Cya Seattle, Hello Australia!

Hi all! Nico coming at you with a life update.

I’m moving from Seattle!

That’s right, I’ll be moving from Seattle soon. I’ll be spending the next few months in Europe and SE Asia before making my way to Australia for up to a year.

So let me share some frequently asked questions!

Why Australia? 🇦🇺

The accent, duh. 🙃

But really, Australia is one of five countries that offers something called a Working Holiday Visa (for US Nationals). You can think of it as a souped-up tourist visa. This visa allows applicants to:

• Stay for a year
• Enter and exit the country freely
• Work (!)

The last bullet point is the most exciting.

See, the point of this visa is to offer a way for people to support themselves while traveling. This opens travel up to individuals who normally can’t afford it. It also allows for a slower travel style where you stay in one place for a few months. It’s a more sustainable way to travel than bouncing around to a new city every week.

So you heard it here first: your favorite blogger is going to be employed soon!

There are a few restrictions though:

• You can only do ‘unskilled labor’
• You can only hold a job for up to 6 months
• You must have a bachelor’s degree or similar when you apply
• You must be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive) when you apply

Again the last bullet point is the most pertinent.

At 28 years old, the clock was ticking. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past two years it’s that if really want to do something, do it now, because a world-altering pandemic might happen and shut down all your plans.

Did you consider other countries?

Of course! But Australia made the most sense for a lot of reasons:

1. Australia offers a way to stay and work for an extended period of time (working holiday visa)
2. Australia is an English speaking country, so finding work and adjusting to the culture will be much easier
3. Australia has a high minimum wage and reasonable cost of living
4. Australia’s boarders are open
5. Australia is warm year-round (if you move around)

I could see myself doing something like this elsewhere (South Korea offers a working holiday visa as well), but this seemed like the most comfortable place for my first experience.

What kind of work will you do?

I’ll most likely work in the hospitality sector. Think barista, bartender, server. (Maybe this is an opportunity to work in a boba shop like I always wanted! 🧋)

I also plan to stay in a hostel and work part-time in exchange for lodging. This workstay setup is really popular amongst the working holiday community and is a great way to get your bearings when you first arrive.

Finally, I may do a stint on a farm for a few months. The context here is the working holiday visa allows you to stay for a year, but you can renew it for another year if you do 3 months of ‘specified work’. The most common ‘specified work’ is, you guessed it, farm work.

What about software development? 👨‍💻

Technically software development falls under ‘skilled labor’, meaning I can’t work in that capacity while on my working holiday visa. It’s possible I could swing some contract job and skirt the rules… but it’s unclear to me if that’ll actually work.

That said, the whole point of my sabbatical was always to step away from software development and explore a different lifestyle. I’m eager to try out a new environment, develop new skills, and foster new relationships. I worked for six years as a software developer — it’s not going anywhere. So it seems to me that I owe it to myself to explore something outside of software development.

What’s the long term vision?

Right now I plan on committing to three or so months in Australia, then reassessing whether or not I want to stay. My gut is telling me that I’ll stay the full length of the visa. But it’s not like the visa is binding or anything – if I don’t like it I can simply leave.

I do see myself going back to the tech industry at some point in the future. Although I do have my fair share of gripes, I’m confident I can find a work environment that will be more conducive to me.

Furthermore, not working for a time has given me perspective on how nice working can be (amongst other things). For example, work adds structure to your life that keeps you active and productive most days.

But this is the Nico of early 2022 speaking, who knows what the Nico of early 2023 might be thinking. One of the beautiful things in life is how unexpected it can be. I have a friend who went to Australia on a working holiday visa for a few months and ended up staying for four years!

Cya Seattle 🖐️

One thing I’m sure about is my time in Seattle is coming to a close. It’s been a wonderful place to spend my 20’s. I’ve made many new friends, had countless experiences, and reveled in both the sunny days and the doom and gloom. I am grateful for everything Seattle has had to offer me.

I can honestly say I have changed as a person these past few years. The Nico pre-Seattle and the Nico post-Seattle are so wildly different I sometimes look back at old experiences as if they happened to someone else.

But for many personal reasons, I think it’s time to explore somewhere new.

I’ve already sold or donated most of my belongings. My lease is ending this month. I’ll be shipping two boxes to my parents and be left with my laptop, my suitcase, and the hope of new experiences.

I’m sitting on the boundary point between two chapters of my life. As anyone who has experienced this before will tell you, this comes with a mix of nervousness, excitement, happiness, and anticipation for what’s to come. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least.

Parting Thoughts

They say in life there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.

Here’s to more of the latter.