After my first week in Australia I wrote in my journal: "It strikes me that I have traveled all the way to the other side of the world only to run into people who are doing the same thing as me. Australia is the perfect place for first-world babies to extend their youth. It is as if this country was built for backpackers who need temporary cell phones, jobs, housing and bank accounts."
Now, I think that Australia is that and much much more. There is an air of accessibility here that is foreign to the United States. If you want a job you can get one. If you want an education you can do that too. Universities aren't free but they are extremely affordable. There is no fear of unemployment and impending failure so there is no temptation to extend your youth through excessive schooling and living off the parents. Australia is a place where you really can do the dishes to pay for your meal and clean the floors to pay for a place to sleep.
The hostels here are overflowing with Western Europeans. At first I thought that most of them were here doing gap years or enjoying those long holidays that Americans are always envious of, but actually a lot of them are here to work. With the rest of the first world in crises Australia has become an economic oasis. As my Brazilian friend said, "When you have people trying to immigrate here from Switzerland you know that it's a good place to live." Yet, oddly enough, there are very few Americans out here. In fact, this is the only place that I have ever traveled where people guess that I am Canadian before they ask if I am from the United States. I feel as if I stumbled upon a secret that the rest of my country knows nothing about.
To be fair, the job market in Australia is not easy for everyone to break into. Fluency in English is extremely important. I have been told so many times by Estelle and by my roommates how lucky I am to be a native English speaker. It is also much easier to find a job in Australia if you are in your twenties. This is simply because the older you are the harder it is to get a work visa and you need a work visa for all legal employment. So, to qualify my above statements: if you are 18-31 and fluent in English, Australia is an amazing place to be.
I am currently training for a fundraising job. Yes, I am one of those annoying people who tries to get you to donate money in the street. No, I do not work on commission. This is just such a legitimate company that I feel like I have to give it a shot. The company is called Public Outreach. It is based in Canada and has been in Australia for three years. Public Outreach fund raises for really well-known charities such as: Save the Children, Oxfam, and the Australian Conservation Foundation. For every $1 donated less than 18 cents goes to company costs, meaning 82 cents goes to the charity. Yet, somehow they manage to pay workers a living wage (it pays more than my bar job...what?) Anyway they are just branching out to San Francisco and LA so you should look them up if you get the chance. http://www.publicoutreachgroup.com/
So right now, I am working part time for the bar job and part time for Public Outreach. I need to save money to continue my Adventures on Walk About...wow I used the name. Anyway, I will still try and blog as much as I can. :)
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