When the going gets tough, the tough gets going

All the people in the world dream of a better life.  Like any other person, I too had big dreams of a better life in Australia.  I was very excited to meet an Australian man who told me he loved me and would look after me until the end of life.  We got married, I took early retirement from my government job in Thailand and came to live in Australia.  I left behind my two daughters in their twenties for my new dream, my new husband, my new life.  I was very happy.

We settled in North Queensland and my husband worked as a bus driver then a truck driver.  I had different jobs, cleaning buses, babysitting, housekeeping, working as a kitchen hand and on a farm planting, picking and packing.  I couldn't choose my jobs in Australia but I worked hard and did an honest job everywhere I worked.  The saddest thing for me was when our marriage broke down and my husband left me.  I wasn't good enough to be his wife any more and I was disappointed that he wasn't the man I thought he was.

Things got tougher for me.  I had no place to live so I stayed in an old church.  Jobs were up and down and I didn't have enough money to send to my family in Thailand.  I got sick and my health got worse.  But through tough times I learned many life lessons and found strength to keep going.  God gave me many blessings to make up for the hard times.

I found myself using my energy to study.  I did a certificate in food handling and a certificate in construction at TAFE and I'm studying AMEP by Distance Learning.  I got my Australian citizenship after trying so hard to read the book for 4 months.  I was proud of myself to get 19/20 in the test.  I had mixed feelings, happy to be Australian but sad for all the things I lost in the past.  Last month five of my new friends came along with me to the citizenship ceremony then we celebrated the Aussie way, we went to the pub and had a couple of beers!

Such is life, the ups and the downs .. It tests you to see what you're made of .. yet I keep going, I keep trying, I keep dreaming .. dreaming of a better life.

Thanks to our student for sharing this great story of resilience, courage and hope.  We wish you every success and happiness for your future.

• What were your expectations before you came to Australia?
• Was your experience different from your expectations? In what ways?
• What helps you deal with life challenges?
• What does your dream of a better life look like?