I think moving from one country to another is one of the biggest steps out of your comfort zone. That is what Jen did about 6 years ago. 

After leaving New Zealand, Jen and her husband travelled for 3 months and ‘’then arrived in Melbourne with some savings, temporary accommodation sorted and no jobs. I’m a very organised person so not having a clear plan is not my usual MO and not having financial security was … a big risk. Yet I believed I was that I was employable and that I would get a job, then I’d have an income and we would be fine.’’ 

Their recon included a long weekend in Melbourne (is it wrong that I am proud my city can have someone willing to move here after a single weekend?) and lots of research.  Jen believed they would be better off in Melbourne: ‘’ Not sure why or how but blind faith gave me the kick in the pants to make like Nike and ‘just do it’!’’ 

I asked Jen how she had felt before, during and after the experience. 

‘’To begin with it was all really exciting, who doesn’t want to quit their job, sell all their stuff and go travelling?’’ Jen shared with me.  

‘’Once we arrived the reality set in. My husband got a job within two weeks, it took me a little longer. That was hard and bit disheartening. But I kept at it. I used my time to meet with recruiters, improve my interview skills, and to start to build my network. At one stage I was told ‘that was the best feedback I’ve ever had for an unsuccessful candidate’! The uncertainty made it feel Iike an eternity, but within a month I had a job, and within two months we leased an apartment.’’  

I get the feeling this next bit is probably a bit hard for a Kiwi to say, so I will leave it in Jen’s words: “It is hard to believe that all of that happened almost six years ago. After saying we would re-evaluate every three months, at some point we didn’t need to any more. The time has flown by and I wouldn’t change the initial feelings of uncertainty for anything. I made a great life choice. The next big life choice I’ve made is to put in an application for Permanent Residency – at some stage I’m going to have to admit that I call Australia home.’’ 

Jen would ‘’Absolutely’’ step out of her comfort zone again. ‘’I have since that move and I would again. I don’t want to live a life with ‘what ifs’ I’d rather try and succeed or learn from the experience than not risk it. I’ve had plenty of opportunities where I could have focused on what could go wrong, or what I’m not sure about, but I choose to focus on the positives. If the worst-case scenario is I’m told no, then it is still worth trying.’’ 

And for people considering taking a step out of their own comfort zone? ‘’ Someone once told me ‘if it’s not threatening your life, it’s not life threatening’. This is my touchstone for many aspects of my life. What your comfort zone is and what steeping outside of it means will be different for everyone. Take some time to see how far you want to step. That could be having a solo coffee in a café or applying for role you don’t think you have all the ‘required skills’ for. It could be finding your voice to speak up or wearing a brightly coloured shirt. I encourage you to take that first step, you never know where it will take you.” 

Thanks, Jen, for sharing your inspiring story with us. 

About Jen: 

Jenny Brownlee is a Kiwi living in the land of OZ. Almost six years later that one choice to move, has led to many more excellent life choices, and some highlights and hiccups along the way. Pragmatic and positive she describes herself as a storyteller. Everyone has a story to tell, but they can’t always find their voice, that’s where she comes in.