Seven things to remember when moving to Sydney

A friend of mine moving from Townsville (North QLD) to Sydney recently asked me if I, having previously survived the move, had any tips for her. She has lived in Townsville all her life so it's a daunting prospect.

I shared with her some of the things I have learned in the process, and decided it would be worth blogging in case anybody else finds it of use.


1. Find a Christian support/social network quickly.

Depending on the number of people you know in Sydney (I knew a grand total of about four), this can be easy or hard. Try and lock yourself into a church sooner rather than later.

2. Don't look for the perfect church.

Because, a) you'll never find it, and b) you really are spoilt for choice down here. There are lots of quality churches and you could spend ages looking. In the end, I didn't visit all the recommendations on my list as it would have taken weeks. I found one I was happy with and stuck with it. Remember that you can always go looking again later if it turns out to be not what you thought.

3. Sydney isn't Townsville

Obvious, I know, but the atmosphere is very different down here. People are very busy and always doing things. Fortunately that's a culture thing, and you're free to move at your own pace. Don't let yourself get swept into the current if you're not ready.

4. Sydney people aren't Townsville people

A friend and mentor of mine mentioned to me before I moved down that Sydney people act like they've got it all together. We Queenslanders are usually more honest when life isn't going so well, but you don't hear this so much with the Sydney-ites. As a result, it's easy to feel like you're the only person in the entire city whose life is screwed up, but it's not true. I have also found it to be harder to form relationships where you can create that dynamic of sharing burdens, but leading by example is a good tactic here - if you're open and honest with people, they're more inclined to be open and honest with you.

5. Friendships take time

When I first moved to Townsville, it took about five years before I finally had very, very close friends, and of course they are what I miss most about Townsville. It can be a scary prospect when you consider that it might take another five years to grow those kind of friendships again, but you have to be patient.

6. Don't be afraid to reinvent yourself

If you've lived in somewhere all your life, you've probably lived under a whole heap of expectations from family, friends, the church, etc. These can be great things which help make you the person you are, but finding independence and moving to a new place can be a great opportunity to make changes and be who you want to be. The people you'll meet will have no prior impressions or expectations of you, so the only person you should aim to please is God.

7. Remember: Nothing is permanent

If you get down here, and it's not what you thought it would be, you can always go home. A lot of people might view this as a personal failing, but rather than thinking of it as 'You weren't right for Sydney', think 'Sydney wasn't right for you'. You will always have people back home who will love you and welcome you back with open arms. This is a healthy perspective to keep, and will hopefully alleviate some of the pressure of the move.



What do you think? What would you be afraid of if you had to make such a big move? What have you done that's helped? What would you do differently next time?

SG