Why I feel privileged to be an Australian

Those who know me, know me as an international jet-setter. Someone who enjoys heading off to my favourite countries to ‘get away’ for as long as possible.

But as much as I love these other countries, and wish I could live in them on a more permanent basis, there truly is no place like home: Australia.

It is funny, but we meet so many people on our travels. Whether it is in their home countries or abroad, we learn about new cultures and places; but most importantly we learn about ourselves and where we come from.

I have traveled in Europe, the UK, Canada and three-quarters of the US, and as much as I see so many positives that make me love all of these places, I truly see how lucky I am to be an Australian.

We may have issues with our standard of living, our Government and other things we Aussies like to moan about, but all in all when i compare myself and my circumstances with other nationalities; I know that being an Aussie, whether I am living at home or somewhere else, is the only person I would want to be.

Here’s why…

Aussies Get Visas

Aussies, unlike many other nationalities have access to some awesome Visas! If we want to hit up the UK-there’s a 2 year Youth Mobility Visa for people aged 18-31 to have a working holiday over there, (which I am currently on at the moment).

Canada also has a 2 year working holiday Visa that Aussies can participate in if you are 18-31, so we are not just restricted to the UK.

Aside from both of these, there are MANY other specialty Visas on offer for us across the globe depending on your situation and employer sponsorship opportunities.

In the US, although it is harder to stay as long, Aussies still have the chance to enter the Green Card Ballot, as well as applying for J-1 seasonal work Visa’s for spending the Summer at say, an American Summer Camp. If you are even luckier, there is a Visa just for Aussies called an E-3 Visa which you can apply for (if you meet the conditions) as long as you find a U.S. employer willing to pay for it. It is a rolling 2 year work Visa, which is even better as it never has to end.

After speaking to people from other countries, they find it really hard to gain such Visas. Or even Visas to work in Australia. Depending on where you’re from seems to matter to many countries which is understandable; but being an Aussie seems to work out quite well for us expats wanting to live abroad in various places without having to cut through very much paperwork and red tape. It’s safe to say, I am so glad we are still part of the Commonwealth and a US ally!

Aussies Travel

Just having money in the last few years was an amazing time for Australians. Our dollar was at record highs and we pretty much saw everyone traveling overseas to places like Hawaii rather than Queensland because it was CHEAPER! Now that the dollar is slowing down, it is not so prevalent but more and more Aussies are working in good jobs and have money to travel with – so we GO places!

Australians also get a decent amount of annual leave per year, whereas many of the countries I have looked at working in receive 10-20 days off for the entire year! So, if you work full time in Australia, your entitlements are quite good in terms of having more personal freedoms than other nations.

I have American friends across the US, and while I feel they are so lucky to live in a beautiful country I truly love, I see the negatives they face. Not only do they earn less than Australians in many cases, and have astronomical university debt; but they don’t get to travel as often either.

Last week, I counted the number of states in the US I have visited (some more than 3 times) and it officially stands at 34, with a trip next year adding to it as I make my way home from the UK. The fact that most Americans don’t get to enjoy the freedom to travel like I do – is sad. I have seen more of their country than they even have and they live there! This is one of the main reasons I am so thankful I am an Australian who has worked in decent paid jobs, that allowed me to save money to travel as much as this. (Even if we pay more for tours than other countries – $500 more most of the time!)

The fact I have been able to see the world so much means a) I am a very good saver, but b) that I have the means and freedoms to do it. Which is pretty great!

Aussies Can Handle The Weather

So after living most of my life in Australia, I have grown accustomed to our weather. Our BOILING hot heatwaves, CHILLY Winters (though not -30 degrees like Canadians suffer, thank god!), and everything in between. It can be unbearable at times.

BUT, after traveling in many places, and experiencing real winters in places that actually receive snow, I am thankful for the Winters we get in Melbourne!

