Sunset in Western Australia

Work and Holiday in Australia

In 2010 I worked part-time as a receptionist while I finished my MA at the University of Munich. I considered a PhD or Doktorat as it is called in German. Back then I thought I'd make the perfect academic because I loved to learn, do research and write papers about it. But I wasn't sure so I decided to take six months off first.

I mentioned my plans to one of the financial analysts working at the company and he told me that it had always been his dream to go to Australia. I'd never even considered it as an option but then thought why not. A visa was easy to get. Fill in a form online, wait for less than 24 hours, book the flight.

Well, six months turned into two years and I learned a lot.

Grotto on Kangaroo Island

I practiced:

  • resilience
  • intercultural communication
  • English
  • driving
  • to freeze when I saw a snake
Sunset in outback in Western Australia

I learned:

  • about cultural difference and a lot about myself
  • I can't bear heat, especially dry heat
  • I need cloudy skies to be happy
  • I get sea-sick
  • Taiwanese people and Germans have more in common than Germans and most of their fellow Europeans
  • grilled pumpkin is delicious
  • governments lie to their people
  • lies are culturally specific. For example, English people do not consider polite untruths lies. For a German someone only tells a lie if they know what they're saying isn't true, while for Kiwis you're a liar even if you have no clue.
  • Australia is full of potentially lethal animals