Part 1 – Settling in Australia, Beginning the Journey
Renan Sigolo
Diploma of Website Development, Sydney Campus
Have you ever felt out of your comfort zone? Maybe a little bit out of your game, doubting if you actually fit into your current environment?
If you feel at least a sparkle of that, this article will definitely give you some good insights; however, if by any chance you don’t think this article relates to you, it will only take three minutes to read anyway – and yes, I’ve timed it!
Throughout our lives, some of us struggle to find a place, which seems suitable for us, or one that we belong to – I know I have! You would be amazed by the number of people that share this same feeling. I was actually mesmerised when I discovered that this struggle is the ‘norm’.
Let us agree that there is no magic formula for finding happiness in life, although, some tips on how to improve our quality of life might come in handy along the way…
I will give you a brief glimpse of my history, the biggest barrier that I’ve found along the way, and the techniques I used to jump over it.
Let’s get to it!
Brazil, a place many consider a paradise to live, the same place where I had a plethora of friends and a relationship with a girl that I knew for over 10 years. A place where I had successfully graduated from my Master’s in Management of Information Technology degree and where I was even on the list to be a Facebook Project Teacher.
This description of my life in Brazil may appear like a fairy tale to some, it was a great life, but all I can say is it was just not right for me. Can you relate to this when thinking about your decision to travel to Australia?
I felt pleased with the concept that my ambition drove me to move forward, move us all forward, in the desire of an even better life. So, I decided to travel to Australia to find my better life.
I knew to achieve this goal I still had quite a path to walk, and mistakenly I thought the hardest obstacle I would face when arriving in Australia would be to rebuild my material possessions, but to be truthful, the one thing that I didn’t anticipate was my biggest obstacle, and that was the impact on my emotions. Sound familiar?
I did not know how to address my emotional needs, and did not consider how difficult it would be when my mind wandered to reminiscing about my times in Brazil, with my loved ones, which we as humans hold with us, no matter the distance.
I tried pushing these thoughts and feelings out of my mind and into the past. This was not easy or successful. I also didn’t want to totally detach myself from that part of my life.
Before leaving Brazil, never did I come to the realisation that my backpack wasn’t just carrying my clothes, phone, chargers and accessories but I also had all my friends in there, my history, my feelings, my fears, my home, my family. Later I discovered that it is quite difficult to walk with something that heavy, and I’ve been taking that entire load with me everywhere. No wonder I was so tired! What are you carrying in your backpack?
That’s what made me click; I’m in a completely different country, thirteen thousands kilometers away from my home. I’ve been waking up at 7am every day, going to school, studying and working on personal projects until 1am and nothing was going the way that I’d imagined. Things were just not happening for me as I had hoped in my quest for a better life, and for a moment, I felt discouraged and lost.
I knew I didn’t have the luxury, nor the perks of my previous life anymore.
Only now I realise that, it’s not our location in the world that defines us, it’s what we carry with us and how we embrace the opportunities around us that shape our path. For me I turned my attitude around to a path of success by living in the moment and in my surroundings. Trust me; it has taken me a while to grasp that and turn things around but now I know I’m on a path to success.
What helped me, and could help you too, is being truly aware of your surroundings. Making the most of each opportunity presented to us, which has built my confidence so I was able to overcome the fear of the unknown and put myself out there.
Embrace all those new adventures without looking back! Look at what Kent has on offer for you and grab opportunities with both hands.