After living in London for almost a year too, and being in the middle of ‘Summer’, I have to say I am a little disappointed. We had a few weeks of lovely weather, and then it got very humid and hot for about a fortnight – the houses here lock in so much heat, I slept without blankets for that long! (I now understand why Brits flock to fountains on 27+ degree days!) But for August, it has been rainy most days and just depressing. Not much of a Summer really.

At least with Australia I can count on it to give me most of a season; and even though Melbourne is known to have 4 seasons in a day, I will take that over how dreary it can feel over here. Fog is actually very depressing – who knew?

Aussies Have An Awareness of the world

One thing us Aussies know that other countries don’t is this: we get a wide variety of news! We know what is happening all over the world on any given day. This alone gives us a great blueprint of the layout of the world and where things are; and we know about events that exist OUTSIDE of our borders as well as INSIDE of them.

Now, given we are not a country that offers a lot of newsworthy stories; but I am still surprised about how little events in Australia are reported on, especially when MAJOR news stories occur. Early this year practically all of my home state of Victoria appeared to be on FIRE with bush fires everywhere, and it wasn’t until more than a week passed that news stations even focused on it. It is little wonder people from other countries have no idea about things in Australia.

We all know about 9/11. But many people have no idea that Australians were targeted 1 year later in Bali, when nightclubs were bombed by terrorists, killing hundreds of people! How this went so under the radar in times of terrorism still baffles me. Many people I speak to in other countries have no idea about major news stories like this, and it is quite sad.

I am so glad that I hear about so many news stories from across the world because I always know where to look for the information. We should be aware of where places are and what has happened there otherwise we are just ignorant to it all. Yes, we will still get one-sided accounts of incidents in reporting, but at least we hear about it and can investigate it for ourselves too.

I feel that Australians have a broader knowledge of the world, and I am so thankful to have that.

Aussies Know Their Entertainment

Growing up, I was exposed predominately to British, American and Australian movies and tv shows. As I got older, it expanded into other nations as well. The best part about this though, is we watch a wide variety of stuff, though it is mainly American because let’s face it they are the best.

But on a side note to this, us Aussies know our stars long before anyone else does. Hugh Jackman, Heath Ledger, Chris Hemsworth, Nicole Kidman…all were on our screens years before they made their mark elsewhere. They worked on Aussie soaps or mini series for years before cracking the big time. I love seeing a new talent rise in America, because they are usually well known to us and it is funny to see where they were ‘before’ they were stars and where they ended up, whether it is on a hit show or blockbuster film.

This applies to music too, with exposure to classic Aussies like Powderfinger, Jimmy Barnes, Crowded House, Vance Joy, Gotye and even John Farnham. Although ‘Down Under‘ and anything ACDC (or Acca Dacca as we like to call them), seems to be the main Aussie music foreigners know of; listening to this music and being aware of music from other nations ensures we have a wide variety of music to enjoy. If you don’t listen to Aussie music…you’re bloody missing out!

The Aussie way

Aussies are fun. We are laid back. Ready for a laugh. Good Value.

Aussies travel a LOT. We disperse everywhere it seems, because anywhere I go…there is more than just me around. It is an epidemic!

I love the traditions of other countries and the type of people I meet outside of Australians. But I have to say, I wouldn’t want to have been raised any other way; as being a complete stress head, workaholic, stick up your ass type is not what I would ever want to be. But it exists.

I care, I work hard, I have fun; and I enjoy it so much more having been raised as an ‘Aussie’ because we are just so easy-going. If shit happens we may stress for a minute and then be like, ‘it’s all good’. It is a great way to be!

There is a reason Aussies, especially Melbourneians are constantly being rated as the ‘friendliest’; or come out on top as the most ‘livable’ city in the world surveys over consecutive years.

Hell, we must be doing something right!?

Enjoyed this article? Please click LIKE or leave a comment and follow me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to keep up to date with all my posts!  

Thanks for reading ?