When Dearbhla O’Neill moved to Australia from Ireland in January she thought she would stay indefinitely.
But four and a half months later he made the difficult decision to return home.
Being half a world away from family and friends was too much for the 23-year-old college graduate, on top of the rising cost of living.
She was also discouraged by the closing of most cafes at 3 p.m. and the brutal job market.
‘Why am I going home? Because I want. I think some factors here are making me a little sad? Yes,” she said in a now-viral TikTok. video, which has accumulated more than 300,000 visits.
When Dearbhla O’Neill moved to Australia from Ireland in January she thought she would stay indefinitely. She left only 4.5 months later
While Ms O’Neill did not dislike Australia, she found certain aspects challenging and “struggled” to settle in Melbourne.
During her time in Australia, Ms O’Neill stayed in Sydney and Melbourne and traveled up the east coast visiting Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Noosa and Brisbane.
She also sailed around the Whitsundays and Magnetic Island, and visited Cairns, where she was captivated by the natural beauty of the coast.
Although she enjoyed her travels, the job market disappointed her.
Even after landing a job in charity sales, she had a panic attack on the third day and it was becoming too overwhelming, so she quit. He also described the work as “too disgusting.”
“I found it difficult to even get work in cafes, shops and bars simply because a lot of people weren’t hiring and the places where they were were very competitive,” Ms O’Neill told FEMAIL.
‘I spoke to Australians who told me that this was not just a problem faced by backpackers, but that they themselves were struggling to find work.
“I didn’t even try to get a job in my career while I was there because I knew getting the working holiday visa would be a struggle.”
Ms O’Neill was also deterred by the cost of living crisis and little things about Australia, including the fact that most cafes close at 3pm.
‘Why am I going home? Because I want to… I think some factors here are making me a little sad? Yes,” she said in a now-viral TikTok video.
In the end, Mrs. O’Neill realized how strange she felt and how much she missed her family.
This came as a surprise to Ms O’Neill while she was studying outside Ireland at a university in Liverpool. She is now back in Ireland with her loved ones.
“I’m very happy to be back home, I find it difficult to explain to people that I loved Australia, especially because I came back so early, but I really loved the country, but being back with my family and friends there is nothing like it. I am very happy,” Mrs O’Neill told FEMAIL.
Looking ahead, she might try to live in London or Manchester, but for now she is happy to be with her family and pets.
In the end, Mrs. O’Neill realized how strange she felt and missed her family terribly.
Ms O’Neill also shared her advice for others looking to move to Australia.
“I would never turn someone down from coming to Australia, even if in the end it wasn’t for me to live in, that doesn’t mean the next person couldn’t love it,” he said.
“I would probably recommend that they do some traveling when they first arrive, in case they want to come home early, at least they will have seen various parts of the country.”
He also recommends saving a “good sum of money” because the job market is “very difficult right now.”
More than 300 people commented on the video and other expats offered words of support.
‘I am the same. I’ll have been in New Zealand for exactly the same amount of time and I can’t wait to get home!!’ one said.
“Sometimes you have to move to get back home,” wrote another.
“Oh girl I came home from Australia after three months and felt so judged for not loving it but it’s not for everyone and I feel so much better to be home,” said a third.
