This interview is part of a four-part series exploring the ups and downs and practicalities of living and working overseas. You can read the other interviews with three wonderful, world-faring and adventurous women here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m Bianca. Melbourne girl, physiotherapist, passion for travel, the outdoors, books and red wine. Decided to make the move abroad for two years with my partner.
This interview is part of a four-part series exploring the ups and downs and practicalities of living and working overseas. You can read the other interviews with three wonderful, world-faring and adventurous women here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m Joy, a 27 year old identical twin originally from Melbourne. After completing a commerce degree at the University of Melbourne I worked in professional services both in an accounting and consulting capacity. I’m a chartered accountant who likes numbers and am nerdy at heart! Besides Melbourne, I’ve lived and worked in Sydney and am now based in New York. I love the outdoors, socialising, keeping myself active, and anything turtle-related.
This interview is part of a four-part series exploring the ups and downs and practicalities of living and working overseas. You can read the other interviews with three wonderful, world-faring and adventurous women here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hey there! I’m Jordi – an avid feminist and societal chameleon who spends a lot of my time talking about dating and craft. I’m currently completing my honours degree in Commerce. When I am not freaking out over my research, you can find me delivering workshops and hanging out with young people as part of my side gig with The Reach Foundation. I also mentor high school students, work with TEDx Melbourne and spend a bit of time floating around One Roof, a co-working space for women-led businesses. In my spare time, I teach bullet journaling at Laneway Learning, hit up the local bouldering gym and dance to Beyonce relatively regularly. I care a lot about people, building and strengthening community and working for effective social change.
This interview is part of a four-part series exploring the ups and downs and practicalities of living and working overseas. You can read the other interviews with three wonderful, world-faring and adventurous women here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hi, I’m Monika, and I’m someone who’s made travel the focus of my life. I love teaching and am a bit of a grammar nut! But my work is not my life. I put people and my interests first. I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years and love animals very dearly. I love to cook, read, go to the movies and wander through new places.
It’s a bit of a lost art, emailing. I’m not talking about quick “notes” or “FYIs” that we flick out to our colleagues or friends. They don’t count.
Proper emailing, like letter writing, is a form of storytelling. It’s reaching through your computer, your words washing gently over your reader, be they a few meters down the road or on the other side of the world, as you share a piece of yourself with them, thoughtfully and carefully typed out, letter-by-letter, onto your screen.
Even though I’m only 28 , sometimes I feel like I’m about 100. Sitting at my desk for upwards of 50 hours a week (conservatively) has taken a toll on my body. While I enjoy the lifestyle of full time work, the constant battle against cracking joints, stiff muscles, and a creaky and sore body that makes me resemble a slow-moving gnome with a limp, is less welcome.
That’s why today I’ve teamed up with Robbie from Realign Myotherapy, my go-to on all things back health, to share some simple lifestyle changes to prevent back pain and help keep your body feeling good. He’s been an absolute lifesaver over the last few years, helping me balance the lifestyle I want outside of work with that 10+ hour a day sitting habit of mine! Over to you, Robbie.
First up – a few stats on back pain because you know you’re not the only one committing sins of poor posture! By now, we’ve all heard the saying “sitting is the new smoking” but is there any truth to it?
I turned 28 on the weekend. I’ve never minded getting older. I guess I’ve always felt old beyond my years anyway. An old soul.
When I was a kid, I preferred sitting at the adults table catching up on the daily gossip rather than running around with kids my age.
When I was 18 I went clubbing a few times but it really wasn’t my thing. I made the swift transition towards low-lit, quiet cocktail bars, and later wine bars, before I hit 20.
I gave up on music festivals and even my favourite ‘youth’ radio station not even realising I’d happily replaced them with weekends in wine country and a constant soundtrack of The Beatles and The Bee Gees in the background.
But it’s never bothered me. I’ve never shied away from announcing my birthday or my age, however, I’ve noticed a few things in the last few years though that have surprised this cool-about-aging-laid-back-chick (Ha! Yeah right!).
This is a story about how I learnt to stop wasting my time on, well there’s really no other word for it, losers. I wish it was a happier story, but unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and roses because it involves me feeling like I’d somehow betrayed my own good sense.
It started when a work acquaintance asked me to join him for lunch. We weren’t really friends. We had at some point sat on the same floor at work. I imagine we met at the printer or tea room. I like to fill awkward silence with awkward chatter. I meet a lot of people that way.
We’d had a coffee recently, which was ok. Just ok. We didn’t really have any great similarities or anything in common, and I certainly didn’t feel the need for a repeat catch up so soon, but I was doing as many young workers in this society are raised to do – being polite. And, quite frankly, I just didn’t have an excuse…so I agreed.
We met up and headed out for lunch. As soon as we did, I got this feeling like I’d rather be somewhere else – anywhere else. Why did I agree to this again? I mean, it was a pretty benign activity – work acquaintances heading to grab a bite during the lunch-hour rush. So why did I suddenly feel an urgent craving for the solitude of my desk?
A few weeks ago, before I moved from Melbourne to Sydney, I was chatting to a work colleague, let’s call her Rachel, about my decision to take this new job in Sydney. I told her that while it was a sideways move, instead of the upwards move I could have expected if I stayed in my old role a few more months, the change in career path seemed more important than a move up the ladder.
She agreed, telling me a story of her first “big break” in the corporate world.
Rachel had been working in a great team with a fantastic leader when suddenly, he decided to move on. Despite being much less experienced, the management team saw something special in her, and she was tapped on the shoulder to apply.
Last post I shared the story of how I found myself unexpectedly moving to Sydney from my hometown of Melbourne. It is a story filled with ups and downs and big questions marks, many unknowns, a few minor freak outs and finally the big decision! (Read here!)
Now, I consider a career change in itself to be a pretty bold move. Couple that with a new city and a move that will impact not just me but my partner, my family, his family, our friends…it was a lot to take in.
For some, moving is just a part of life, but for me it was a huge decision, one that in some way said, I’m putting myself and my career first. And that’s been hard to do. I’ve asked my partner to come along with me. I’ve asked my family to support me (and store all my furniture – thanks fam!). They’ve been amazing but I know deep down they’d love for me to stay. I can’t help but shake a niggling feeling of guilt and sadness about the family occasions or time spent together I will miss. And that’s why it’s so important that I didn’t make this decision on a whim. That I was properly informed. That my reason for moving was solid. That I can back myself, and my decision, even when it gets tough, which it undoubtedly will.
So if you’re facing something similar, I’ve gathered together a few tips, small and simple as they may seem, that helped me lean into this big, crazy, uncertain, risky new life that I’ve chosen for myself.