✨ Your Integration Bestie ✨

Ever since I relocated to Europe from Sydney, I’ve been asked on multiple occasions —
“Why did you leave Sydney?”
“Were you running away from something?”

Funny enough, I got the same question when I moved from Melbourne to Sydney back in 2020.
And then again, when I moved from Croatia to the Netherlands in 2023.

Long story short — I’ve moved multiple times. Not just cities, but countries, even continents over the past five years.

People sometimes say I was running away from something.
Sure. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I was running away from something.

But not in the way they think.

(All For different reasons. Keep reading ✨)

—

In 2020, after 13 years in Melbourne, I decided to move to Sydney.

At that time, I was running away from boredom.

Yes — boredom. I’ve never been someone who could live in the same place for their entire life. I get bored. I get restless.

13 years in Melbourne, from my teenage years through adulthood, it was the same rhythm every year: same events, same festivals.

Australian Open in January. Moomba Festival in March. F1 also in March.
You get the idea.

I had great friends in Melbourne, a life I was grateful for, but still… something inside me itched for change.

You might be thinking, “Are you serious? You lived in the world’s most livable city for over a decade, surrounded by amazing opportunities — and you got bored? What an ungrateful b**t!”

Or maybe you’re wondering, “Why not just mix things up and try something new?”

I don’t know, okay? 🤫
I was in my teens and 20s, and back then, nothing mattered more to me than new experiences.

I wanted to keep discovering, keep exploring, keep living through different lenses.

Life in Melbourne was fun, vibrant, and full — but I knew there was more life out there waiting to be lived.

So, yes, you could say I was running away from something.

But really, I was running away from good to chase great — or at least, what great meant to me at that time.

So, I moved to Sydney.

—

And I lived it to the fullest.
Beach days, coastal walks, spontaneous road trips — I did all of it.

Life in Sydney was golden. I miss it deeply sometimes.
But even then, in my early 30s, I knew I wasn’t ready to settle down.

There was this quiet, persistent voice inside me whispering,
“You need to live in Europe for a while — not as a tourist like before, but as an adult with your own foundation, stability, and freedom.”

I remembered my exchange days in Ireland and wanted to experience something like that again — but this time with a bit more maturity (and a bit more financial cushion 🤫).

That voice grew louder and louder — especially when life in Sydney was finally coming together.

I was building something meaningful — running my own business, working in media and community engagement for a politician, getting invited into political spaces, meeting big names.

It was, objectively, the worst time to leave.

This time, I was NOT bored in Sydney at all. I was having the time of my life.

So, I was torn…

I remember visiting my mum one day.
The moment she opened the door, I just broke down. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

It felt like two parts of me were fighting — one that wanted to settle, and another that desperately wanted to break free.

That day, I’m so grateful I went to see her.

It wasn’t that I needed her permission, but hearing her say, “If you don’t feel like you’re chasing the right dream at the right time, then it’s still the wrong dream,” hit me deeply.

She told me to go and chase the right dream for myself.

The next day, I quit my community engagement and media advisory job at the MP’s office.

And as soon as I said it out loud, it became real — and I felt an incredible sense of relief.

That’s how I knew I was making the right decision. I felt lighter.

Looking back, I realise I didn’t want to let people down.
And to be honest, my current self would probably enjoy that kind of work — creating impact both at a grassroots and political level.

But the me from three years ago simply wasn’t ready to receive and enjoy it fully.
And I had to honour her.

—

Now, three years later, my life in the Netherlands is taking shape.
I’m starting to feel more rooted here — and I know, deep down, that every move had its purpose.

And who knows? Maybe one day I’ll move back to Australia when it feels right. I’m not a tree, after all 🙂

So, if you’re reading this and you feel torn — between the life you’ve built and the one your heart quietly craves — I want you to know this: ⬇️
 

“ You’re not crazy for wanting more. You’re not ungrateful for outgrowing what once felt right.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is honour that restless voice inside us, even when it means leaving something good behind.
Because that’s how we grow into the next version of ourselves — one that feels even more aligned, grounded, and alive.

If you’re in the middle of your own “Should I stay or should I go?” moment — trust that there’s no wrong answer, only honest ones.

The world will always have opinions about what you should do.
But they don’t live your life — you do.

And maybe, just maybe, you’re not running away either.
You’re running toward something — new experiences, new lessons, a new chapter your future self will thank you for. 💛 ”