New Year, ‘Old’ Me - 8 Years Later and I’m still Here!
Whenever a new year comes around, it always makes me reflect upon life. I’m not someone who believes in New Year resolutions—I know myself well enough to know that I’ll either be overambitious OR completely underestimate what resources are available to me this year! But I always use the New Year to take stock of what’s passed and remind myself of where I’d like to go. And wupti, February is here…!
This week marks 8 years since I arrived in Australia, so I thought it’s the perfect opportunity to share my journey with you. How I got here, how I went from being a full-time corporate nerd to throwing myself off a cliff (figuratively speaking!) and starting a Design Studio. That journey has been incredibly scary but OH-SO-rewarding and has given me confidence in what’s next for me—2025. Here I am, ready for you!
How I got Here
I was packing my bags and leaving Denmark for Australia eight years ago today, excited for a new adventure. I had already lived in the UK working as an Accounts Payable, but this time, I was pursuing something different— a Master’s in International Studies at Sydney University (USYD) - which was the next learning chapter for me. If there’s one thing that drives me in life, it’s curiosity and learning, and luckily, I found a community of like-minded international students, all figuring out life in a new country. On top of that, my Program Coordinator knew I had been a Tutor at two Universities in Denmark and, therefore, offered me an opportunity to tutor at USYD - something that’s ‘only for PhD students’ officially. I absolutely loved it loved helping others find the passion for the material and ask the big questions of life - Why is society structured the way it is? How do we solve inequality and should we? What even is Democracy?
To my surprise, after I finished my master’s (which was a bit of a journey as I got Glandular Fever during my dissertation), the visa I was planning to go to NZ on was cancelled. I contacted the New Zealand Department of Immigration and they confirmed that it was not simply an error, but they had decided to completely scrap the program. So there I was, a graduate with a Master’s and no idea of what was next for me.
No Regrets
Everything in life happens for a reason. I genuinely believe that. It’s hard to see in the moment, but when we look back, we often find that the hardest of times led to the most wonderul things too. In my case, not only was the NZ visa no longer an option, but the government rejected my post-study visa in Australia (long story short, I was caught in between my student visa and graduate visa because of the delay in my dissertation grade). The rejection letter came through the night before I was going to a 10-day meditation retreat with no access to internet, phone etc. so you can imagine my frustration and stress. But looking back, it was the perfect challenge: if you can find inner peace and meditate when you have no idea of where you’ll be living on the other side of the retreat, you can probably do so in any situation.
While my case was with the Appeals Tribunal, I went to Perth for a couple of months hoping to find work. Sadly, with my degree, the job market was limited and I ended up back in Sydney working as a Research Fellow at a think tank. The math nerd in me was fulfilled but my creative people-loving side wasn’t. So I started looking for ways to make both parts fulfilled. Luckily, a Master Facilitator in Data Analytics role came my way, and I was back teaching full-time - the full-time element is important. Because I love teaching, but I was slowly burning out, trying to deliver excellence in every session for every client and I wasn’t happy anymore. My health was declining and my Manager and I both knew changes had to happen. So I moved to a Consultant contract, so I could cut down on my teaching hours and that of course left me with time for other things - again, a point in life, where burnout has led to an important shift and ultimately the best possible shift.
Our wedding in Turkey, June 1st 2024
Life Happens, Love Happens - Or the Other Way Around
At this point, I had met Abe, we had moved in together and he was the nudge I needed. Being from Iran and having worked incredibly hard to be where he is, his attitude is always a “can-do” one, and it rubbed off on me. Don’t get me wrong - there are constantly times I question myself and my abilities (I am Danish, after all…), but he was proof that I could do what I wanted. I didn’t have to settle. I don’t have to settle.
So I started building the idea in my head, and the more I built it out in my head, the more I loved the idea of helping people live their best lives in their homes. It was the perfect mix of my nerdy math (perfect for drawing, spatial planning, etc.), creativity (bringing colour, shapes and visions together to a wonderful whole), and my love of helping people (not just in the final delivery, but holding their hand through the journey - as it is quite the journey to renovate!). With Abe’s encouragement and my excitement, I launched a website and officially had a Design Studio. I quickly realised that Australians love a degree or some kind of proof of qualifications, so I studied with the Interior Design Institute to ensure I understood the terminology and craft and would be recognised in the industry.
See, things always work out the way they should…
Sorry, reader, I’ve been lying to you. I said the journey started 8 years ago, which isn’t actually true. It started long before that.
How I REALLY Got Here
When I said “how I got here”, I should have pointed out that my journey as an Interior Designer started way longer than 8 years ago.
Being 19 years old and deciding what to study at University was overwhelming. I was so deeply torn that I decided to let faith decide. Yep, I literally rolled a die on whether I should study Architecture or Political Science - and it landed on Political Science, so that’s what I did. Just to be clear, I went with it because I was happy with the result. Had the die said Architecture and I felt good about that, I would have gone that way. This may seem absolutely crazy to you, and that’s okay, but for me, it made sense. Rolling a die will always make you double-check your gut feeling - and a gut feeling is something we should all follow more!
So there I was, on the floor of my Birmingham (UK) apartment with the die in front of me, having no clue that the journey would be wonderful, challenging and ultimately nudging me back to the creativity of creating wonderful spaces. And 11 years after, I’m proud to be working with the most amazing clients, visit fabulous suppliers and speak at events around Australia - what a journey!
Here I am - All of Me!
This blog post has been the most challenging and most fun thing to write. Honesty and authenticity are everything to me. So I wanted to share it all with you - AND - not bure you with 12K+ days of boring everyday life! Putting myself ‘out there’ is incredibly un-Danish of me and, therefore, not always easy. It’s not easy for any of us to be vulnerable and show the less flashy side of life. But if you’re a part of my newsletter, firstly, thank you for allowing me to get into your inbox! Secondly, you’ll know I’ve started including the B-roll, i.e. the non-instagrammable part of the newsletter. These are photos with no filter and no manipulation; just pulled out of my phone as they are. Some are blurry, some are awkward, and some are of me looking my absolute worst on site - but that’s life for you; perfectly imperfect! - just like you and I.
