The End

Well this is it.

The end to what was, without a doubt, the best year of my life.

[This was written over multiple sessions and is all over the place but oh well, I sort of tried. And I'm back as of last Thursday.]

The amount that I want to be going back to the states is virtually 0.  The one thing I'm looking forward to is seeing my friends but aside from that, in no way shape or form do I want to be going back.  It feels a bit like I'm coming back from uni for summer break except I don't get to return. I've established a great little life here and really do not want to go back to the land of $8 an hour work, crazy high rent, hipsters, astronomical health care costs, and now Emperor Trump.

Because I've been asked this a million times, no, I can't stay.  Permanently moving to another country is not something you can just do.  You have to deal with visas and unfortunately it is very hard to get a permanent visa for Australia.  There are a few ways it can be done which I will pretty much be devoting every free second of my life to trying to accomplish. I can come back for up to 3 months at a time on a tourist visa but you can't work while you're a tourist which makes things hard. The visa I was on is a one time deal so I can't do that again. So if any Aussies reading this hear of a job that would sponsor, or wants to be business partners and open something up, I'll be on the next plane there (seriously though - that's a 100% genuine statement).

I remember returning to Adelaide from my trip to Queensland. I was getting excited because it felt like I was coming home. I then had a terrifying realization that even though it felt that way, I'm not allowed to stay. The same thing happened when I got back from Kangaroo Island (haven't updated this in a long time - I went to KI).  I'm well aware this is sounding like the biggest first world problem but this really is hard.

It's so frustrating that because I was born in a certain place, I'm not allowed to live in another.  That's not to say the US is bad but from the start I've felt so comfortable in Australia.  I feel like I get along so much better with Australians.  The laid back style of life, casual attitude, and especially the sense of humour, are some of the things I'm going to miss the most. I've lived in 4 different cities around North America, Europe, and Australia, and Adelaide has by far been the one I could actually see myself living in long term.

This was the first time doing everything completely on my own. I had some help at the start getting logistical stuff together but after that, I figured everything out by myself.  This was also the first time I was completely financially independent as well and it was a great feeling.

Like I expected, this experience wasn't always easy.  There were some very hard times, especially towards the beginning. At the end of December/start of January, I seriously considered going back to the states. I was living in a hostel, had an exhausting job that barely paid the rent with no money left for anything else, had nothing to do during the days, and at times was overwhelmed with a feeling of loneliness.

Things got better though.  I moved into a house, found a much more appealing job which allowed me to quit the other, started to meet some new people, and was settling in. Everything seemed great until the housing situation fell through without much time to find a new arrangement.  With only days before I had to move, I found an even better house in a great location with the best housemates I could ever ask for.

I did most of my travelling when I was here last year but did make it to Cairns this time around and got to swim at the Great Barrier Reef.  But besides that, the day to day life was such a unique experience. Just heading out to bars in town with old and new friends was always such a great time. My original plan going into this was to work for 6 months and then travel the rest of my time.  I got so settled into life that I wanted to make the most out of living in Adelaide.  Plus, as I have discovered over the course of this year, I'm not a massive fan of solo travel.  It's fun every once in a while but I like to have someone else with me.

One of the biggest reasons I came over to Australia and pretty much the only reason I went to Adelaide was so I could spend more time with two people I met at CSU. They were only there for about 5 months and that just wasn't enough time for me. Although there were some speed bumps along the way, I feel like I got much closer to both of them and will forever be appreciative of having Liam and Vlad as friends.

So what's next for me? Please don't ask. I have no idea and being reminded of that constantly doesn't really help. My goal is to get back to Australia once a year.  The ultimate goal is to figure out how to live in Australia permanently. Like I said, I will be on the next plane back the instant I can make it happen.

With that said, although there are too many to name, a few of my favourite memories that come to mind:

• Walking in thongs with some red tinnies looking at rock faces in the hills
• Weekend at Marion Bay
• Australia Day  (+ carrying the West End case down Stephen Terrace)
• Watching local Saturday footy and later abusing monopoly money at the footy club
• Lucky's Beach Club
• My birthday evening/night
• Last day at the RCC
• Convincing people I was a pong champion at a housewarming
• My housewarming party
• Connect 4 at the Woody
• Jessica not putting us on the list

There are some people I have to thank without whom this experience would not have been what it was:

First off, yet again my Aunt Cindi for hooking me up with some crazy flight deals. Money would have been much tighter at the beginning if I had to pay full price to get there/back.

