After applying via a vacancy on ‘Worldwidejobsearch.com’, one phone call and a couple of emails with ‘Get Abroad’ I could immediately plan a start date with the Australian company with which ‘Get Abroad’ cooperates. Between an impulsive idea and getting on an airplane it took me only 5 weeks, which is quite fast and I want to say that the support was great! After three days of travel I landed in Brisbane on March 24. After a short rest the training week began. This was intensive, but also very fun and educational. In April I started at my 1st job in Australia: a horse breeding farm in NSW. This experience was a bit disappointing at first and I resigned after the 3rd week. Where it went wrong? I think partly due to culture shock and bad luck with an employer that didn’t suit me. ‘It’s not all rainbows and sunshine.’ Fortunately, after consultation, I was quickly rehired and went to work as a Nanny for several weeks. There I earned enough money which allowed me to travel. After a trip through Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, I went back to NSW to work on another horse farm. Here I did my infamous 88 days in full and really had a fantastic time there. This employer suited me a lot better and I was allowed to ride horses outside of work hours. A great experience! It’s funny to note that I got this job with a recommendation from my first employer. After three months of hard work, I left on my own for a job out west that I had found through the grapevine, but unfortunately did not like. I didn’t know how fast I had to run back to the east coast. Fortunately, I got lucky again and got a job through Joanna at a Cattle station in the Queensland Outback. Finally my dream job after 8 months in the country! The job ended after a while and I went traveling again: this time by bus from Darwin to Adelaide, right through the outback of Australia. The best trip I made. And then that was it, my year in Australia was already over. It has really flown by! On a practical note: to start in Australia, I had saved €4000 euros. From this I paid for my ticket, visa and the ´Get Abroad´ program. During my jobs in the outback, I then saved over €8,000 despite traveling in between jobs! From this I was able to travel for 7 months through New Zealand, Fiji, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, North America and Mexico. An absolute dream to be able to take this trip solo as a 21 year old. After this trip I went back to Australia on a 2nd visa, again through T´Get Abroad. By now I had built up many contacts of my own and spent almost seven months working at six different stations throughout northwest Australia partly through my own contacts and partly through Joanna. Also my dream of driving cattle on horseback finally came true after 2 years. They really don’t just put you on a horse here.
Seen so many girls who want a job as a rider and nothing else. Not wanting to invest in the Farm training that I followed through ´Get Abroad´ but came to Australia on spec. Meanwhile, these same girls sit unemployed in Sydney for 3+ months… well, whatever you want! March 2024, I needed something new and was fed up with the dust and the heat. So I started looking for work in Europe and found a job in Norway above the Arctic Circle where I could start immediately. So last minute ticket to the North Pole! In November I will resume my studies after 2.5 years of traveling around the world. My experience abroad is very useful for my career. While traveling, I gained many skills such as flexibility, intercultural communication, staying calm under pressure, etc. These are no longer magic magic words on my resume, these are now my strengths.
Financially, I left with 4,000 euros. During my work trip, I saved €8000 and come back with almost €7000 in November. “Only” €1000 for a 2.5 year world trip doesn’t seem so crazy to me… So it can be done!
So often I hear “I don’t have money to travel.” You don’t need much! Enough for a plane ticket and a visa, but otherwise there is work to be found anywhere in the world if you prepare it well.
So nice, and the great thing is, you can do this too!
