My name is Suzer, an expat originally from the US. Initially, I moved to England for post-graduate study. While I was there, I went on a backpacker tour of Ireland for Christmas, and met a bloke from Australia, who ended up becoming my husband. We spent a year in New Zealand before settling in Adelaide, South Australia. That was about 3 years ago.
The biggest challenges for me were that my husband was from Adelaide, and already had his social circle / support network / family and interests here, and I had to start from scratch.
How did you find somewhere to live?
That was the easy part, as my other half already owned a house here!Are there many other expats in your area?
There are heaps, as we say here in South Australia, although it did take some work to find them. I created a group on Facebook for Expats in Adelaide, and over the years, we’ve grown to over 400 members. We have monthly meet ups, and I’ve made many friends. Social networking has been an absolute life saver.
What is your relationship like with the locals?
South Australians are a very friendly bunch. I still get asked if I’m on holiday and where I am from quite often when I’m at the shops, but now that I feel more like I fit in, I get treated as such.
What do you like about life where you are?
I’m a 10 minute drive from the Adelaide Hills, and a 1/2 an hour from the beach, the weather is never too extreme, and the amount of work life balance I get, compared to the US, is amazing. It doesn’t hurt to have 200 cellar doors within an hours drive of the city either. South Australian wine is second to none.
What do you dislike about your expat life?
I miss being able to travel internationally cheaply and quickly. Australia is pretty far from the rest of the world. I also hate the time difference. It makes it very hard to get on the phone to friends and family back home.
What advice would you give to anyone following in your footsteps?
Be patient, and make an effort.
What are your plans for the future?
I hope to travel more, write more, and visit all of those 200 cellar doors!
Read more about Suzer and life in Australia at suzerblog.blogspot.com. You can also follow Suzer on Twitter at twitter.com/Suzer_Adelaide