Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Finalizing

So I really need to make up my mind on moving. I know, you all are probably thinking 'not another one of these' But I've come to the conclusion and have to options and yet another pro/con list.
I decided not to stay in the US, it isn't for me even though there are some really cool places, but the laws of the country as a whole I can't coexist with (and some other stuff it has to do with my other post Sicko). Canada is a cool place, but I'm sick of winter and the places that I'd be interested in going is most likely the same or even worse.
So, that leaves Europe and Australia (where did that come from?) I've done a lot of research and here's my pro/con list (I just love doing these if you can tell :P)

Australia:
PROS
-not expensive, the exchange rate is 1USD = 1.50 AUD
- nature and has cool animals (koalas ^^)
- Likable weather
- Really friendly people
- very laid-back
-Melbournes sounds like a fantastic city
- they speak English there, have a cool accent and slang
-very mutilcultural
- the US and Australia set up an agreement where Americans and Australians can get a visa easier and go to the other country to work for up to 12 months.
- A lot of jobs and not enough people, so pretty easy to get a job heeeeeey

CONS
- far away from everything (the biggest drawback for me), though I guess Indonesia and New Zealand are pretty close? If I wanted to go back home to visit it would be about a 20 hour flight, my ass hurts after being on a plane for just 2 hours...
-homophobia and racism- I'm not sure about this one, I've heard stories that they're very accepting or hate it. I don't see how can they be homophobic since their founders were all sex-deprived imprisoned males with no women in Australia =P
-Weather, I guess it can get really hot over there and droughts are pretty frequent. Where I live it gets to about 85F (3oC) in the summer, but very very humid and makes me want to die, but when I was in Vegas, it was hotter but not humid at all and I enjoyed it.

EUROPE (aka the places I'm interested in that I know the language- UK, Ireland, Sweden and France). I've done my research and unfortunately it's pretty much impossible for a non-EU citizen who doesn't have a degree to go to Europe and work there for a few months. So, my only options are either being an au-pair (but I hate kids!) or waiting until the fall and try to apply for uni there, that is if I get accepted and if I can wait that long to escape my town.

Or maybe go to Australia in April and work there and see if I get accepted to some uni in Europe and go there in August/September?
Or maybe I should just stop thinking so much and just do move? =P

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"1USD = 1.50 AUD"

You'd get four times that in SEK!

Gatito said...

but Sweden is four times an expensive :P

Anonymous said...

I've gotten the impression that Australia is about as large as the US, but with about no population. Also, they do seem to have a lot of fires down there. So how about New Zealand. It might be even further away, but I think it could be a nice place. You could check it out at least. (I guess this is anything but helpful...)

Anonymous said...

Hey Will,

It's pancake from Interpals...choose Australia, not Europe, it's way better! Hahaha :P
I guess you can't decide where to live, unless you have been there. The best thing about leaving in Europe is that once you are a citizen of a country that belongs to the EU, you can travel, live and work wherever you want in the EU. If you want to become French, you can marry someone French, or live in France for 5 years^^