‘Hard’: 26yo expat reveals reality of moving to Australia

An expat living in Perth has revealed why it can actually be so “hard” coming to Australia and why it feels like a “step back.”

Moving to Australia can seem aspirational online, with expats sharing videos of gorgeous beach views and complimenting the more laid-back lifestyle.

It isn’t always completely picturesque, though. One expat has amassed 80,000 views online by revealing that it does come at a price.

Taylor Burrows, 26, has two degrees. She hails from just outside of London and is now living in Perth and working as a waitress.

“Do you ever just wonder why you chose to move to Australia and ignore your degrees just to wipe tables rather than having a European summer eating pastries? Because same,” she wrote on TikTok.

Ms Burrows has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in health psychology and now she’s back to earning minimum wage.

She told news.com.au that it is “exciting” to be living and working in Australia because it has always been a dream of hers, but that doesn’t mean the reality is perfect.

“It has definitely been hard for me to go back to waitressing, especially after years of working so hard towards a career in psychology that I was passionate about, and I was finally starting to find my feet in,” she said.

She said moving to Australia hasn’t been easy. Picture: TikTok/ taylorburrowss

Taylor has two degrees. Picture: TikTok/ taylorburrowss

Beautiful Western Australian sunsets and lovely weather aside, Ms Burrows said working 10-hour shifts on her feet doesn’t always make her feel like she’s living the dream.

“It’s been both physically and mentally demanding, as I’m not used to working 10-hour shifts on my feet, with minimal breaks and rosters that change regularly, leaving little space for work-life balance,” she said.

“It’s been mentally tough as well, learning how to adapt to people treating you like ‘just a waitress.’

“I have experienced people looking through me and treating me almost as if I am beneath them, not knowing that most of the staff serving them are highly educated and using these jobs as an opportunity to travel and better their lives rather than their chosen career for life,” she said.

Ms Burrow’s admission online struck a chord with her fellow travellers who shared they often felt the same way.

“I’m so close to booking my flight home,” one wrote.

“All the girl! Don’t worry,” another admitted.

“So relatable,” someone else said.

“It is part of the adventure,” one pointed out.

Taylor confession was called “relatable” by people online. Picture: TikTok/ taylorburrowss

She’s explained why waitressing again has been hard. Picture: TikTok/ taylorburrowss

It has taken some adjusting to go backward from working in her specialised field to working as a waitress.

“Once you leave university, you think everything will fall into place, that you’ll leave your part time job and start working in your specialised field” Ms Burrows said.

“So, starting to work as a waitress again, after five years of working in a role aligned with my degree, felt like I was taking a huge step back, into a life I thought I had left behind after I had graduated.”

She's said sometimes it feels like she’s taken a “huge step back.” Picture: TikTok/ taylorburrowss

Despite how much she loves travelling and seeing Australia, the expat also worries that doing this will impact her career back home.

“I had a moment the other day when a customer was rude to me, and I was left wiping their table after they had paid. I stopped and thought, ‘what on earth am I doing here? Why am I choosing to clean tables all day when I have a degree waiting for me at home?” she said.

There’s also the fact her friends back home are getting ahead with their lives; meanwhile, she’s moving forward differently.

“Friends of mine are starting to get engaged, apply for mortgages, and excel in their careers, while I am here folding napkins and asking if anyone wants a refill,” she said.

“I was worried that leaving my job behind would mean I would fall behind, and I am still very nervous about returning to the UK and trying to find work again.”

Ms Burrows said she did try and find work in Australia using her qualifications but that didn’t “work out.”

“I miss the feeling that I am working towards something, almost that this year out doesn’t amount to anything tangibles” she said.

Even though things haven’t worked out exactly as planned, that doesn’t mean she wants to quit her Australian dream.

“I keep reminding myself that I’m here to travel and experience different things that I couldn’t at home, that I’m gaining skills and making memories that my friends back at home aren’t able to where they are,” she said.

“So although I’m finding it difficult, I think the grass is greener sometimes and it’s important to find the positives in what I am achieving right now, rather than comparing myself to others back at home.”