Penniless. Literally.

Australia has no pennies, and quite frankly it's a little depressing.

Satellite image of Australia, circa 2011

Perhaps this is nothing more than a nostalgic pining for the familiar, and merely takes a little getting used to. The logical complications that came to mind (such as 'How do you make change for any odd-numbered transaction?') have been cleverly answered by simply rounding up. Furthermore, any credit or Eftpos transaction is extracted at the exact amount.

So why do I feel so deprived?

As the title of this blog implies, I find myself in the same financial situation as many recent college graduates - lacking both in pennies as well as larger notes - yet my desire to travel has not been dampened. And I have no illusions about the state of the world we live in today, especially in the sense that travel is a luxury that often feels out of reach.

Tradition tells us to 'save our pennies,' play it smart in tough times, and to build towards our future. But what does that mean exactly? Get a job in an office? Build my portfolio? Pursue a higher degree, in order to earn an even more coveted title? I only know that I want to experience as much as possible, which seems difficult to do from within a cubicle.

That said, making the decision to live abroad is not always an easy one. Most of the people I know are following the same established plan I once had, living at home with the parents, working a job and saving up their money in order to eventually move out. It's a safe transition to living on one's own, and there are times (especially when my rent is due) when I imagine what life would be like living with my parents. Most importantly, I miss being close to my family.

Australian coins. Note the lack of pennies.

So why Australia? Why choose to go to the other side of the world? While it's always been on my list of places to go, it wouldn't have been my first choice - but thanks to a persistent Australian boyfriend, and an economic outlook not many can scoff at, I find myself living in a rental house in tropical Brisbane.

Australia has a reputation for being an expensive place to visit and live in, which is not unfounded. The reward however is a country with an array of attractive visa options for potential visitors, as well as a substantially higher pay rate on average when compared to the States. It does take a bit of creativity to live cheaply in a country of high prices, but by saving in this way I'm able to do the things I want with my life, or so I think at this point.

At a point where it no longer makes sense to follow the traditional post-grad routine, I find myself wondering what is the best course to take for my life after college. This is a question I mean to answer through action, and with any luck, plenty of fun.

Welcome to the impecunious, puerile, somewhat grubby-rumpled world of the Penniless Postgrad.