Second, the Rella family, who welcomed me into their home for about a month and continued to be absolutely wonderful the whole time I was in Australia.

The Rella Clan (minus Amy and Shane)

Third, but probably the most important, is Liam.  This guy is the definition of an absolute legend.  He went out of his way so many times to help me with logistical things, invited me to do stuff with him and his friends, helped me move, hooked me up with free drinks on nights out, was always down to do anything, and was just a fantastic all around friend.  I 100% think I wouldn't have made it the year without him. Liam, there are really no words to describe how thankful I am for everything you did for me and I'm going to miss you like crazy. Hopefully I'll be seeing you soon.

A little rough at this point in the night. Best housewarming of all time.

Next, and along the same lines, are Liam's friends who were all so welcoming and genuinely nice people. Oh boy moving to the other side of the world by yourself can sure be lonely. Having people to socialize with really helped. Kieran, Henry and Jono specifically, you guys are awesome.

Jono in the back, Kieran, Liam

I also have to give a shout out to my workmates at Scroll.  I met some pretty cool people there and made some good friends.  Special mention to Lynn and Linda because they asked me to.

Linda and Lynn

The bosses

And lastly my Gilles St. housemates. I can't believe how incredibly lucky I got with my housing situation. After moving around the city, living in 4 different places, I ended up with the most amazing, friendly, awesome, and best housemates I could have ever asked for. Haydn and Cassie, you guys are freaking incredible and I'll miss you both terribly! Thanks for all the laughs, nights in, nights out, card games, Survivor/Bachelor viewings, and so much more. I expect you both to visit me in the states ASAP. And an invite to any special "celebrations" that might happen in the future...and Cassie I look forward to you being my boss at Society when the time comes 'cough' 'cough.'

Quite possibly the grossest picture of all time but I kind of love it. Me, Vlad, Cass, Haydos

Alright well the tears are starting to form so let's wrap this up.

Thanks to everyone I met this past year. I miss you all already. I'll be back as soon as possible to sleep on all of your couches.  If anyone is coming to the states, let me know and we'll have heaps of fun. Please stay in touch!

That's all for now, Australia.  Bye.    :(

The Great Barrier Reef (and More)

It's been a little while since I left Adelaide.  I've been in South Australia for about ten months now and decided it was time to do a little bit of holiday-ing on my working holiday visa. Where to? Cairns in northern Queensland, with my main priority to see the Great Barrier Reef.

Welcome to Cairns

I got into Cairns Monday afternoon. After quickly dropping off my stuff, I went on a little stroll around town. Although definitely a tourist hub, Cairns is beautiful.  There's a boardwalk that runs along the water, shops and restaurants everywhere, and at this time of year, the perfect temperature to be comfortably warm (but still quite humid).

This is a bit deceptive.  There wasn't really a beach and the small patch there was had signs warning of crocodile attacks.

The Lagoon.  Due to the lack of/deadly "beaches," the city built the lagoon slightly inland and immune from crocodiles.  Free to the public as well.

I had a very weird first impression at the hostel.  From every hostel I've ever stayed at, to claim a bed, you put something on it or make it look like someone has used the sheets.  I found a bed that had nothing on it and no sheets so I made the bed and headed off.  Later when I came back, a girl was in the room claiming the bed I had put my stuff on was hers. She was pretty calm about it but I got death glares from another guy in the room (who turned out to be just a *gem* of a temporary roommate), even after offering to find another bed.  Not quite sure what the hostility was about but alright.  All the Australian hostels I've stayed in have been a bit odd like that.  Besides the uptight people, the hostel was pretty basic but in a great location.

After waking up very early on Tuesday, I walked to the marina to catch my boat to the Great Barrier Reef. The company I went with was a last minute decision but I saw they capped their participants at 20 whereas most other companies could have upwards of 100+ people. They were also one of the cheapest, claimed their boat had the lowest carbon footprint among all the tour boats, and owner operated.  Apparently you can take the kid out of Portland but you can't entirely take Portland out of the kid.

