A woman stands in front of the Sydney Opera House
Gabriella Ferlita in Sydney on a trip to the country's east coast
  • Writer Gabriella Ferlita moved to Queensland, Australia, from the UK at the end of 2023.
  • Tired of expensive rent and bad weather in the UK, Ferlita had only visited once before flying.
  • She said she's unsure how long she'll stay, but is enjoying every minute of her life in Australia.

Just over a year ago, I was crying into my build-your-own salad bowl at Lyon airport, France, after a holiday with my boyfriend, trying to process the news I'd just received. He told me, teary-eyed, that he was moving to Australia at the end of 2023.

His decision didn't come out of the blue. When we first started dating two and a half years ago, he told me about his plans to move to Australia and travel. I just didn't realize it would come around so soon.