Another new chapter in my life started four months ago. I have relocated to Sydney and started a new job. This relocation was very exhausting. There were a lot of things that I had to take care of and look after during this relocation. It all started with a job offer I got from a renowned company in Sydney. The job seemed good; I was happy with the money, and the role also looked promising. After little thought, I decided to accept the offer and I resigned from my Brisbane job. This triggered a long to-do list. I had to leave my apartment in Brisbane in the same condition as it was when I leased it, with literally no spots on the wall or on the floor. Then I have to arrange for a removalist to move my stuff from Brisbane to Sydney and put it in storage till I find a new place in Sydney. So, completing all the pending work at my current job, searching for cleaners who could make a good exit, cleaning my apartment, finding a reasonable removalist company along with storage, looking for a new apartment in Sydney, booking tickets to Sydney and arranging a hotel stay for some initial days were some of the main tasks that I had to do. When I found the cleaner and removalist, they came with a little added drama. The cleaner had his appointment list full and had his own work timings; the removalists had a different day to pick up stuff from my apartment, which was again different from the end date of my apartment lease; and my last working day at the office was a totally different day. Having to synchronise tasks and manage timing for all these activities consumed a lot of my brain power, and I had to arrange a stay in a hotel in Brisbane additionally. However, all the tasks were done completely and in the way I wanted, and I prepared to say good bye to Brisbane. On the final day, 2 hours before the flight, I booked the flight tickets, and during the flight takeoff, I booked a hotel in Sydney. When I arrived in Sydney, I submitted an application for an apartment, which was approved, and after a week, I shifted there. The new job seemed to be fine. My new apartment was not as stylish as my previous one was, but it was still the best option I had at that moment. It took me some weeks to settle down in the new suburb. I already had some acquaintances in that suburb. Therefore, it was a relief to me that at least my social life here in Sydney would be better than in Brisbane. My new apartment was bigger than the previous one, so I had to buy a lot of new furniture for it. After settling down, the next big thing was to get a driving license. Unfortunately, a Pakistani licence cannot be converted into an Australian licence directly. One has to pass a written and practical driving test first. Driving in Sydney is very different from Lahore. There are a lot of rules and signs to follow. The law is strict and people do follow it. A practical driving test is a nightmare. They won’t let you pass it easily on the first attempt. You have to be very careful during a test. One small mistake and you fail. I had been driving in Pakistan for many years, but the practical test troubled me a lot. I had to take classes from driving instructors and failed the test twice. Finally, after some effort and spending lots of money, I passed the test. The next thing was to buy a car. There are so many choices here in Sydney as compared to Pakistan. But luckily, things here are straight-forward, and there are seldom any chances of dealers lying about the history of cars. You can also search for the details of a second-hand car on the internet before you buy it. After buying a car, the next best thing that happened was the birth of my second child. My daughter, Mysha.
It’s been four months since I moved to Sydney, but it seems like a really long time. I have finally decided now to stay in Sydney as long as I am in Australia. I don’t want to experience relocation again now. I am done with them. In Sha Allah, the only relocation I am looking forward to now is the one when I will relocate back to Lahore permanently.
