A New Life Down Under

In 2016, my partner and I made the massive, terrifying, and ultimately life-altering decision to pack our entire lives into a few suitcases and move across the globe to Australia. It was a huge leap into the unknown. Leaving behind the familiarity of Croatia, our families, and everything we knew for a city over 16,000 kilometers away was not easy. But looking back, my life changed for the better almost immediately after we arrived and I started working in Sydney.

The first few weeks were a blur of jet lag, setting up a new apartment, and navigating a completely foreign city. Coming from Croatia, the daily rhythm of life in Sydney felt completely different. The sheer scale of the city, the towering skyscrapers of the CBD, and the bustling, fast-paced energy were overwhelming. People here walked with purpose; they seemed to constantly be on a mission. But one of the very first, most striking things I noticed was not the architecture or the traffic. It was the sheer, unbelievable number of people exercising outside.

In Sydney, the majority of people were always moving. No matter what time of day it was, you would see people running, speed-walking, or cycling outdoors. Before the sun even came up, the paths around the harbor were packed. During the lunch rush in the city center, you'd see corporate workers in activewear sprinting through the Botanical Gardens, squeezing in a quick workout before heading back to their desks.

A Massive Culture Shock

This active outdoor culture was a massive shock to my system. Back in Croatia, particularly in the village where I grew up and even in the capital of Zagreb, running just was not a common part of adult life. The general, widely accepted attitude back home was simple: you only run if someone is chasing you.

If you robbed a bank, you run. If you were trying to catch a bus that was pulling away, you might jog for a few seconds. But intentionally putting on running shoes to go sweat in public for an hour? It was viewed almost with suspicion. Seeing this constant, unending wave of joggers everywhere in Sydney, at all hours of the day, was completely alien to me. It felt like I had landed on a different planet where physical exertion was a hobby rather than a punishment.

The Financial Shift in Smoking Habits

Another major shock, and one that directly impacted my health, was the completely opposite smoking culture. In Croatia in 2016, smoking was a standard, universally accepted part of socializing. It was easy and actively encouraged to smoke almost anywhere. Sitting in a cafe for three hours with a single cup of coffee, a pack of cigarettes, and a group of friends was the absolute norm. It was how we bonded.

In Sydney, the reality was entirely different. Smoking was highly restricted in public areas. You couldn't smoke near building entrances, on public transport, in restaurants, or even on certain busy public streets. It felt like every time I wanted a cigarette, I had to walk three blocks and hide in an alleyway just to avoid a massive fine.

On top of the strict geographical restrictions, the cigarettes themselves were insanely expensive. The Australian government heavily taxes tobacco, and the sheer financial cost of maintaining a heavy smoking habit was astronomical compared to what I was used to in Croatia. Because of the crippling cost and the strict, heavily enforced rules about where you could actually light up, I naturally found myself smoking much, much less than I ever did before. I was still a smoker, yes, but the Australian environment was actively, forcefully changing my daily habits without me even having to rely on pure willpower.

The Build-up to the First Run

Living in this new, hyper-active environment eventually rubbed off on my partner. She was growing increasingly frustrated with our sedentary routine (a holdover from our Zagreb days) and the fact that we were living in this beautiful, vibrant city but spending all our time sitting on the couch. She made the firm decision to start running.

At first, I watched her from the sidelines, still clutching onto my old mindset. But seeing her consistently get out there, push herself, and return home energized finally cracked through my stubbornness and laziness. Her determination motivated me to at least try it myself.

I still clearly remember our very first run together. It was right around the tail end of 2016, just as the Australian summer was starting to heat up. We lived near Wentworth Point and decided our route would take us across the Bennelong Bridge. I didn't own proper running gear. I think I just threw on some old, unsupportive sneakers and a random t-shirt.

I was completely out of shape, carrying the extra 20kg I had gained in Zagreb, and my lungs were still heavily compromised from years of smoking. The run was far from easy. It was, in fact, agonizing. Within the first few hundred meters, my lungs burned like they were on fire, my chest felt incredibly tight, and my legs felt like they were made of solid lead. Every step was a battle against my own unfit body.

But I didn't stop. I made it across that bridge. That single, difficult, painful run over the water was a major turning point in my life. It was the crucial spark that finally ignited a fire, leading me away from the deeply ingrained, unhealthy habits of my past and towards the active, plant-based lifestyle I live today.