So You Wanna Spend a Year in Australia?

The subheading for my blog says it's about "Facebook purging and unemployment," but up to now I haven't bothered to address the second element of that conjunction. So, what's up on that front?

My tutoring job is about to run its course for the school year. Then there's Idyllwild for July, and after that...silence. I have nothing planned and nowhere to go. Though frightening, it leaves all possibilities open, so I have chosen one.

I'm formulating a plan to move to Australia at the end of this summer. I like it in Australia, and I have family there, so I'd like to see if I like living there. My previous two-week vacation does not give the most accurate impression of a country in terms of lifestyle. Now, if you know me, you know I am very resilient, adaptable and adventurous, and could probably survive and thrive anywhere, but, only fools rush in. So, I want to spend the better part of the coming year in Australia on a "working holiday" visa to see if living and working there is something I can see myself doing permanently (or at least semi-permanently). I want to see if conditions are better for daily life there. They have universal health care. They have a good social safety net. They need teachers! If I like it, I might just end up going back for good. But, first things first: I need that visa.

Though designed to be simple, it still requires some pretty involved logistics and financial contortions. This is probably because they would rather I "holiday" more than I "work," so I spend some of my touristy moolah there. Not to mention, this visa is clearly intended for people younger than me who aren't quite so established (me? established? Ha!) Just to get the visa I will be required to:

Apply and pay a non-refundable fee of $190 US.

Possibly undergo a medical examination, which I would also pay for

Take out health insurance, because I'm a #$%&! American, so of course I don't have any!

Accumulate $4100 US in my bank account (based on today's exchange rate)

Before leaving for Australia, I need to get a lot of my own ducks in a row:

~$900 for a plane ticket!

~$1000 in traveler's checks to tide me over before I get a job

~$700 in my bank account to cover automatic payments for my student loan

~$700 in my bank account to cover rent for a storage unit

Register my car as PNO

Inform my bank of my plans so they don't cancel my debit card if it's used there

Cancel all my subscriptions and my cell phone

Get a voltage converter that works (I miss my hair dryer!)

Possibly buy a new computer...

Once in Oz, I also have to do the following:

Set up a bank account

Get a TFN (like SSN, but Australian)

Find a JOB.

A major force driving this plan is that I can probably find work more easily there than I can anywhere in California (excluding my folks' in the desert, where...gah!). Getting to know my cousins better and having the experience of living there are tied for a very close second.

This list will be updated as I learn more about this confusing process. I relish the challenge!