Before we relocated, I tried to talk to people who did that before us and ask them for tips starting a new life somewhere else. The only thing they said was "Take your time to adjust".
We landed in Perth on the night of the 26th of January 2020, missing the Australia Day fireworks by only a few hours. At the car rental service desk we already started to feel the special atmosphere of this place: calm, patient, no one is in a hurry.
On the way to the hotel we almost got ourselves killed because we didn't know that when you turn right in a traffic light, the other side has a green light too. This will never work in Israel... When we finally arrived at the hotel the lady at the front desk saw my daughter, came out to play with her and told us about her four kids. We were in a cultural shock.
The next day I was the first one to wake up. I got dressed and went to drink coffee in the lobby, leaving my husband and baby asleep. It was the first time since my daughter was born that I managed to have coffee alone outside, and the first time I actually left her in the morning. It was a liberating feeling. They both woke up a couple of minutes after I came back with a big smile on my face. Can't wait to start exploring this place!
It was too hot outside and the sun was burning our skin, so we went to a local convenience store to buy sun screen and some groceries. The seller was Lebanese and we started talking about the Middle East and how is it like to live in Perth now. Even the cleaning lady in the hotel talked to me about her country of origin - Indonesia and told me where I can find the nearest Woolworth.
The most wonderful thing we realised about this country is that people are free to be whoever they are. It doesn't matter where you come from and what religion you were raised to. All that matters is to wear sun screen, and to say "No Worries" about EVERYTHING.
It's not half bad...
Maayana Photography
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