Sydney to London Without a Plane by Lorna_North

Sorry to flog the old conversation horse at the moment but I'm really beginning to feel the pressures of the credit crunch. The tightening of the globe's purse strings has left me with a rather jaded view of Sydney.

You might have noticed that my last few blogs have been dominated by issues of employment. As much as I try and enjoy this city, looming in the background are the finance goblins that snatch my funds before they have the chance to get acquainted with my bank account.

Every day I hear of another person being made redundant, stationery costs being cut, the office champagne supply changing from Moet to Woolworth's Sparkling Wine.

I'm being ousted from my current position next Wednesday with no job in the pipeline and a looming rent cheque; also very conscious that a lot of companies have frozen their accounts with my recruitment agency. There is little hope for finding a job in the lead up to Christmas.

However, amidst the doom and pressure of the financial crisis that is rapidly catching up with Australia, I think ironically, it has made things slightly clearer for me. 

During a discussion over the weekend, I decided to do what so many people are doing to cover themselves during these hard economic times which was to cut my loses and liquidate my assets. 

And when you are a traveller- this simply means, pack your bags and move on.

So instead of chomping at the hands of recruitment agents who just shove me into any menial role without even reading what skills I have and shower me with feigned interest because I'm a hefty little profit for them - I'm leaving Sydney and heading into the depths of New South Wales to work on a farm picking snow peas.

I'm swapping fake tan for insect repellent, high heels for 'gum boots', office politics for precarious insects and typer's wrist for all manner of ailments I'll pick in the bush.

I leave in two weeks.