Flinders Street in Melbourne, Australia
One expat who moved to Melbourne appreciates that the city is very multicultural, has beautiful parks and surrounding countryside and that Australians are very family oriented. However, she's still feeling unsettled and like Melbourne may not be the right place for her.
Melbourne
No, but I've moved around a lot.
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I speak perfect English.
A little bit, but since my boyfriend is Australian (and lovely) I thought I would cope.
Huge. After a year here I am still baffled by it as I've never experienced anything like this before even though I have many moves behind me.
I skipped the honeymoon stage, but definitely had a prolonged irritation stage. I fluctuate between thinking I am over that stage and thinking that this is just not the place for me.
I definitely experienced depression, anger and a real sense of loneliness. The anger has subsided, but the depression and loneliness are still there.
The Australians I know have strong ties with family and friends, that's a great thing. I also like how Melbourne is a very multicultural and therefore colourful city. I love the parks here, and the surrounding countryside. Even though I've had trouble making proper friends, many Australians have still made a real effort into making sure I am invited along to things, which has helped in making me feel more welcome.
There's a very strong and quite patriotic culture here and an obsession with watching football. I battle with the culture of 'rules and regulations', especially as a migrant who has to comply with all sorts of silly things (that cost a lot of money). It seems that these aren't really questioned, nor the amount of money that it costs to do certain things here for anyone, almost like they were a self-explanatory given. Market thinking has never come natural to me, but it's definitely strong here.
My impression is that Melbourne is very 'work and play' oriented, something that for me is a real challenge as it's just not how I approach life.
The biggest challenge has been in meeting people. To me it seems like a lot of things aren't spoken about (often? with people you don't know so well?), primarily feelings and difficulties or opinions on culture/politics. I've felt pretty rejected here as the Australians I have met so far have expressed very little interest in me as a person and my background, and instead seem to expect me to just fit into their Aussie lifestyle like my life has just begun here. The friendships I have here are still very much functional and centred around practical things like talking about jobs and what each of us is doing at the moment. I feel extremely lonely here with that, and like I have had next to no 'real' conversations in the year I've been here. The beginning was the toughest as I felt that people around me that I met here simply weren't interested in my difficulties in settling here. I felt so utterly alone and like people experienced me as a burden if I wasn't just happy and excited to be here and getting on with things from day one. It's not that I don't like people here, I think it's just a way of thinking and communicating that I can't seem to find my way into.
I wish I had taken the route of 'meet foreigners like you'. Now that I have, I feel much less lonely.
Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
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Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
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Melbourne Index
An index of all of our site's Melbourne information.
Expats in Melbourne, Australia enjoy diverse cultural options on par with many of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Find some ideas on how to make the most of expat life in Melbourne.
Australia Forum
Talk with other digital nomads and expats in Australia on our Australia forum - meet people, get advice and help others.
Contribute
Help others in Australia by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Australia.
Expats in Australia offer advice about healthcare, hospital visits, emergency rooms visits, finding a doctor and buying health insurance in Australia.
Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what digital nomads & expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Australia.
If you're moving to Australia, here's a primer on housing, healthcare, cost of living, choosing a neighborhood and more.
Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
GET A QUOTE
Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
GET A QUOTE
Melbourne Index
An index of all of our site's Melbourne information.
Expats in Melbourne, Australia enjoy diverse cultural options on par with many of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Find some ideas on how to make the most of expat life in Melbourne.
Australia Forum
Talk with other digital nomads and expats in Australia on our Australia forum - meet people, get advice and help others.
Contribute
Help others in Australia by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Australia.
Expats in Australia offer advice about healthcare, hospital visits, emergency rooms visits, finding a doctor and buying health insurance in Australia.
Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what digital nomads & expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Australia.
If you're moving to Australia, here's a primer on housing, healthcare, cost of living, choosing a neighborhood and more.
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