There were only 8 of us on the catamaran along with 3 crew.  The ride out to the reef was a bit slow but no one was in a rush and it allowed the weather to clear up by the time we got there.  It was about a 2 hour ride to the reef.  Our first snorkel spot was at the Upolu Reef.  It was absolutely incredible! There were so many colorful fish, amazing designs in the reef, a few stingrays, and some massive giant clams.  After lunch we headed to another spot which I thought was even better than the first.  One of the crew went with us the first time to point out anything significant but we got to go on our own at the second location.  

The Great Barrier Reef

On the way back, we got the finest glass of goon, some fruit, and a delicious cheese platter. We briefly saw a whale in the distance shooting water from the surface. If you're ever in Cairns and want to see the reef, Reef Daytripper was awesome.

Wednesday morning, I made my way to the train station to catch a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Rail.  It's basically an old train that takes you through the rainforest up to the little town of Kuranda.  Along the way, you get an audio commentary about the construction of the track.  It was definitely overpriced but the views were stunning and the history of the track was interesting.  I got lucky in that I had the entire seating row to myself which allowed me to move side to side and spread out a bit.  If the train had been full, anyone not sitting by the windows would have been in for a bad time.

Choo Choo

Barron Falls

When we arrived in Kuranda, I walked around town a bit, dodging the masses of selfie sticks, and eventually decided to go on a little hike. The trail started through the rainforest, ran along a river, and finished back up in town.  It was beautiful and easy enough I could do the trail both ways in thongs (although my feet are absolutely destroyed with blisters now). The actual town was a little too much for me. Dozens of overpriced, tacky tourist shops/restaurants lined the streets.  There was a tightly packed market area filled with bohemian-esque stalls which was neat to explore but decided against getting my hair dreadlocked. Maybe next time.  

I eventually gave in to hunger and grabbed a sub par pie at the bakery. I overestimated how much I'd be able to do for free in Kuranda and after doing the same hike in reverse, ended up sitting around for a fair bit before I was able to head back to Cairns.

On the way down, I rode in a cable car suspended over the forest. Once again, the views were incredible. Queensland really is a beautiful state. There were a few stops along the way you could get out and look at viewpoints. The cable car was much faster than the train and only took about an hour, stops included. After waiting forever at the end of the sky rail for the shuttle, I headed back to the hostel.

With nothing planned for Thursday, I decided to head to the botanic gardens.  Botanic gardens seem to be in every city in Australia and they never disappoint.  The gardens were a fair trek from the city centre but it was worth it.  I probably ended up walking a little under 15km throughout the day.  

Start of the Red Arrow hike

Later that night I noticed an outdoor projector screen setup across the street from my hostel and saw there was a free showing at 7 so I grabbed a spot in the grass and enjoyed the film.

Checkout was at 10 Friday morning which left a fair amount of time to wander around the city.  There wasn't much else to do besides dodging the sun as much as possible since I have the fairest skin in all the land and didn't want to get sunscreen-ed up for a flight home.  One of the art galleries in town was doing free entry for the month of September so after an ice coffee, I took a peek inside.  A few hours later, it was time to head back to Adelaide.  

Now it would seem like a simple task for a shuttle to pick someone up and take them to the airport but apparently that's not the case for Sun Palm Transport.  I booked my pickup the day before and received a confirmation email minutes later.  At around 3:15 on return to Adelaide day, I decided to give them a ring seeing as they were 15 minutes late.  The wonderful girl on the other end of the line said I had booked the shuttle an hour prior and they called me when I wasn't there. Now that seems a bit odd seeing as my confirmation email says 3:00 and I had my phone on me the entire day with 0 missed calls.  Better yet she "didn't know" when the next shuttle was and wouldn't refund me [still working on getting it refunded].  I quickly found out Uber doesn't run in Cairns (boo) so had to call a cab.  Luckily the airport is close to the city and Australian airport security takes approximately 8 seconds to get through.  Not the best way to end the trip but it all worked out and I made my flight.

