FAQ's

So just wanted to let everyone know a bit more about my upcoming adventure. I leave March 26th, arriving in Sydney (after layovers in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Fiji) on Saturday March 28th. My cousin Tom who lives a couple hours south of Sydney in a town called Huskisson, NSW is going to pick me up and I am going to stay with him for a bit to get over jet lag and figure out what the heck I am going to do.

Here are answers to a few FAQ's.

Q: Do you have a job?
A: No. I do have a one year work and holiday visa that I could get without having a job lined up first. I will pick up a job(s) when I get there. Right now I am thinking of just finding part-time/temporary jobs, enough to live off of. I'm not looking to make a ton of money to save up. But I do have links to a couple websites where I might be able to find temporary/contract jobs working labs, so I will definitely look into that.

Q: What made you want to live overseas?
A: I've always wanted to spend a year living abroad. When I started working at ATCC in June 2005, I said I wanted to work there 2 or 3 years, then move out of the area. Well I reached my 3 year mark in June and decided that if I was ever going to take the leap and do something crazy now was the time. I don't want to look back at my life and say I wish I would have... or I regret not trying... So I quit, went to Eastern Europe for a month to visit my friend Eileen in the Peace Corps in Ukraine (as well as visiting Turkey, Poland, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary), and now I am back here starting this new adventure.


Q: Why Australia?
A: Australia, New Zealand and the UK were to my knowledge the easiest to be able to get a temporary work visa for. Most countries you have to have a company sponsor you, so you have to find and get hired for a job ahead of time. The UK is really expensive and I figured Australia would have more opportunities than New Zealand, plus I've always wanted to go to Australia,

Q: Where are you going to live?
A: At first with my cousin Tom, then I will find a place when I get there. I do have plans on spending time in several different cities though, so I can see more of the country.

Q: What kind of visa do you have?
A: Here is more info about my visa:

Work and Holiday Visa Subclass 462: The work and holiday visa is for tertiary educated people aged 18-30 who want to travel and work for up to 12 months in Australia. This visa allow you to supplement the cost of your holiday through periods of temporary or casual employment.

If you are granted a work and holiday visa, you can:
~ enter Australia at any time within 3 months of the grant date
~ stay for up to 12 months in Australia
~ leave and re-enter Australia any number of times in the 12 months from the date of first entry
~ undertake temporary employment in Australia
~ study for up to 4 months