A few Americans who relocated to Australia have shared their experiences; some positive, some negative…
Are you an American thinking about migrating to the land Down Under, where drop bears and Hemsworth brothers are rampant? Well, there are a few Yanks who have uprooted their lives and moved to Australia.
And thanks to Quora, former US residents are sharing their experiences of what it’s truly like to take the plunge and move from The States to ‘Straya. As it turns out, there are many positive qualities that Australia possesses.
One user, Ryan Dion, listed multiple things he liked about living in Australia and one of the biggest draws for him is how “laid back” and “friendly” Australians are.
“Laid back attitude and friendly. These are the biggest magnets for me if I were to consider moving back to Australia. Seriously, everyone is just so friendly and annoyingly happy as if they live in a perpetual jaunty mood. I am generalising of course, but living outside Australia now allows me to see a lot more people have a stick up their arse attitude [on a] daily basis, they complain a lot and just not as care-free overall.”
Ryan Dion
David Sodeyama, another Quora user, said that moving to Australia was “the best decision” he ever made. Namely because of the following “pros” that David shared:
“Much more laid back work-life balance, less stressed people, way [more] affordable healthcare, fresh food ingredients, nicer environment (again, less stressed people which equals less crime becoming normalized).”
David Sodeyama
It’s not all sunshine and daisies though. Some Americans had trouble adjusting to the cultural differences. One Quora user named Chris had multiple negative experiences when he moved to Australia.
“Americans love to talk and are usually very good conversationalists. Australians looked at me like I was a deranged idiot and gave me a grunt, if anything.
You go for a coffee, expecting a simple cup for $1, but are told that’s not available in Australia so you have to order something fancy with lots of milk for $6. Then you hop on your bike to go for a ride – I loved doing that in the States. Very soon the police stop you and give you a fine for not wearing a helmet.”
Chris, Quora user
A lot of Americans also seemed to have issues with Australia not having fast and loose gun control laws.
For example, user Mickie S wrote, “If you are an American who doesn’t feel comfortable or safe without guns in the house, especially hand guns, Australia is not a good choice. Self-defence is not a valid reason for getting a gun licence in Australia.” Similarly, another Quora user wrote that living in Australia was, “Very rough for the first few months. Not owning a gun takes some getting used to.”
Clearly, Australia won’t suit every American and not every American will suit Australia… We think user Bill Boyd said it best, “It could be recommended to other Americans to migrate here but for one simple fact: Too many of us here would ruin this paradise.”
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