Bye bye Cairns

This was a fantastic little trip but I have come to the conclusion that I'm done doing solo trips, at least for a while.  It's great doing whatever you want whenever you want but once an activity finishes and there's nothing to do the rest of the day, it can get a little lonely. Although it's easier on the wallet, I'm also not one of those people who can grab a beer or sit down for food on their own, which, after a long day of activities, is a nice thing to do. From now on, someone's coming with me on trips.  That aside, Cairns was a great place to visit and I will for sure be back to see the reef again.

That's all for now.  Bye.

Common Tourist Scams

One of my favorite stories about being abroad is the time I got pick pocketed in Prague. Basically this girl was trying to talk to me in Czech and next thing I knew, my phone was no longer in my pocket.  Now I may have been a few adult beverages in at that point but I quickly knew something wasn't right and was able to get my phone back.  

Unfortunately one of the things you will likely have to deal with whilst travelling is avoiding scams.  I've come up with a combination of personal experience and things I've read online of common tourist scams around the world.  A lot of the European ones happen in multiple countries, pick pocketing being the main thing to look out for. Of course you should always be aware whilst travelling but still try and enjoy yourself and don't be overly paranoid.

Paris, France

The Petition: This one can happen in a few ways.  The simplest is someone will approach you asking to sign a petition.  They will make sure their clipboard is blocking your view from looking down whilst a partner walks by and pickpockets you.  The petition isn't actually for anything.  Tried to me.

The other version is someone claims to be deaf/blind/mute and their petition basically says (in French) you will pay them by signing the paper.  Saw it happen.

Kids: This happened to me multiple times within my 24 hour stay in Paris (luckily nothing was stolen). Basically a large group of kids all of a sudden swarm making lots of noise and try to steal from your pockets.  It's amazing how quick those kids are.

Dropped Ring:  Basically a stranger approaches a couple and says one of the pair dropped an expensive looking ring.  Obviously the couple will say the ring is not theirs but the stranger will give it to them anyway. Time to pay up.  Read about this online.  Apparently it's very common.

Bracelet:  Scammer asks if the victim wants a friendship bracelet and no matter the answer will tie cloth or plastic wristband very tightly around the wrist.  Since it's on so tight and can't be removed, money is demanded. Read about online.

Extra Hotel Charges:  I imagine this happens everywhere but I received a massive charge from the hotel I stayed at because they claimed we cleared out the mini fridge.  I don't think we even opened the fridge.  I got my money back after threatening to contact the credit card company.

Barcelona, Spain

Street Games:  These seemed to pop up and suddenly disappear everywhere on La Rambla. The games usually consist of find the 'something' under three cups and win money. It's always rigged and you will not win.  The main person has others in on the scam posing as players who may "win" and pretend to be audience members, cheering people on.  Even if you don't play, you are prime pickpocket target by watching.  Saw it happen.

Dancing Puppets:  There's a lot of people on smaller streets selling paper cutouts, usually in the form of a popular cartoon character.  The cutouts seem to be magically dancing to music.  Nope.  There's a hidden string making the characters move to the music.  Saw it happen.

Public Transit:  Pickpockets love the trains.  They get on when a cart is full and place themselves right next to the door.  After a quick slip of the hand, they run out at the next stop as the doors close.  Saw it happen.

Pigeon Poo: The scammer tells you a pigeon pooped on you.  Luckily they happen to have water and paper towels ready to go.  While scrubbing the nonexistent stain, your wallet goes missing.  Read about online.

Italy

Train Ticket Help: This was fascinating to watch.  While waiting for our number to be called to buy tickets, my sister and I saw three guys clearly trying to scam people.  One was at the automatic ticket machine appearing to help tourists buy tickets so they wouldn't have to wait in line. There were two other guys closely watching everything and observing where wallets were being kept once it came time for the tourist to pay.

Thailand

Paying for Friends: This one is popular in many places.  The scammer will approach a lone tourist, befriend them, and want to go for drinks.  They take you to a bar/club and order drinks that cost an exorbitant amount of money without you knowing (the business is in on the scam). Sometimes the scammer will simply leave before the bill arrives or "pay" for half, leaving you with the other.  If you refuse to pay, some very large bouncers will escort you to the nearest ATM.  Read about online.

