The Manchester experience
The 1st day experience in Manchester was an eye-opener for me.
Everything started from the moment I stepped into the airplane (British Airways) where I was sobbing silently in my seat staring blank as back then, there weren't any individual TV screens in their economy seats. Imagine 18 hrs without any entertainment. Small little space.
And then my hand-carry bag got confiscated and checked-in causing some fragile stuffs that I had in it to break into pieces. Followed by a bad case with the cab driver bringing me in circles. And then trying to carry 35 KG luggage + 12 KG handcarry into a small hallway space all by myself as it was midnight when I reached my student apartment. Man, those were horrible memories that I'll never forget as I just broke down into tears when I saw my small squashy room!
The Aussie experience
Not anywhere close to my Manchester experience as I had my wonderful hubby to pick me up, carry my luggage, fetch me home back to our apartment. I was not too bad the 1st 3 days when we started to look around for stuffs to build our love nest, but after that, it suddenly struck me that I've moved to Sydney for good. I'm not here for holidays. I'm not here for a short term assignment. I've moved here for good to start a life with my hubbii!
Hubbii tired from all the furniture-carrying
With those thoughts in my head, I was constantly comparing life here and life back in my home cty and it was NOT a nice feeling to have. My mind kept reminding me that I wont be seeing my parents as often, I won't get to hug my dogs, I won't get to hang out with my bestie, I won't get to do stuffs independently and due to that, I got depressed.
Us after a long day of carrying and assembling our furnitures!
Depression lead to constant argument with hubbii as I was just being sensitive about almost everything. It's not a lie that I loved how my life was before I came here. When hubbii wasn't 'giving in to me' in any scenarios, I'll start to wonder whether it's worth it that I left my comfortable life back home to come here, 8 hrs flight from home, to be with him. My financials were divided into 3 (exchange rate) and it sux knowing that I don't have as much money as what I normally had.
I never had problems with jealousy. I'm the type that's fine with my other half looking at chicks (as I would probably be looking as well - you know, it's a gal thing!), hanging out with chicks or even having chicks as a good friend. The only thing I would ask of him is that he tells me about it. To me, being open and frank is the key to trust. So I've never had any doubts with hubbii.
But somehow my mind started to wander away when I found out that hubbii has been constantly emailing this chick that he hung out with (along with his other friends) when I wasn't here.
3.5yrs of long distance relationship and not a single doubt but BOOM! 1 week of being here physically with him and I started to doubt him.
I did not doubt nor felt anything when he told me about it during our long distance daily calls & smses but somehow my mind just wandered away with all the depression I had then.
I wanted to leave so badly.
I was sobbing away during day time when hubbii was at work while I was stuck at home alone. Kept thinking to myself - why why why?
Thankfully, we managed to talk it out and now, things couldn't be better between us!
Our love nest
I learnt that I have 2 options -
1) I can either sulk and complain about everything here while not making any efforts in meeting people where I'll just be in my small little world with hubbii, OR
2) I can embrace the challenge, learn the aussie culture to fit in and make the best out of what I can do here.
I chose option #2 and I'm glad and thankful that God gave me this opportunity. No doubt I'll continue to miss my parents & bestie but at least I get to sms, email or talk to them whenever and where-ever I want to!
