When Monet decided to move from Australia to London it was only meant to be for a short amount of time to do a bit of travelling, do a little work and experience what the UK and Europe had to offer. Yet quickly three months turned into nearly two years and Monet still isn’t done yet…

She explains: “Moving to London wasn’t simply the beginning of a new chapter in my life. It felt like I had started a whole new book. Within days of arriving, I had made friends to share pints with at the hostel I was staying at. After only two weeks, I had signed up with Edwin Education’s London office and they lined me up with an interview at a school in Harrow, North London. Then within a month, I had found a house-share in Clapham. It all came together incredibly smoothly.”

After starting teaching, Monet soon realised that teaching in London is very similar to in Australia. She shares: “The school day is structured the same, the subjects are similar, and the kids are just as cheeky. There are a few jargon words you’ll pick up on the job eg ‘principal’ is ‘headteacher’, ‘CRT’ is ‘supply’ and ‘pants’ are ‘trousers’ (be careful here because if you talk about your pants in the UK, it means your underwear!).”

Living and working in London enabled Monet to take advantage of some great opportunities to cherish forever. She says: “Every time I looked up at Westminster Abbey, listened to Big Ben chime or commuted past St Paul’s Cathedral, I had to ask myself ‘Am I really here? Is this real?’ And when colleagues ask me what I did on the weekend, I had to pinch myself when I replied, ‘I went to Spain’.

“One of my fondest memories in the UK is the teaching. I got to play the pipe organ at Harrow School – one of London’s most famous and elite independent schools that was first established in the 16th century, long before Australia was even on the map. Playing that magnificent instrument in such a historical and iconic school (under the watchful eye of the portrait of former pupil Winston Churchill) is a memory that will stay with me forever.”

Even though Monet was busy making memories, she still experienced homesickness. It is a natural and inevitable part of most people’s journey when they live abroad. Monet found that it can hit hard and when you least expect it, but there are ways to cope and find support. She shares: “It’s important to remember that you are not the only one experiencing homesickness. You’ll meet plenty of other travellers and people who have moved to the UK from abroad, who feel homesick too. Support can be found through the friends you make, the people you live with and the other teachers you meet. It can also be found in online communities like Aussies in London who organise monthly drink meet ups.”

Monet’s time in London was a life changing experience that she will never forget. She says: “I can’t even remember the person I was before I decided to leave. I’ve reinvented everything I thought I was and what I was capable of. I’ve grown so much as a person and my teaching practice has followed suit. Both personally and professionally, moving over to the UK is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Want to make your UK dream a reality?

Edwin Education helps overseas teachers and support staff find work in the UK. Whatever stage you are at with planning your UK move, we’d love to be part of it. Find out more about how we are helping overseas teachers and support staff migrate to the UK or get in touch with our Brisbane office.