Everything is Closed:  Cabbies will tell a passenger the place they want to go to is closed (it's not). Instead, they offer to take you to their friend's store so you will spend money there instead.  Read about online.

Not Using the Meter:  Also involving cabs, the driver will quote a price and not use the meter.  This always results in paying substantially more.  Always use the meter (or an Uber which is way cheaper).  Read about online.

Hollywood, USA 

Free CD:  Want to be "music artists" hang out on Hollywood Boulevard and either get you to listen to their new demo CD and then give you a copy or just hand you a copy straight out. It seems to be free until they demand money for it.  Needless to say what is on the demo is probably not worth the $20 they want. Apparently many times the CDs they give are actually blank.  I had a CD shoved in my hands, quickly tried to give it back, and the person was not happy.  If I recall I actually had to throw it in with the rest because he wouldn't take it back.

Characters: Not so much a scam but just be aware those mildly creepy people dressed up as superheros will want money if you take pictures of/with them.

New York City, USA

Buying tickets on the street: Especially around Times Square, people will approach you offering very cheap tickets to some sort of show.  Although some are probably legit, the scammers will lie about what the ticket includes.  Someone unsuccessfully tried to sell me tickets to a comedy show after lying about the headliner.  The guy also called the theatre where the show was supposed to be and had me talk to a guy who in no way shape or form sounded like he worked at a comedy club.

What's the best way to avoid scams?  Unfortunately the easiest way is to be a little rude to strangers. Especially in Europe, most people who start a conversation with "do you speak English" is going to scam you.  Also, always keep an eye on your belongings and never put anything valuable in your pockets.  If you want to learn some more,  Scam City is a fun show where the host purposefully gets scammed.  It's quite interesting.

- - - - -

In other news:

• The Olympics are great
• Rock climbing will be in the Olympics for Tokyo 2020!
• I'm going to Cairns in Queensland at the end of the month to swim on the Great Barrier Reef and do other tbd things

That's all for now.  Bye.

The Voting Dilemma

I've mostly avoided political commentary on here.  As Rafiki would say, "it is time."  

I wrote the majority of this quite a while ago and wasn't going to post it but after the train wreck that was the Republican National Convention last week and the, let's just call it interesting, DNC this week, it felt relevant.

I'm a strong proponent of voting.  I absolutely love that voting is compulsory here in Australia.  One of my biggest pet peeves in the US is people complaining about a political issue and when asked if they voted, they say no. No vote?  No complaining.  Not voting is really just out of pure laziness which is incredibly sad when there's places around the world where people don't have the privilege of having a say.  Since I was 18, I have voted in every federal and state election and have continued to do so living abroad.

Then there's the US federal election of 2016.  Come November, whether people like it or not, the United States is going to elect a new president.  Unless something shockingly unpredictable happens, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will become, arguably, the most powerful person in the world.

But what do you do when you don't support either candidate?

Now yes, I'm only one person.  I'm a registered voter in Oregon which has been a blue state since the 80's.  In all reality, my single vote really isn't going to do much.  If I were in a swing state, one vote can mean a lot more. Regardless, I reckon I'm not the only one who is feeling this way.  With what I imagine millions of others are thinking, do I/we vote for someone we don't want to win?  

Trump photo by Michael Vadon, Clinton photo by Gage Skidmor

Bernie Sanders had/has a massive following and people (understandably) became incredibly devoted to him. It was Bernie or Bust!  If Sanders didn't win the Democratic nomination, people were vowing not to vote for Hillary Clinton.  As I am not a fan of Hillary Clinton for a multitude of reasons, I have gone through the internal debate of whether or not to vote for her.  A vote for a candidate should mean you support the majority of their policies as well as believing in them as a person who can do the job honestly and with integrity. Unfortunately, my vote for Hillary Clinton would not be representing these things.

