The grass is greener, but it's harder to water!

Unbelievable - just like that, nearly 18 months have passed living in Sydney, and jesus it's been a journey.

I've lived away from the UK for 3 years now, and it feels like yesterday when I packed my bags and left. Time is flying and it's quite scary.

Since then, I've lived in Bali and Australia, and when I moved to Sydney last year, I don't think anything could have prepared me for how amazing, but equally how challenging living 'down under' is in your first 6-12 months.

The grass is definitely greener over here - you have a better work-life balance, the weather is good, and the beaches are stunning, but this grass is also a lot harder to water. My god.

The truth is that Australia has made it very hard for anyone without an Australian passport to stay.

Very few people have the desire to hire people on Working Holiday visas, no matter how qualified you are.

Equally, finding housing in Sydney and having 40+ people at every single viewing was a very humbling experience.

I can understand the hype, everybody wants a slice of that Aussie life, but the system is difficult to navigate at times. Although every part of me wants to stay for as long as possible, your visa is like a little ticking time bomb in the background reminding you that you're on borrowed time, constantly.

However, I don't want this to be doom and gloom. I love Australia. I love the opportunities and lifestyle it's given me. I guess I'm just expressing this to highlight the reality of living abroad, which is sometimes not as glossy and gorgeous as we think it is.

This isn't just Australia related either. Bali came with its own set of visa issues and limitations, and I know other countries that allow foreigners to live and work there also have strict parameters in place.

Living in Sydney forced me to realign a lot of things professionally, too. I went from freelancing and having a huge client base to quickly needing to pivot and look at contract opportunities, so I could establish myself in a new market, and new country.

The last year has been eye-opening with contract work. It's forced me to sharpen up skill sets I haven't used in years and also encouraged me to only continue freelance work with clients who value my time and my work.

My quietness and I guess... tardiness... on LinkedIn is reflective of how much I've had to adjust this last year professionally and how the challenge I was lacking in Bali was certainly made up for when I moved to Sydney.

Real life smacked me in the face and dragged me through the mud for the first 3-4 months of moving to Sydney. Only now, nearly 18 months on, can I appreciate how much I needed that kick to force myself to step out of my comfort zone and do something different.

What's in store for 2025? I'm not so sure. Contracting has been invaluable for my finances and for my professional experience, but I'm also excited to see how my freelancing will continue to grow in the Australian market next year.

Hopefully, I'll get my hands on a juicier, long-term visa to enable me to water the green green grass that is Sydney.