Something that kind of confused me about Australian culture is how much more laid back the society is. America is so fast-paced, I always feel in a rush to get things done, but Aussies view life a little bit differently. For example, if it was a nice sunny day out, you would find many businesses closing their shops early and hanging “gone to the beach” signs in their windows. I remember being so annoyed the first time I showed up to a store expecting it to be open during its posted hours only to find that they had closed up early for the day. Coming from a family with a small business, I could not imagine closing hours early without at least a days notice and posting all over social media; we would get so many angry calls and reviews for doing so! But for Aussies, this is normal. Taking time to enjoy life and live in the moment is okay here. Whats not done today can get done tomorrow. Thats not to say deadlines aren’t still deadlines, but they have a much more relaxed perspective on how to use their time. I told a few of my Australian friends that my family’s store is open 7 days a week, and this was so surprising to them, they didn’t understand why we would willingly work a 7 day work week, especially when we were in control of our own hours. It is very common to see many stores and restaurants closed for 2 or 3 days out of the week– sometimes more. I was especially frustrated when I planned a trip down the Great Ocean Road for a Monday-Thursday; all the amazing restaurants recommended by local guides that I was planning to eat at, were apparently only open on the weekend!
While sometimes I found these instances a bit frustrating as a consumer, I definitely learned to appreciate the lifestyle. I found myself taking more time to enjoy small moments, I began to tell myself that sometimes its okay to put the textbooks down and take a walk on the beach and some time to appreciate the landscape instead. I think that this experience has taught me that just because we do things one way here in America, doesn’t necessarily mean its the best way to operate. I think it is important to come into foreign cultures without expectations of similarities, but instead an open mind to identify the differences, be mindful and respectful of said differences, and consider how these aspects could have benefit in our lives back home.