Is voting for Clinton the lesser of two evils?  I don't consider Hillary Clinton to be necessarily evil (although I might not be able to say the same about her second-coming-of-Hitler opponent) but I strongly disagree with a lot of her actions and the way she got the nomination.  A vote for Hillary is instead, primarily, a vote against Trump; I'd be voting for Trump to lose. Once again this brings up the question of is this right?  No, it is absolutely not.  

Yes, people can write in Bernie Sanders on their ballots.  There's no doubt in my mind he will get a lot of votes in November but realistically, it won't be anywhere near enough to win the election.  My fear is writing in Bernie will split the votes.  If the Democratic Party is dividing their votes whereas the Republicans are all polling for one, you do the math. Basically that equals inevitable World War III. So why not support Jill Stein? First off, I don't know much about her besides the few articles I've read and it would essentially have the same effect as writing in Bernie.  Unfortunately the US has a two party political system and Stein has pretty much a 0% chance of winning.

Taking that into account, I've seen a lot of comments/articles online of staunch Hillary fans and converted Bernie supporters saying if "Bernie Bros" don't vote for Hillary, they will be handing the White House to Trump.  No.  Just no.  No candidate is entitled to a vote. Let me repeat. No candidate is entitled to a vote. 

Like I said, a vote should be for someone you support and can agree with.  Hillary has catastrophically failed at appealing to a lot of people and that is no one's fault but her own (although isn't it convenient that all of a sudden she's coming up with Bernie-esk policies). The election is essentially a job interview and she failed to convince about half of the first-round hiring committee she should get the job.  If she loses the election, it's her own doing.  

So why not just forgo voting this year?  Like I said earlier, this isn't an option.  Not participating in the electoral process is almost criminal in my mind.

Come November, or whenever my ballot becomes available in Australia, I will be voting against Donald Trump.  Since this isn't Survivor and we can't vote people off the island (although with a Trump presidency many will be forced off the island), unfortunately the only way to effectively do this is to vote for someone else.  

Will I be voting for Hillary?  Yeah, probably.  That said, people need to stop belittling others and calling them "ridiculous" for not wanting to vote for someone purely to go against another.  Yet again, that is not why you should vote for a candidate.

That's all for now.  Bye.

The Best New Travel App?

Unless you live under a rock or didn't grow up in the 90's, you likely heard about/downloaded the Pokemon Go app this past week, officially fulfilling all of your childhood dreams.

As a massive Pokemon fan, I was quite excited when the game was released in Australia.  If you don't know, the app has you walk around in the real world collecting virtual items at certain locations and catching Pokemon that randomly appear, all via your smartphone.

The actual Pokemon part of the game is fun but one of the real highlights is collecting the items.  All items are in locations of interest around the city, many of which I wasn't even aware of existed until now.  I've seen so many new murals, sculptures, and historic buildings this week purely because of the app.  At some of the bigger locations, brief info is given about the landmark as well. 

This has also been great for me since the winter weather makes it very easy to stick around the house all day. I now have great motivation to walk around and discover more of the city and seeing how this game is strangely addicting, it's been happening a lot lately.  If you want to become a Pokemon master, you have to make sacrifices and trudge through the cold/rain.

Found this mural a few nights ago about 2 minutes from my house.  Had no idea it was there until now.

Entrance to the Himeji Gardens, also right by my house.

Himeji Gardens

Himeji Gardens

Himeji Gardens

Himeji Gardens

Granted I've only used Pokemon Go in Adelaide but once it's released worldwide, this will be a fantastic way to find hidden spots in cities around the world and a great way to satisfy those annoying travel hipsters who want to "avoid the tourist spots" and "do what the locals do."  The only potential issue would be if you don't have a wireless or data connection but in big cities, that shouldn't be too big of a problem.  That and the app drains phone battery like none other.

That's all for now.  Bye.

Sausage Sizzle

So I learned something new this week that has made me love this country even more than I already do.

Saturday marked election day here in Australia.  Yeah sure, new members of the Senate and the House of Representatives were elected which is important and all but that pales in comparison to the real star of the day: the sausage sizzle.

Apparently it's a thing here that after you vote, you eat a barbecued, or "sizzled," sausage because, you know, why wouldn't you?  There are hundreds if not thousands of sausage sizzle booths that pop up near voting sites for an after polling snack.

