Australia first caught my eye as a little girl, when a TV series based on my favorite comic Wendy (yes, I was one of those little horse-crazy lasses) started airing in Germany. It was shot entirely in Australia and then, although I didn’t notice back then, dubbed for German television. I fell in love with the landscapes, the forests, beaches and fields and told myself that one day, I too would be riding around in the Aussie countryside. Today, I’m not so bent on the horseback part, but cannot wait to walk about the wide open spaces of the Australian landscape.
To be honest, I can’t remember how I first heard about the Working Holiday or Work&Travel program in Australia. However, I do remember being instantly taken by the idea of discovering a country, no, a continent by working along the way - being free to do as one pleases or as one’s budget allows. Having to finance a vacation while enjoying it, finding that balance between work and fun and being entirely self-dependent, as it lies in your own hands how far and how long you can make it.
In May 2008 (or was it 2009?) I threw a small birthday party for a friend of mine in my apartment and a classmate brought along her boyfriend, who had just gotten back from his year tripping around Australia. I listened to his stories like a child to bedtime fairy tales and felt my mind racing, picturing myself in similar situations. He whipped out his laptop and flipped through some of the hundreds of pictures he had taken in all corners of the vast continent and I felt my eyes grow bigger and shinier by the minute. After less than an hour and less than half of his stories, I was sold. I wanted to work and travel Australia too. A bit of research here and there gave me an overview of what such a backpacking trip can look like. Though I do admit that I did not really investigate deeply, just kind of skimmed the foam off the cappuccino, in the months before I left Berlin. I figured that somehow it would work out and I would just apply the learning by doing principle. Besides, isn’t merely wanting something really bad already half the deal?;)
Aside from looking forward to the Outback, the beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, the boxing Kangaroos and stoned Koalas, the lush green jungles and infinite desserts, the work part of the Working Holiday appealed to me as well. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being a student, but just imagining going straight into my Masters after finishing my Bachelors gave me the heebie-jeebies. I could almost see the threatening shadow of “burn-out” looming above me, ready to pounce if I subjected myself to further thesis and theory. I just want to do something, anything practical – use my hands, get down and dirty, produce something on my own. In addition to itching to get off my studious butt, I still had that question mark dancing above my career choice, teasing and daring me. I know I would have fun and, without wanting to sound big-headed, I’d be good at teaching. But would it really fulfill me? Do I really want to walk into a classroom everyday and teach the same facts to different kids, year after year? I don’t know. But what better way to find out than to give it a shot, spend a day (or 3 months) in the life of a teacher. And, to add some contrast to this, do something completely different afterwards. So a plan was formed , first in my head and then in my calendar – an Internship at the European International School Manila, followed by Working and travelling in Australia.
Note: Don’t just dream, dream and do.
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