I moved from New York City to Australia a few years ago. These 6 things have surprised me the most.

After relocating from New York City to Sydney a few years ago, living in Australia has been an eye-opening experience marked by numerous surprises. One of the most striking differences was the variation in public holidays across different states and regions. In the US, public holidays are generally uniform across the nation, whereas in Australia, they can differ significantly depending on the location.

This led to a memorable incident where I inadvertently called one of my potential clients on one of their state's public holidays, which resulted in a lost deal. To avoid such misunderstandings in the future, I started checking for public holidays through online resources or consulting colleagues, as they often vary from state to state.

Another surprising aspect was the prevalence and accessibility of gambling in Australia. It was quite popular and easy to access, with a variety of options available. Additionally, Australia boasts a wide array of Asian cuisine, which greatly impressed me. I also found that local slang was more common in daily conversations compared to what I was used to in New York City.

For example, "bathers" referred to bathing suits, and "pokies" were poker machines found in most pubs where people could gamble during their breaks. Slang was everywhere, making communication more informal and casual.

In terms of work culture, I noticed that Australian colleagues were generally more laid-back and open about their personal lives compared to those in New York City. The office hierarchy was less pronounced, and there was a more casual atmosphere, as evidenced by morning coffee runs across the office. Moreover, discussions about politics were more prevalent in Australia, with many Australians discussing American politics more than their own.

Despite the laid-back work environment, my Australian colleagues were highly dedicated and worked diligently, often wearing multiple hats within their roles and taking on additional responsibilities.

Travel within Australia also presented some unexpected challenges. While I had envisioned affordable flights between states and to nearby international destinations like New Zealand, Indonesia, or Fiji, the reality was quite different. Domestic flights were often more expensive, sometimes even close to double the price of what I had anticipated.

This was largely due to limited competition, high demand, and fuel costs in Australia's domestic market, which is dominated by a few major airlines. Additionally, I was surprised by the distance to some Asian destinations. For instance, Bali is approximately six and a half hours away by direct flight from Sydney, and Tokyo is almost ten hours away.

Despite these distances, many Australians seemed unfazed by these flight lengths, as they were accustomed to being so far from much of the world.