According to Wikipedia:

A typical Sausage Sizzle takes place in a covered area. Often underneath a collapsible gazebo, volunteers prepare the barbecued sausages or 'snags'. These are served on a single slice of (typically) white bread, with optional grilled onions and the customer's choice of sauces, generally tomato, mustard, or barbecue. Chilled soft drink cans and bottled water are often also available at the counter. All ingredients are usually purchased as cheaply as possible, or donated from local sponsors such as butchers, bakers or supermarkets.

Not sure where your nearest sausage sizzle is?  Not to worry.  Google made a map that shows where you can go to tuck in.

Thanks Google, Snagvotes, and Democracy Sausage

My favorite headline this week was "While political parties fight voter apathy, internet companies are targeting what Australians really want: election day sausage sizzles."

Australia may have just clinched my "greatest country in the world" award with this one.

Oh yeah and this will be posted on the 4th of July here so happy birthday 'Murica!  Friday was my official one year anniversary of arriving in Australia for the first time.  I can't believe that was a year ago.  Time really does fly. 

That's all for now.  Bye.

So you Want to Work in Australia?

Have you ever had the inkling to travel and work in Australia for a year?  Here's some info on how to do just that:

First thing is to distinguish the two types of working/holiday visas.  The first is called the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) which is what people from Canada and most of Europe and Asia can apply for.  This visa is good for one year with the option to renew for a second. In order to get the second year, you have to do at least three months of work in regional Australia (basically farm work).

The Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) is for people from the US and other countries scattered around. This visa is good for one year and does not allow for a second year renewal.  

With the exception of the second year renewal, both visas are the exact same.  As of date, they each cost $440 AUD.

You have to be at least 18 but younger than 31 to apply for either visa.  You must be able to prove you have access to at least $5000 AUD on arrival, although I wasn't checked and have never heard of anyone being checked. That said, Australia is expensive and if you can't find a job, $5000 AUD is not going to last long so it's a good idea to have the money.  If coming from the US, you must have graduated high school.  Other countries require a university degree.  There's also a "good character" requirement which basically means you can't have any kind of criminal record.

When I applied for my WaHV, after completing the application, it took about 45 minutes to be approved. From the time it gets accepted, you have one year to enter Australia which essentially activates the visa. Once you enter the country, the visa is good for one year from the date of arrival.  For US citizens, the visa is all done electronically so no visa page needs to be added to your passport.

Once the visa is approved, you'll want to look at flights.  If you intend to be in Australia for the entire length of the visa, getting a one way ticket will give you more flexibility on a leave date and you'll have some extra money.  Thinking about what time of year you want to arrive is important.  I knew I wanted to find work soon after I arrived and so I chose November. This is around the time Christmas casuals get hired (although I played around for about a month and by that time everyone had already gotten the jobs).  The start of the year is another good time to arrive as a lot of businesses will be looking for new staff. 

Speaking of job searching, let's clear something up.  When I was doing all of my research before coming to Australia, almost everything I read made it sound like you can walk into any cafe and be hired on the spot. This is not true...at all.  I applied to job after job and didn't even get rejection letters from companies.  Most just never responded.  I tried going into places and also applying online and nothing came of it.  Whilst I was staying in the hostel, almost everyone there on a working visa was having the same struggle as me.  This is coming from Adelaide as well.  If you were to base yourself in Sydney or Melbourne, there's a lot more people and competition for jobs is even higher.  On top of that, it makes more sense for an owner to hire a local who will stick around.  Backpackers have the reputation of quickly leaving without notice which isn't the best for a business.  Yes, it is possible to find work but you need to have experience, a little luck, and not go in thinking it will be a breeze which I kind of did.

After the visa is approved, here are some logistical things you'll need to get sorted once you arrive in Australia:

• Tax File Number: This is sort of the equivalent of a US social security number.  It's mainly used for tax purposes.  You have to be in Australia to apply for one and they only send it to you via snail mail. Because of this, you'll need an address they can send it to.  I was able to use a friend's address but I've heard people can put down a hostel's address (where you'll likely start out in) if they ask permission beforehand.  This isn't something you have to do but if you don't provide a tax file number to an employer within 30 days, you get taxed almost 50%.  That's a lot of money.

