15.251 km Away

Trying to find a reason about why people leaves their hometown, I decided to ask Julio Pimentel, A 30 years all Guatemalan, the reason why he decides to live his comfort zone to leave to Australia. 15.251 km away from his family, his friends and his culture. Julio studied a pre grad in business administration and worked in a factory for the last 4 years. Now he explains to us his motives to start this new adventure and some of the changes he es facing daily.

How Long Have you been out of Guatemala?

- 4 weeks

What do you miss the most about your Country?

- The cost of living. In Guatemala, at least for me, everything was accessible, and I was able to treat myself with some luxuries that I can´t have as I’m not currently adapted to my new life and I haven´t found a job yet.

In your opinion, what are the most relevant cultural differences between Australia and Guatemala?

- I would say Cultural order. Diversity is so much common here than in Guatemala. They´re a little more respectful about religion, sexual orientation, the color of your skin and it seems that no one judges you for trying to live the way you feel is the best way. Also, they really respect the rules. For example: people actually wait for the traffic light to change before walking in the street and there´s hardly any graffiti in the walls.

What do you like most there?

- Quality of life. Australia is one of the richest countries in the world. When I arrived, someone told me that they have a really developed health and education program, the public schools are great, and I really like being in a place that is always clean and where I feel safe.

Why did you move there?

- They have better opportunities. I am looking for a chance to grow as a professional and I don’t think that Guatemala can give me that. One day I was surfing in the web and I saw this advertisement about a master’s in business development that catch my eye completely. The first thing I did was talk with my Girlfriend about it and she was totally supportive. We start looking for a Scholarship, but we didn’t find one so we decide to ask for a loan at the bank because I really think this will be a great new start for us.

By Gabriela Cruz