Inc:
During my time in Australia, the relaxed lifestyle of the Aussies, Kiwis, and Europeans we met contrasted sharply with the “live to work” mentality so ingrained in American culture. To them, it isn’t about your place in life or how you make a living; it’s simply about living well.
Contrary to what many people think, this philosophy doesn’t have to clash with being ambitious. It just means making a fun, fulfilling life your first priority.
Living in Vancouver, I’ve met and known a lot of Australians and am always amazed at their wanderlust. There’s a lot of good advice in this column, particularly for those in college. Travel while you can.
I am an American and have lived and work in Australia for the last several years. This is total nonsense. The rat race is alive, well, and in some fields totally dominant here in Australia. In the same way there are regional and vocational differences to work mindset in the US, this is also the case in Australia. It’s just another first world country with worse infrastructure, better health care, and more kangaroos and camels in the middle. I’ve enjoyed my time here, it’s a great place, but it does not have magical properties as the article suggests. That said, the article does make great suggestions. I did the traveling thing and I wouldn’t trade it.
I lived in Melbourne for 3 years and worked all over the place. There’s definitely a different vibe to the place. Sydney has an American feel to it in the pace of life (mainly in the core) but the other cities are much more about quality of life.
Of course I rented and travelled a lot so I didn’t have the house ownership obligations, etc. Cities are cleaner, infrastructure and transportation was great, food and wine was fantastic, tons of culture and sport, etc. As a Canadian I felt more relaxed and at home than I do in the US.
A lot of us work to live, not live to work. Having a good time is part of our culture and history. I’m sorry, but living here for a few years does not give you a true experience of how we view life. Getting 4 weeks holidays a year helps too! We work hard, yes, but we party and holiday hard too!