*A note on taxes:  There's a new law likely coming into effect next year that will require all people on a WHV/WaHV to be taxed 32.5% of every dollar earned.  That's a lot of money and there's really no way around it (legally).  Until that happens, people on WHV/WaHV are considered residents for tax purposes which means they qualify for the tax free threshold. That means you can claim back all your tax payments if you make under $18,200/year.

• Mobile Phone:  If applying for jobs, you're going to need a mobile number.  I've written about using your phone abroad previously and getting a local SIM card is the cheapest.  After doing some comparisons, I went with Amaysim which runs on the Optus network here in Australia.  It's great if you stay in the big cities but won't cover you that well if you're in the middle of the Outback.  Amaysim is cheap and you get a lot with it so I highly recommend.  Telstra was my second choice.
• Living Situation:  Unless you already know someone in Australia, chances are you'll start your experience in a hostel.  Hostels are fine for a while but they get old fast. Once you've found a city/town you want to base yourself in, start looking for share houses.  Gumtree and Flatmates were the two I had success with.  Staying in a house share will be cheaper and more comfortable than long term in a hostel.
• Finding a Job:  You can actually start this process before arriving but a lot of jobs in the hospitality industry (which is likely your best option) do trials in lieu of interviews. You obviously need to be in the country to do a trial shift.  Gumtree, Indeed, and Seek, are all sites I found job listings.  Be warned of "backpacker" jobs.  Almost all of them are commission based with you harassing people in the streets to buy/sign up for something.  Going into establishments to hand in resumes isn't a bad idea for small/local places but most businesses only take applications online.
• Certifications: Australians love their certifications.  A big one to consider if you think you'll be getting a job that involves serving alcohol is a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA).  This can be done online before arriving and will make you look better over someone who doesn't have one.  If I remember correctly, New South Wales has different requirements so that would be a good thing to look into if you might be working in Sydney.
• Open a Bank Account:  You'll need to put all that money you make somewhere. There's lots of options for banks but I found NAB to be the best.  They don't charge for opening accounts and have very minimal fees on things.

I think that's most of the main things you'll need to do.  Yes, it is a fair amount but it's entirely worth it.  If you've ever thought about doing a working holiday visa in Australia, do it!  I can't recommend it enough.

That's all for now.  Bye.

Guns

From a modern day context, the second amendment is one of the dumbest things that has ever happened in the US (and that's saying something). If you're a gun nut, stay with me for a minute because there's some videos I want you to watch.

Last Sunday I stayed up all night watching a live stream of some news station in Orlando, Florida covering the horrific and tragic shootings that happened on back to back days.  As it should, whenever these things happen (which is way too often), I get incredibly mad/angry/frustrated/depressed/disheartened. 

The actual event is awful but the thing that usually hits me even harder is when I make the terrible decision to read comments on articles covering the event.  On any article about a shooting, gun control will be brought up.  The ignorant, hateful, idiotic, non-logical, paranoid, responses so many people write are disgusting.  When the best answer someone opposed to gun control can give is "it just won't work" even when they are presented with real world cases and evidence, you have no argument.  

The case against gun control just makes absolutely no logical sense.  I was going to write a long piece about why I hate guns and why they should be banned but figured I wouldn't be putting out anything that hasn't already been said.  Instead I'm going to give you two clips of Australian comedian Jim Jefferies talking about guns in the US.  I remember watching these when they first came out.  Everything he says I 100% agree with and is what I would have written but he makes it hilarious whereas mine would have been a frustrated rant.  

A few warnings before watching: If you get offended by swearing, don't watch.  The guy is Australian and uses a word Americans tend to freak out over but it is said a lot here and really isn't a big deal.  Also, he is making jokes about shootings so if you're sensitive, maybe don't watch.  If you're someone who thinks people should be allowed to own guns, Mr. Jefferies will shoot down your arguments so I hope you do partake.

That said, enjoy:

I'll leave you with one last thought: If being able to own a gun is more important to you than potentially someone's life, you might want to rethink your views.

That's all for now.  Bye.