When can I call Australia home?..
0 Comments Published by Svetlana Zhukova on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 3:42 PM.
Just read a blog post of one of most interesting philosophic peopel I know, Arthur (here)
It got me unsettled again on my 'where i belong' type question. I'm thinking that Aussies are very lucky in a way that then can freely travel the world and yet have this beautiful country as their homeland. I reckon if you could choose where you born, Australia is quite awesome - you grow up in this great nature and enjoying life place, and when you grow up and get bored/desire more, the passport gives you opportunity to travel and be accepted almost everyone (definitely better than being americans, IMHO). And you can always come back to re-charge, and what a beautiful place to re-charge Australia is.
I guess for us, foreigners who come to Australia in most cases for a short while, and in most cases staying for many years, the Australian lifestyle, comfort and environment are the major attractions. I enjoy living here, and I hope I will stay for longer. But I don't feel free... I'll explain.
Free for me is at home, in Belarus (which may seem ironic to some :) It's to do with the fact that I know the place, I have my roots, my family, childhood friends, and even rights there (however universally limited, but I am an equal citizen there). This last bit is actually more important than I thought. Free also means that I can leave, and I can come back. Now, I can't go to as many places and as easily as most of other countries' citizens can, but there is always something I can do, and I can always come back.
In Australia, I'm a visitor. If I leave now, I can't just simply choose to come back, and this limitation somehow daunts me, it makes me feel less secure with where I am in life, and somewhat stains my happiness here. which is a bit of a vicious circle really - I'm happy, that's why I want to stay, but it's not that easy, and I'm not 100% happy...
I would love to have that freedom one day - the freedom to leave Australia behind, knowing at the same time that it's always there for me. I wonder will I?.. Should I?..
(and what is this travelling and coming and going away business anyways, my grandma would say :)
It got me unsettled again on my 'where i belong' type question. I'm thinking that Aussies are very lucky in a way that then can freely travel the world and yet have this beautiful country as their homeland. I reckon if you could choose where you born, Australia is quite awesome - you grow up in this great nature and enjoying life place, and when you grow up and get bored/desire more, the passport gives you opportunity to travel and be accepted almost everyone (definitely better than being americans, IMHO). And you can always come back to re-charge, and what a beautiful place to re-charge Australia is.
I guess for us, foreigners who come to Australia in most cases for a short while, and in most cases staying for many years, the Australian lifestyle, comfort and environment are the major attractions. I enjoy living here, and I hope I will stay for longer. But I don't feel free... I'll explain.
Free for me is at home, in Belarus (which may seem ironic to some :) It's to do with the fact that I know the place, I have my roots, my family, childhood friends, and even rights there (however universally limited, but I am an equal citizen there). This last bit is actually more important than I thought. Free also means that I can leave, and I can come back. Now, I can't go to as many places and as easily as most of other countries' citizens can, but there is always something I can do, and I can always come back.
In Australia, I'm a visitor. If I leave now, I can't just simply choose to come back, and this limitation somehow daunts me, it makes me feel less secure with where I am in life, and somewhat stains my happiness here. which is a bit of a vicious circle really - I'm happy, that's why I want to stay, but it's not that easy, and I'm not 100% happy...
I would love to have that freedom one day - the freedom to leave Australia behind, knowing at the same time that it's always there for me. I wonder will I?.. Should I?..
(and what is this travelling and coming and going away business anyways, my grandma would say :)
Labels: australia, philosophising
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