I arrived in Melbourne on the 6th of August 2024 on a work and holiday visa, almost 2 months ago.
Many things have happened since then. Some good, some bad, some funny and some ugly. The most interesting thing is that it was not as I expected it to be.
Caption: Enjoying a close encounter with kangaroos at a wildlife park near Melbourne.
Caption: Proud moment - purchasing my first bicycle in Melbourne for easy city exploration.
Caption: Experiencing the excitement of Footy at a Collingwood live match.
One good thing is that I've pushed myself in ways that I didn't think was possible. I started contributing to open source projects on Github. I also learned how to drive from the opposite side of the road (and the car!). And (least likely of all) started to dance salsa (very badly)!
Caption: Salsa dancing with my aunty and having (lots!) of fun.
The city of Melbourne is amazing. Amazingly huge also, with lots of people from all over the world. To be honest, I haven't been to many places in Melbourne besides the city centre, the beach and beautiul cofee shops.
Caption: Yarra River by Day
Caption: Yarra River by Night
Caption: Docklands
I even found my favourite library as my operations base.
Caption: Bujil Place Library
I've had the opportunity to meet my family here. They are all awesome. My aunty has forced me to dance salsa (very badly)!
As for my family in Chile, I miss them terribly. I wish I could talk with them more often but the time difference is a bit of a pain.
Caption: My family in Chile, minutes before I left for Australia
I also miss my good friends a lot.
Caption: Being silly with friends
It has been difficult to find a job in this city. I've applied to many jobs and I've had a few interviews. Interestingly enough, I've had more signal from engineering jobs than from labour jobs. I haven't lost hope yet, and might need to make some critical decisions soon.
I decided that if nothing works out until the end of October, I will need to move to another city in Australia and try again. Tasmania, Darwin or Perth are the most likely candidates.
Overall, I am enjoying my time here.
Caption: Me being happy
Is hard to be away from my family and friends. Is also hard to voluntarily change your life so abrouptly. Nontheless, I'm a better person for having gone through this experience. I believe I will succeed, and look at this time as a great opportunity to grow.
Caption: A beautiful evening at the beach near Frankston.
Stay tuned!