I'm back guys! It's been a while...I've had a lot on recently so I've not been able to blog but I've finally got some time on my hands again.
In the last few months I've migrated to Australia from the UK which has been a huge life changing experience. As I write this I'm sat in my lovely apartment overlooking the Adelaide Hills, not to brag or anything!
There has been a lot to sort out and my fiancé and I have had to put our priorities straight in order to get the ball rolling. It's extremely tempting to go out and explore all that Australia has to offer straight away but unfortunately in this day and age it isn't always possible to do so straight away especially when you haven't even started working yet.
I mean, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things to do here in Henley Beach which are also FREE! The beach is literally a hop, skip and a jump away so what better way to spend the day when your "to do list" is complete and you have some spare time to spend taking in the beautiful coastal scenes that Adelaide has to offer.
Priorities for first week of migration:
Apply for jobs and reach out to recruiters (keep your options open)
Settle into new home by furnishing (if unfurnished) check out stores such as Target, Amart, Kmart and others in the area as soon as possible as delivery may cause delay.
Check you have all the appliances you need such as washing machine and fridge, the things that you really can't live without for very long. Some of these things may have been left behind or are installed already into your place so it's different for everyone.
Do that big food shop! Get the bulk of what you need in order to be able to cook from home and have all the basic ingredients and condiments you need. This will feel like you're buying the whole store, at least it did for us, we literally had nothing so the trolley was exploding by the end but this is essential in order to build on and gradually get less and less and usually just maintaining the fresh food each week.
Checking you have everything working in your new place in order to reduce any problems later on down the line especially if you're renting like us. Not having a light working or a door that won't close properly are the annoying things that don't impact your life much but they really are annoying so get these things sorted asap so you can fully settle and not feel stressed. Make a list of the little problems and get them sorted so you can enjoy your lovely place to the max!
Depending on if you've moved on your own or with your partner etc you will need to sort all the "life tasks" like opening an Australian bank account, joint account (if needed), getting an Aussie phone number, transferring any funds to your Aussie accounts, getting Medicare, sorting any tax so you don't pay more than you should be, the list goes on. These things are very important to do in the first week if you can so you can forget about it and just concentrate and go about your daily routine.
Do you need a car? We have been renting one for two weeks so that we can get around easily especially with purchases such as a TV which can easily be put into the car for transport. I have just bought a second hand car from a lovely local couple which is in awesome condition so I've got a cute little get around Suzuki Swift called "Taylor". I wonder if you can guess why?!
Now you've got the main things sorted and under control you owe it to yourself to scout out a nice local place to grab a well deserved drink!
The luxuries such as the home decor and "pretty furnishings" can wait awhile depending on your work and finance situation as you need to be careful whilst not having an income. Even if you've saved up a fair bit of money, it can easily get eaten away at so just think twice before splashing out on those designer candles that smell incredible but cost an arm and a leg! In saying this, a little treat can make you feel right at home and nothing feels better than something small in comparison making you smile so judge your situation and just be a bit careful. Of course, you could be a millionaire reading this in which case, lucky you, go for it!
By the end of the week or in the evenings, you should have time to go for a walk or run and get to know your new area and local shops etc. Get on that beach! There's always time for that.
So I wanted to enlighten you on how I managed to sort everything important out in the first week of moving abroad. I am rather pleased with the efforts my fiancé and I have put in, in order to feel at home here as quickly as possible. Now we have made a start we can continue to get the final bits sorted which will happen over time and alongside our work routine.
It can sometimes be frustrating when you have all these things to do and all you really want is to go to the beach all day every day, go for fancy drinks and eat yummy food. In order to do all these things, the majority of us need to get our priorities straight, work hard and all in good time, we can indulge!
I hope this helps any of you out there in the big wide world looking for a new start somewhere or for anyone who needs a bit of help in knowing where to start once moved in to a new place. Where everything around you is brand new and a little daunting. There is no need to feel lost or nervous, taking risks is exciting and really great and I personally think more people in life should!
That's all for now folks!
Love N x
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