I was expecting to experience more culture shock in Australia but it is really similar to the U.S. in a lot of ways. So many people told me that Australia would be expensive but it’s no more expensive than the U.S.. Eating out is around the same price if not cheaper than it is in the U.S., in part because workers are paid a higher minimum wage here so tipping does not exist. I’ve been pretty impressed by the pricing of my meals when eating out. The only thing I’ve found to be more expensive here is alcohol (and the drinks are watered down here). There are definitely some differences but for the most part I prefer it.
Work/life balance is probably the biggest difference between the U.S. and Newcastle. The majority of the young people I’ve met seem to spend a pretty decent amount of time doing leisure activities like hanging out with friends and going to the beach when they’re out of work. A lot of Aussie’s also travel and take off work more frequently than people do in the states. Newcastle is located right on the coast so people are always swimming and walking along the beach (it only takes about 15 minutes to get to the beach form our apartment) and the beaches are absolutely stunning here. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life but I’ve never lived so close to the beach so it’s really nice being able to go for a walk on the beach or just sit there when I’m in a bit of a funk. The way of life here is definitely not as fast paced as a lot of cities in the U.S. and its very refreshing. By no means is it perfect, but leisure is definitely more a priority here than it is at home.