Motivational Speaking

This post might come across as a bit stupid. However, I shall type it out for use in the next couple of weeks. I am excited about Australia, but it is guaranteed that there will be a stage where anxiety and/or homesickness threatens to get the better of me in the initial stages I am in Melbourne. So this post is for me!

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Yo Mitten. It's Mitten. Bedford Mitten. The Mitten excited about Australia. You know when you typed this out, (last Sunday after the pub quiz where you burnt your mouth on a vegetable samosa), but you might just be needing a little reminder of what you're missing out on in B-Town. Here goes.

- In England, its Winter. It's fucking cold, and if you were in England, you'd have nothing to do. You know exactly what Winter does to you, don't you... Any feelings of homesickness or anxiety that you're feeling right now simply cannot match up to those feelings you experienced last Winter. You know that.

- There's no cricket in England. Sure, there's the indoor league, but that's early on a Sunday morning, and you don't want to be getting up early on a freezing Sunday morning to go and play cricket inside, right?

- People are jealous of you. Everyone said it before you left. "I wish I was you, going to Australia" ... "Can you put me in your suitcase too?", (I don't think there's a euphemism there!) You don't want people to ask questions if you come home after one or two weeks. That would be embarrassing.

- Can you imagine being at work in the lead up to Christmas with the shit you'd be dealing with that I mentioned in point 1? It'd be horrible. Just like it always is.

- As your sister said, if you ever feel down and out, just step outside and feel the Australian sun on your face. And then think about the cold in Bedford. Which is better?

- A reason to stay in Melbourne is the Boxing Day Test Match. Seriously, that's iconic. You will never get the opportunity to see an Ashes Boxing Day Test Match ever again. Certainly not for free!

- GIVE IT A CHANCE! If your brief uni experience taught you anything, you should know that things will settle down. You will find a job and you will be fine. I promise you. Just imagine the feeling of achievement when you score a ton in Australia. How awesome will that be... It doesn't get much better...

- You don't have to stay out here. I know everyone is saying, "You'll love it so much, you'll want to stay", but that is not up to them. It is up to you.

Remember this. This experience is pretty much FREE. You are being paid to go out there, to do what you love doing. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You don't want to look back on this in 20 years time, when you're paying a mortgage, and think, "I wish I'd stuck it out".

Be yourself. Don't feel the need to appease your Australian team-mates by being more "blokey" or anything similar. They will expect you to take time to settle in. Do what YOU are most comfortable with.

And if the worst comes to the worst, and this little attempt at motivation hasn't helped one bit, just stick it out. Life is testing sometimes, but as the old adage goes, things do get better. You know this too.

Please please please stick it out.

You get to come home in March. 6 months is not a long time in the grand scheme of things. Once the cricket season starts, you'll be fine and dandy.

The human brain is designed to fall back on the easy option. As someone said to you last week, the "status quo". This is an adventure doing what you love doing.

ENJOY IT!

Mitten. Good luck. From the Mitten in the status quo.