Why did you choose this program?
I signed up for the Working-Holiday Program with Global Work & Travel and am super delighted by their service. The reason I chose Global Work & Travel was because of the amazing value that came with the package. They helped me with my work arrangements, bank account set-up, Australian phone number set-up, tax file set-up, initial accommodation, and included great excursions. Yes I could technically have done all of these things myself, but the amount of time, energy, and money I saved was worth it for me, and I would recommend it to others as well.
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Bella was my Trip Coordinator and she has been fantastic throughout. She helped me with my trip preparation, work arrangements, tax set-up, arrival and pick-up, phone SIM set-up, trip arrangements, etc. She's also been available for any questions that I have had and has been super informative! Truly appreciate her help.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
I would say that it helps to know what you are looking for in your trip so that you can direct your journey, while being flexible about how it may play out. I did research ahead of time on the places I wanted to visit and the experiences I wanted to have. For example:
1. I followed pages on social media that share places of interest in the city I was going to (Brisbane).
2. I went on Google Maps, zoomed in on places that looked interesting, and started saving them on my map so that I can check them out.
3. I did research on communities and activities I could take part in on a regular basis so that I could start making friends and have something to look forward to every week.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
Once I arrived in Australia, I had about 4 days in the Gold Coast which was filled with exploration and a few excursions set up by GW&T. After that I spent about a month exploring Brisbane and the surrounding areas. Then it was time to get start work! Once I started working, the day-to-day experience of living in Brisbane was in a sense similar to my usual work life in Canada. The difference was that there were new places to explore and people to meet, enmeshed with a more friendly and laid-back lifestyle that I really enjoyed! Since I had done some research beforehand, I also would go to weekly activities like open gym at a local gymnastics club.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear was whether everything would work out well in the end. Will I have enough money? Will I be able to travel around? Am I making the right decision with the working-holiday visa? The way that I overcame these thoughts was by praying for guidance, tuning into my inner compass, and talking to trusted loved ones. Once I was actually in Australia and started to get into the swing of things, I came to realize that it all worked out better than I could have planned.