Written by Lexie Clark
Looking back on the last few years since COVID entered our lives, I can say that my five-year plan certainly didn’t pan out like I’d predicted!
In February of 2020, I made the big decision to pack up and move my life from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, to Brisbane, Queensland.
I quit my full-time job, moved to the city, and signed a 12-month lease on my very own apartment. Three trips to IKEA later and I was all set up and ready to start my new life in the city.
I started studying my Cert II in Auslan (Australian Sign Language), with the plan to study for the next few years to become an interpreter.
Five weeks later, COVID had arrived on Australian shores and the QLD border was about to close indefinitely.
With so much uncertainty, and no support network in my new state, I packed an overnight bag and drove back to my hometown of Port Macquarie.
What I thought would be a week or two at home, turned into months of border closures and life in limbo. I continued and completed my Cert II on zoom, and then all further classes were cancelled until we could return to face to face.
During lockdown, I couldn’t continue my Cert III online, and I had a lot of time to contemplate my next moves.
I had always wanted to study Occupational Therapy (OT), but didn’t have the opportunity to previously as there was no university here when I graduated high school.
I was curious about the new university in town and decided to look up the Charles Sturt University website…I was very excited to see Charles Sturt offering OT in my hometown!
I took it as a sign, and officially moved back to NSW, although it would be another few months of border closures before I could move all my belongings home!
I started classes the following semester and never looked back. Now, four years later, I am in my final semester of my degree, I’ve completed five clinical placements all across the state, and am so excited to graduate this year and work in my dream career!
Even though my five-year plan turned out nothing like I had thought, I am so glad that it turned out the way it did.
Sometimes the most unexpected plans turn out to be better than what we could have imagined.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative
