I don't know what to do

LegacyUser

I would like to get some advice about something. I should have wrote this weeks ago but never got a chance.

I'm 27 and I have always wanted to travel, but between one thing or another I never did. I finished school late due staying back in primary school, and then repeating the leaving cert. I went to college, dropped out a few months before finishing. I got work, work that I hated. Studied another course. Learned that the qualification isn't recognised. Got more work. Work that I love. Need to study more, probably part time to further my chances at remaining in employment.

I have had personal plans like learning to drive, studying part time, joining a gym and losing weight. Three failed driving tests and I feel like giving everything up for a year to go abroad and then returning and picking up where I left off. I'm so annoyed because I put so much work into learning how to drive, and I have a fantastic instructor but I have still failed three tests. And I need a car just to do anything here because public transport is poor. To say the least things have not worked out the way I had expected or wanted.

I get extremely stressed. I get tired easily. Suffer from tension headaches a lot. Suffer from nausea lot too.

Lately I have been thinking about taking a break and getting away out abroad. I would love to go to Australia. I would like to go to experience a new country, see new things, meet new people, and Australia looks amazing. Was watching the news the other night and the firework display they had for new years was something else. Ireland doesn't do anythign like that. All we have are pubs and drink which I'm not into.

The way I see it is that I would have 30 to 35 years when I come back after spending a year abroad to do pick up where I left off - learning to drive, study, work, find a partner, settle down, have a baby or two.

However I am in two minds wheather or not to go. I love my job and my employer relies on me so much. It is a great job and I'm never going to have work like this again. The thought of handing in my notice and letting people down kills me. Would like to get advice. Would love to hear from people who have been in a similar situation. Would love to hear from people who went to Australia, or abroad to work with little or no qualifications. How was it. I would do anything just to get away from everything and all the stress I have to deal with on a week to week basis.

Zombienosh

going abroad for a year or two is one of the best things you could ever do. I did it with little to no qualifications and learned/seen/grew so much.

You only get one life, go for it.

YellowSheep

Go..go..go..go..go. It will be the best thin you have ever done. And what you learn in this period, you will fin in no text book. Good Luck Oliver

epgc3fyqirnbsx

If you don't go you'll always regret it. No point living with regret, give it a go and if you really don't like it you can always come home, its not the end of the world and there's no harm done.

I was 26 before I left for Oz and most did it younger than me but there was still plenty of people my age and older.

I was always quite nervous about the idea as I like my home comforts but once I was gone it was never an issue and everyone else said the same. If you're afraid of being parties out surrounded by too much 'madness', its not all go go go. I assume you'll be working so there's still plenty of quiet nights in cos no one is superman

G-Money

I spent a year in Australia from mid 2002 until mid 2003 and I was 25/26 when I went. I have to say it's one of the best things I've ever done. I was working in a permanent IT job at the time with a well known company and the job was probably fairly secure. I reckon I could easily have still been permanent had I not left.

But I was doing a load of overtime and got burnt out and completely fed up. Some people I knew were going and I knew this was my time to go as I reckon I wouldn't have went on my own. So I applied for my visa and that was it. I handed in my notice in my job, packed up and hopped onto the plane.

I spent most of my time in Sydney. I work in IT so I was going over there hoping to get some sort of IT/office job and possibly looking to get visa sponsorship when I was there which would have let me stay longer. Anyway my first job was a filling job. Basically I'd be in a v small room doing filling for about 2 weeks, that was it.

That job finished and I went to New Zealand for about 2 1/2 weeks and came back and had managed to line up a job interview for the day after I got back. I got that job with was a 3 month contract working in IT. I ended up hating working in that place and when my 3 months were up, I left and went to Melbourne for the Formula 1 grand prix (I'd booked the trip ages in advance).

I came back to Sydney, spent a few weeks looking for work and got another job working with mobile phones, testing a mobile phone network. To this day I'm convinced it was the perfect backpacker job. We'd get sent to a different part of Sydney each day, to these tests, come back, enter the information and go home. They gave us all the overtime we wanted (weekends, bank holidays) which was good.

