In a travel forum post, the person shares the experience of leaving a stable job in a big city to fulfill their dream of traveling to Australia. However, he now struggles with depression, financial difficulties, and uncertainty about the future. The author is seeking advice and support from the community to help them navigate this challenging time.
From Dream to Nightmare: Struggling with Depression and Financial Difficulties While Traveling in Australia
It is not uncommon for individuals to experience depression and anxiety while traveling, especially when facing financial struggles and job insecurity. This seems to be the case for the original poster, who left a comfortable tech job to pursue his dream of living in Australia, only to find himself struggling to find employment and maintain his mental health.
It’s important for the OP to acknowledge that his current struggles are not necessarily his fault and to avoid blaming himself for the current circumstances. The global recession has made it difficult for many people to find stable employment and maintain their financial stability, and understandably, this causes stress and anxiety.
A Potential Solution
One potential solution for the OP could be to seek out mental health resources and support, such as therapy or counseling. It’s also important for him to be open to taking on different types of employment, even if it’s not his ideal job, in order to support himself financially. At the same time, he continues to pursue his goals in Australia.
Ultimately, the OP should be gentle with himself and practice self-compassion during this difficult time. It’s okay to struggle and to make mistakes, and there is always the possibility for things to improve in the future.
Forum Users Respond to the Post
One user said, “Yes, if you never tried it, you would be sitting at your desk at your office thinking “I want to quit and travel” for the rest of your working life. But now, you can go back, find a new job (I’m assuming you have decent experience in your field) and say “yep, been there, done that.”
Another user said, “It really wasn’t that easy finding work in hospitality in Melbourne. I managed to get landscaping work which is really hard work in the heat but kind of fun. My partner couldn’t find anything, really. Even in WA, all the farm work seemed to go through hostels, so you had to pay to stay there for a few weeks, and then you might get work. We went around many farms in person and got told there was no work. It all felt pretty exploitative because of the excess of workers. People were not treated well. It was the right time of year as well. This was all just before covid, though, so maybe the job market has changed by having fewer backpackers.”
Other Responses
Another user said, “Australia is not a super cheap country to travel in – the distances between places of interest are often huge, and outside the big cities, which are expensive to stay in, there’s often not much work. Also, during the pandemic, Australians holidayed at home a lot more, so prices for accommodation and even camping went up massively.”
Another user said, “You didn’t mention how old you are, but it sounds like you are relatively young. So, why don’t you try hard to get back into tech again if that is the case? Just get in the door of these tech companies at a way lower level even, just so that you can show them what you can actually do. Good luck!”
Source: Reddit.
