think about actually, if you are the opposite and make your new home remind you of ‘back home’ let me know. For me, I know I won’t be in these destinations for too long, not long enough to make them homely. If I was to permanently move here however, I am sure I would put more effort in.
This question is from by The Wee Bakery:
How many countries have you visited? Is there anywhere you went for a holiday and just ended up staying?
I have visited *closes eyes and tries to think* the following countries, in chronological order again to help jog my memory.
- Spain (four times, only once to the mainland)
- France
- Norway
- The Netherlands
- USA (NYC three times, TX for a year and then up the east coast)
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Brazil (one month, including the Olympics and a couple weeks flying from city to city although I needed more time)
- Argentina (this doesn’t really count, we crossed the border and ate at a restaurant. But it was fun!)
- Australia
So I am by no means ‘well travelled’ compared to some bloggers here, however I feel very fortunate to have visited as many as I have. A question often get asked iswhich was my favourite, however they are all so different it is hard to compare. Some have greater food, some a better quality of life, some have better weather. It all depends on who you are as a person and what you want from a holiday.
Many of these places I wish I could have stayed longer in, however there hasn’t been an instance in which I decided to stay there. But that is why I have decided to take year long visas, to make sure I get to see as much as I can without running out of time and being full of regrets. Large countries need more than a week or two, sometimes just to get over the jet-lag alone!
Cheers Miss LiV Adventures for asking:
My question for you is why did you decide to travel, and how did you find the means?
I decided to travel when I was 20. I went on holidays with family and still do and loved the thrill of flying to a completely different country, weather, currency, food etc. I was also very shy growing up, and once I was given the opportunity to work in the States I jumped for it. This was the best decision I have ever made. I became much more confident, I had to become self reliant and get over the uncomfort of living so far from family. It really did develop me as a person, and I realised how much of the world I was missing by not doing so. I am also not religious, and I really want to make the most of this life whilst I can. I know when I go back home I will see the same faces walking into the same shop buying the same newspaper, and this is okay but it freaks me out a little. I need to be out there seeing what the world has to offer!
It isn’t cheap to travel, which is why on these year long trips I work to fund myself. The Australian Working Holiday Visa is great for this, allowing you to work for six months with any company whilst you fund such travels. There is also the opportunity for sponsorship if a company decides to keep you on, meaning more opportunity to stay longer. I wanted to make the most of this whilst I was able to obtain this visa. I haven’t been sponsored, however they give you the option to stay for a second year by doing three months of farmwork in rural areas.
Update: I am also single, still in my twenties with no children. This makes it much easier for me to travel, less responsibilities means I currently have more time to travel when I want and where. A factor that I didn’t think to add!
by AJ
Where are you going next?
So, now that I have finished my current contract, I have until September to stay anywhere in Australia. However as I briefly mentioned above, by doing 88 days of farmwork I can apply for a second year. So this is what I am going to be doing now. In the next week or so I am going to fly up to Queensland and start this farming adventure to extend my visa until September 2019. This means I will have much more time to explore this vast nation, something I haven’t really been able to do whilst working full time in Sydney.
So the bad news is, I need to work hard in high temperatures to get that second year. The good news is that I will have plenty more to blog about until my visa expires, with plenty more locations to visit and sights to see. I am considering two locations to fly to in the next week, I will let you know when I have made a decision. Exciting times!
Thank you all for the questions, it is great to read them and I am pleased to give you some answers. I had fun doing this and I am sure I will have another Q&A in the not too distant future if you enjoyed it!
As always, I appreciate the feedback and any comments you may have. What country should I visit next and why?
Sam
One Chance to See the World 