Welcome to Julie’s Australian Holiday Diary: the travel tales of a 20-year-old from the Netherlands who’s flown to Sydney, Australia on a Working Holiday visa. In each episode, she’ll be sharing what life is like living, working and travelling in Australia. From how to meet new people, to what it’s like living in a backpacker hostel, to her favourite experiences… Julie will share it all! Let’s dive into Episode Two…
Deciding To Travel Solo To Australia
I had no trouble deciding if I wanted to go on this adventure alone. Everything in me said that I wanted to do this by myself. Primarily because I would have the opportunity to move outside of my comfort zone. And secondly, because I could turn the entire situation into my own adventure. It truly allows me to follow my own path and be myself without any limits. In this episode, I will summarise some of my experiences and thoughts about ‘connecting with others in a hostel’, while staying close to your own adventures.
Easier said than done, I packed my bags and left for Australia by myself. It can be scary to not have anyone with you when you first arrive to a new country. No person to share your first moments with. No-one to comfort you when things don’t go as planned. No person to keep you company when you feel lonely. But by handling all of these situations myself, I have learned more than I ever expected. And what’s more, since my first days in Sydney, not a day has gone by on which I am actually ‘alone’. Since staying in Wake Up Hostels, I have been surrounded by so many like-minded and lovely people, who all add a part to my journey.
How I’ve Connected With Others And Made Friends
Since my arrival, I have been staying in a staff-shared dorm at Wake Up! Sydney Central. It has given me the opportunity to connect with others effortlessly. I experienced that during your first days in a new hostel, you will mainly have those small talks, in which you can get to know each other. And right away, you’ll figure out who your potential friends can be.
From personal experiences, I can say that you really can have a conversation with whoever and wherever. I’ve even had conversations with others while I was brushing my teeth, waiting for the elevator, cooking, working and while taking a shower.
My favourite conversations with strangers are actually in the kitchen. Here, everyone is in total peace and has the time to talk. I still remember the time when an Italian guy helped me cook. I was completely lost in the kitchen and was experimenting with pasta… which would be the easiest dish in a hostel you would think. Well not for me – the absolute worst chef! He saw me struggling and decided to help me from start to end. At the same time, we had a random conversation about Italian culture and some of his experiences in the hostel. It was a small gesture, but extremely meaningful for a clueless girl during her first week in the hostel!
That’s just one example of an experience that has positively added to my trip. It has given me such a fulfilling feeling to get to know so many people from different nationalities, who all have their own stories, but who still share the same passion of exploring Australia, meeting like-minded travellers and experiencing the hostel life.
I know the first steps of talking to someone new can be hard or even a bit awkward, but after all, it requires 5 seconds of bravery to step up to someone and introduce yourself. It makes me believe that you can do everything you want if you put your mind to it. Something that has helped me a lot is thinking about the fact that I would like it as well when someone steps up to either ask me something or share something with me. It takes effort, but every interaction is a step further out of your comfort zone.
4 Ways To Make New Friends As A Solo Traveller
Let me share a bit about my insights on how to make friends and take new friendships to the next level – hostel edition. At the end of the day, friendships are created because of a natural connection. However, you do need to find the actual person who you could create that connection with, and I’ve found there are some ways to stimulate those friendships and connections:
- Working at a hostel
I became friends with lots of people from the Wake Up! crew, who are either part of the Reception team, Marketing team, or who are Working & Living at the accommodation. At Wake Up! we work with a diverse team of staff members who all have their own personalities and skills. From my first day working here, I have felt included and valued. Therefore, if you are also a Holiday Visa Maker, I would definitely look into the possibility of working in a place such as a hostel. And if you’re lucky, it could even count for your 88 days (Read more about the Australian Work Holiday Visa).
- Joining Facebook Groups
Something else that helped me a lot was joining some Facebook groups. In these groups, you can easily connect with travellers who have similar experiences in Australia and who are also looking for other mates to connect with. Through these groups, I once joined a pub crawl and met 5 of my friends, who I still hang out with every week.
- Join a sports club
Similar to the above, you could look into joining some sort of sports club. Back in The Netherlands, I used to dance a lot and it was something that I missed in Australia. I decided to try out for a dance team near the city and guess what – I got accepted! Bringing something back that you always loved doing makes you feel at home.
- Join in the hostel activities
Whether you are staying at a hostel for a shorter or longer period of time, try to join in the hostel’s activities schedule if they have one. Wake Up! Hostels provides lots of (free) activities, which you could join to get the best out of your days at one of the destinations.
We’re In This Together
And just like me, you can do all of these things… or maybe you already have done them! I believe that it is important to support each other. Often we can find each other in the same situations and who doesn’t want to share those fun hostel moments with other travellers, who can potentially become your best travel mates! Let’s try to be that loving person for one and other. After all, we’re all in this together!
Stay tuned for my next Episode, or keep up to date by signing up to our monthly newsletter (below) and following us on Instagram.
Lots of hugs,
Julie
About Julie Eikelenboom
Hi fellow travellers! I am Julie Eikelenboom, a 20-year-old travel enthusiast, who is ready to explore all the ins -and outs of the Work Holiday Visa in Australia. I am currently doing my internship, while also creating plans to travel Australia. Next to travelling, I love dancing, meeting new people, chatting for hours, and checking off all items on my bucket list. Want to know more? Let’s keep in touch through @julieeikelenboom