Moving to Canberra March 2014 - starting to feel the nerves!

[CommanderMaxil]

Well its taken a couple of years to get her but finally I shall be moving from London to Canberra next month on the 190 visa. Now that I am so close to arriving I am starting to feel the nerves but this website has helped me a lot with useful info so thanks to all who contribute!

[Guest Ptp113]

Nervous about what exactly?

[Quoll]

Its just another first world city, wide range of people some of whom you will get along with and some of whom you wont touch with a barge pole. It isnt the Amazon or Zambia so you should be fine - they even have buses, phones, coffee shops, supermarkets, petrol stations - the list is endless really. Good luck, it's as good a place as any to live if you have to live in Australia

[CommanderMaxil]

Thanks for the comments, I think my nerves are more generally about the largeness of the step I am about to undertake in terms of moving to a new continent, leaving behind friends family and my flat in London, as well as giving up a reasonably successful career in the UK to try this out rather than any specific nerves about the actual city of Canberra or the country of Australia, both of which I have no doubt will be very nice. Basically its the move from the idea of "maybe I could move to Australia" which was in my mind 3 years ago when I began to think seriously about this, then going through all the stages to get to this exact point and then actually going through the move and establishing myself in a new place. In any case I appreciate the comments!

[Quoll]

Thanks for the comments, I think my nerves are more generally about the largeness of the step I am about to undertake in terms of moving to a new continent, leaving behind friends family and my flat in London, as well as giving up a reasonably successful career in the UK to try this out rather than any specific nerves about the actual city of Canberra or the country of Australia, both of which I have no doubt will be very nice. Basically its the move from the idea of "maybe I could move to Australia" which was in my mind 3 years ago when I began to think seriously about this, then going through all the stages to get to this exact point and then actually going through the move and establishing myself in a new place. In any case I appreciate the comments!

Move with belt and braces - take a career break, don't quit your job, don't sell a house if you own one etc etc - and you will be fine. It'll be an adventure if nothing else.

[CommanderMaxil]

Thanks, that's the plan, renting my place in London and not shipping out most of my possessions. I took Voluntary redundancy to fund the move but have continued to work in my field sine I left my permanent job so work opportunities back in London will never be a problem. I always saw this as a couple of years away building up my CV and having a new adventure and I still feel that way (though of course will depend on how I like it out there). I've lived abroad before in more challenging places than Canberra so its not that I doubt my ability to actually survive out there. I think its more about the transition from Australia as an idea to Australia as a lived experience. For the past couple of years every time it rained, or the train was late, or I was stuck in a boring meeting, I always had the thought at the back of my mind "at least you'll be in Australia soon!" to get me through the day. Now the reality of it is here for some reason I've started to feel nervous. Am sure its a transition though. In any case it has helped a lot being able to articulate my feelings here, which is one of the things that makes this website so useful. Having made such a song and dance to friends and family about how much I want to move to Australia it feels churlish to really share my nerves with them as I approach D-day!

[Quoll]

Thanks, that's the plan, renting my place in London and not shipping out most of my possessions. I took Voluntary redundancy to fund the move but have continued to work in my field sine I left my permanent job so work opportunities back in London will never be a problem. I always saw this as a couple of years away building up my CV and having a new adventure and I still feel that way (though of course will depend on how I like it out there). I've lived abroad before in more challenging places than Canberra so its not that I doubt my ability to actually survive out there. I think its more about the transition from Australia as an idea to Australia as a lived experience. For the past couple of years every time it rained, or the train was late, or I was stuck in a boring meeting, I always had the thought at the back of my mind "at least you'll be in Australia soon!" to get me through the day. Now the reality of it is here for some reason I've started to feel nervous. Am sure its a transition though. In any case it has helped a lot being able to articulate my feelings here, which is one of the things that makes this website so useful. Having made such a song and dance to friends and family about how much I want to move to Australia it feels churlish to really share my nerves with them as I approach D-day!

LOL you'll be quite at home in Canberra then - when it rains it RAINS none of this gentle drizzle stuff and you will be up to your ears in boring meetings - no one does boring meetings quite like Canberra (especially the meeting about the next meeting!) You will be spared the trains though, no one uses trains in Canberra and the worst is likely to be a traffic jam on Northborne in the rush hour. It'll be fine, surreal at first but then you'll get used to it!