The past six months have been pretty stressful and anxiety-ridden for me. I was lucky enough to be offered a position in AWS in Sydney last February – and unlucky in that the visa category I applied for was abolished right after my application was lodged. Coincidentally, applicants rushed to get in under the announced deadline, and it would take much longer to process the increased number of applications. Originally, I was supposed to start last May, which then got pushed to this September – and had I not been notified that my visa has been granted last Tuesday, it might have been pushed even further (or worse). So, barring any other weirdness and unlucky events, I’ll finally be starting my new job this September. Exciting times.
I’m now actually, really, seriously, packing up my entire life and moving to a new country, a new city, and a new job. I mean, yes, technically, I’m on a temporary work visa, but my plans include eventually completely moving to Australia and applying for permanent residency, where I think I can probably grow more as a software engineer. I have other plans too that entail moving, so I’m both excited and half-crazed by the thought of uprooting myself.
(Of course, first things first: getting there, and proving myself capable to my new employer)
It’s the first time for me, working in a large corporation. Most of my career has been spent in smaller companies and in startups, and it’s always been working on the consulting side of software. So, to say that I’ll be drinking from the firehose of experience would be understating things.
Speaking of things: I’m still in the process of figuring out what I can get rid of, and what I will be bringing to me in my move. Everything was more abstract last May; now it’s more and more concrete.
And now I’m looking at apartments for rent in Sydney. (Holy shit, rent is expensive in Sydney)
So, my task list for this month, more or less, is (in no particular order):
- Build a short list of suitable apartments for rent in the area, preferrably not too expensive. I haven’t yet completely decided on whether I’m ok shelling out more for a furnished apartment (plus side: no worries about furniture; minus side: very very expensive), or going with my friends’ suggestions of buying furniture at Ikea
- Figure out exactly what I’m packing and shipping, and what I absolutely need, and what I can go without. That means being ruthless about culling my possessions – not something I’m wont to do, as I do hold a bit of sentimentality about a lot of what I own.
- Secure everything necessary so I don’t get hassled by immigration on my flight out of the Philippines – documents, etcetera.
- Make sure I don’t have any lose ends here in the Philippines – thankfully, I have help from my partner in that case.
- Meet up with friends one last time before I leave (important!)
Oh man. Now that I’m thinking of all the things I need to actually do, it’s like a month isn’t enough time to get everything done.
Previously: Nuance