That job finished up and I spent a few more weeks looking for work, then went travelling around Australia for about 4 weeks on my own. I was completely bricking it the night before I did that, but it was good. Met some really cool people.

I came back to Sydney for a few days then flew home.

By the time my year was up, I was sort of looking forward to getting home. Having said that, I did consider going back and trying to get a visa but I sort of lost interest.

The economy is different now and I don't know what you work at so I can't say how easy you would find it to get a job over there. If you do decide to go, make sure you've a ton of money saved. I burned through all my savings, the money I earned over there and maxed out my credit card pretty much. I'm sure I could have cut back a little on different things, but I really enjoyed it.

I'll admit I'd loved to still have had my job waiting for me when I got back but to get something you often have to sacrifice something else. Having said that, I don't regret going. It was the perfect time for me to go as well. Had I not went then, I would have had to wait a few years until the next time I knew of someone going.

Anyway I don't know if that's any help to you. I certainly don't regret going. I have to admit I might be slightly less reluctant to go now as I'm a bit older (32) and with the economy as it is now.

It really depends on your current situation, how much money you have, what your current job situations are like etc.

Whatever you choose, hope it works out for the best.

tenchi-fan

I was in Australia when I was 25 and I actually felt I was too old! Most of the people I met in hostels were in their early 20s.

I'm not sure what I was looking for in going to Oz but I didn't find it. I probably would have made a better go of it had I just applied for jobs straight away and got into a bit of a routine BUT I didn't want that - I had a job here before I left... i wanted it to change my life some how. I probably should have bought a sim card and told no one back home the number. As for sightseeing - you're best off blowing your budget on 4 big trips you'll never forget than buying a greyhound bus ticket and stopping in every town on the route and meeting mind-numbingly boring "backpackers" telling you the direction they're going, where they've been, and how many mosquito bites they got (and nicking your food, sleeping back, mp3 player, etc). With maybe 4 exceptions I didn't meet anyone even half-interesting. I went down the east coast and although it started off well it got very repetitive. Beer is cheap but when you go out the whole time with eejits your savings just vanish.

What I liked about oz was how much weight I lost. I felt great! That's why I thought I would be set returning home - re-energised or something, with all these plans. I'd planned on doing a course in college I found more interesting than my original undergraduate course. In the end I just couldn't afford to and just got a job. I had to live at home with my parents for a few months when I came home & my dad just made it so miserable I ended up suffering from really bad depression.

I'm not trying to put you off anything by the way. some people think it's the best experience ever. But I'm not the only person who was let down by Australia and a lot of people I spoke to said they found living in Canada to be a much better experience. Most people I know who went returned to the same or similar jobs they were in before they left.

Just have realistic expectations and know that you can't run away from your problems I guess. Now that I've returned home I got a decent job and bought a house. who's to say where I'd be if I never went to Australia or if I'd stayed over there. All I mean is there wasn't a fairytale ending and I'm well and truly back to reality.

I'll leave you on this note: one of my friends went to Australia, met a girl, they got married and have a baby on the way! He's living over there now and loves it.

LegacyUser

op here,

thanks for the replies

i have been thinking about this for weeks. Just when I decided that im going to do it i was given advice that i should ideally know someone over there because, a lot of the time getting work is through word of mouth. That, or I should have work lined up for when I go over there. Ive been told because they don't want me to give up my job in case it does not work over there because if it doesn't work out I'd be home whenever the money runs out, to no job.

I want to go to sdyney in december. Spend christmas and new year in sdyney. Then jan move on, maybe melbourne, to look for work. how realistic is that plan.

Eve_Dublin

OP...go. Travelled for a year on my own when I was 27/28 but one word of warning and sorry to be all boring and practical here....

make sure you have some sort of plan for when you return because I came home to a different economy and the lack of job and living with my parents temporarly coupled with the fact that I wasn´t on that travelling high anymore was hard to deal with. Still have absolutely no regrets though...if you have the cash, do it. You´ll have the absolute time of your life, no doubt about it.