Being an au pair in a city like Den Haag where the expat population rivals the native population you are always bound to meet somebody from around the world. In fact, I have met more expats than locals, which has done nothing to improve my Dutch or my quest to become a faux Euro. Not that this is a bad thing though, it now seems I have a couch to crash on all over the world. And seriously I do not want to be European. Though coming from Australia, the question always arises as to why I left. Why on earth would I leave beautiful, sunny, laidback Australia for cold, windy Holland?
Australia. Just the name strikes up visions of beautiful crystal clear beaches, lush rain forests and magical countryside. Our giant island is known as paradise to folk from the European lands. It is a dream of many to visit and perhaps one day live in Australia because it appears we 'have it all' - and, indeed we do. Nothing prides me more to say I’m from the great Australia. I love being able to tell the world I’m an Aussie girl. I grew up eating Vegemite, chasing around cows on my horse, being taught to surf by my Dad and driving on the left side of the road. So when a little old Aussie gal like myself moves herself abroad to the windiest country in Europe, eyebrows are raised. Its like I have taken a personal vengeance against my wonderful country by uprooting myself and my Euro friends (and strangers) want to know why.
I still haven't concocted a proper answer to the question - I seem to dabble between "I wanted to see something new", "I wanted to do something different with my life" and "because I got bored of Australia" Of all my answers, that last one sure gets a funny response from people. Something between a look of horror, disbelief or shock usually crosses their face and then a big fat "How?" It took me awhile at first to work out why people couldn't understand how I could get bored of Australia, yet how they could grow tired of their continent. But to these Euros, their cluster of countries is nothing more exciting than our states and territories. A weekend trip to Paris might seem like a huge deal to us from the land Down Under, but to the Europeans it’s just like having a sneaky weekend away in the city. Its incredible how used to something we become, and how 'the norm' for us can be exponentially different to someone from another country. I have tried using this example to explain my initial answer but sometimes they just can't comprehend how I can get bored of our big, wide, open land.
It’s not that I’m bored of Australia as a whole. Like I mentioned before, I’ll be the first to claim my green and gold blood. But when you spend your life in the same country there is a part of you yearning to see beyond our shorelines. I still miss hearing a friendly ‘G’day’ as you pass someone in the street. I still miss the view from the hill that overlooks my parents property. And, most of all I still miss being able to drop Aussie slang into conversation and be understood. But in all this missing, I have gained a fountain full of fresh ‘norms’ to quench my thirst for something new. I can now use a round-about from the right side of the road, I can now layer my clothes appropriately so I won’t freeze once I step out the door and I can now almost have a conversation in Dutch with the check-out chick (sorry, I mean cashier) at the supermarket. And while these things might seem quite mundane, its these sort of small achievements that come together as a whole and create this new, different experience that I initially set out for.
So, I guess boredom isn’t the right way to explain why I left Australia - more of a desire to experience something new. But it sure is fun to mess with people and tell them how boring Australia is, I guess that’s the larrikin humour that is geographically born and bred in me. And, I wouldn’t change it for a thing.
From the girl who tends to put on the most bogan Aussie accent she can muster when meeting new people.
J.x
