This woman gave up city life for the outback, and she's never looking back
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We hear a lot in the media about people ditching their busy city lives to move out to the country, in search of a simpler way of living. In most cases, it's retirees who are seeking some peace and quiet after years of working hard and raising families.
But what about young Aussies? Surely they wouldn't want to trade in all the conveniences that city living has to offer for life elsewhere?
As it turns out, there are quite a few young Australians who are doing just that – and they're loving every minute of it!
One such person is 27-year-old Tylah McConnell, originally from Sydney.
Tylah, a midwife by profession, decided to move 2,750km away from her home city to Alice Springs in April 2021. She was only planning on staying for six months on a secondment – but she quickly fell head over heels for life in the Northern Territory and has no plans whatsoever of ever going back to Sydney.
'I fell in love with the land and the people. I'll never live in Sydney again, only ever temporarily. Life is so stressful and hard there. It's just a much easier lifestyle in the Northern Territory,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
Tylah never gave much thought to moving away from Sydney, but the city’s housing crisis made affording a house impossible.
'I started thinking, is this all there is for the rest of my life?'
Then one night, while caught in uncertainty, she got the urge to look up Alice Springs.
‘I applied for a job and got it very easily. I didn't even research the town, I just booked the flight. I didn't know anyone, I just came on my own.'
And so she left the city to head out to the Australian heartland.
Many things stood out to Tylah once she moved for good to the town, the first of which was the town’s sense of community.
'You never have to catch a taxi as someone will always take you. You don't have your family here, so friends become family,' she said.
Her social life, though coming from the constant buzz of the city, was by no means less vibrant in the outback.
Alice Springs only has one main nightclub — but Tylah swears by the town’s activities, such as an active theatre scene and social events like pool parties, as ‘anything but boring’.
After her life-changing move, Tylah also found a renewed sense of work-life balance — something the average city worker would probably envy greatly.
It is likely because of that newfound balance that she has also had time for romance, as she met a local doctor who she fell head-over-heels in love with.
What’s more, far removed from her Sydney housing dilemma, Tylah and her beau bought a house in just six months!
Source: TikTok
'To buy a three-bed house in Alice Springs, I didn't even have to use a third of the deposit I had been saving in Sydney,' she said.
She added: ‘In Sydney, I was always worried about money. I don't even think about it here. I focus on friends and having good experiences.'
Despite the benefits of moving, Tylah admitted it also has its challenges.
For example, according to her, there is a limited selection of shops in the town (they do have grocery stores like Coles and Kmart), and their remote location makes it difficult to order food or clothes online. Cellular service is also problematic, as it cuts out at a distance 15 minutes away from Alice Springs.
In her job now as a women’s health educator, Tylah also said the biggest challenge is the lack of resources.
‘We don't carry blood in the hospitals, so working here means you have to adjust to the fact that someone in a car accident is less likely to survive. (Two-month-old) babies have more chances to survive in Sydney than in a rural town,' she said.
Challenges and all, Tylah has learned to embrace life in Alice Springs — something she couldn’t help but compare to her past situation.
'In Sydney, you're sold this lie of that's where opportunity is and the countryside is boring. I found the opposite, here there is no job competition, I feel so valued and doubled my income.’
'Here, it's more important to do one thing and make it good, and everyone just tries their best.'
She also had a message to those who were once like her, trapped in urban disillusionment and feeling a spark to explore the world outside city life: 'People, especially those from big cities, should just try it, just try it and say you'll give it that. It opens your life to what could be instead of what's expected of you.'
Well, we’re glad Tylah found her place after such a bold — and honestly, quite scary — move!
Source: TikTok
What do you think of her story? Have you had a similar experience of moving elsewhere to start over? In your case, do you prefer living in the city, or out in the countryside?
Share your thoughts and suggestions with us in the comments section below!
But what about young Aussies? Surely they wouldn't want to trade in all the conveniences that city living has to offer for life elsewhere?
As it turns out, there are quite a few young Australians who are doing just that – and they're loving every minute of it!
One such person is 27-year-old Tylah McConnell, originally from Sydney.
Tylah, a midwife by profession, decided to move 2,750km away from her home city to Alice Springs in April 2021. She was only planning on staying for six months on a secondment – but she quickly fell head over heels for life in the Northern Territory and has no plans whatsoever of ever going back to Sydney.
'I fell in love with the land and the people. I'll never live in Sydney again, only ever temporarily. Life is so stressful and hard there. It's just a much easier lifestyle in the Northern Territory,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
Tylah McConnell does not regret leaving Sydney life behind. Credit: Daily Mail
Tylah never gave much thought to moving away from Sydney, but the city’s housing crisis made affording a house impossible.
'I started thinking, is this all there is for the rest of my life?'
Then one night, while caught in uncertainty, she got the urge to look up Alice Springs.
‘I applied for a job and got it very easily. I didn't even research the town, I just booked the flight. I didn't know anyone, I just came on my own.'
And so she left the city to head out to the Australian heartland.
Many things stood out to Tylah once she moved for good to the town, the first of which was the town’s sense of community.
'You never have to catch a taxi as someone will always take you. You don't have your family here, so friends become family,' she said.
Her social life, though coming from the constant buzz of the city, was by no means less vibrant in the outback.
Alice Springs only has one main nightclub — but Tylah swears by the town’s activities, such as an active theatre scene and social events like pool parties, as ‘anything but boring’.
After her life-changing move, Tylah also found a renewed sense of work-life balance — something the average city worker would probably envy greatly.
It is likely because of that newfound balance that she has also had time for romance, as she met a local doctor who she fell head-over-heels in love with.
What’s more, far removed from her Sydney housing dilemma, Tylah and her beau bought a house in just six months!
Source: TikTok
'To buy a three-bed house in Alice Springs, I didn't even have to use a third of the deposit I had been saving in Sydney,' she said.
She added: ‘In Sydney, I was always worried about money. I don't even think about it here. I focus on friends and having good experiences.'
Despite the benefits of moving, Tylah admitted it also has its challenges.
For example, according to her, there is a limited selection of shops in the town (they do have grocery stores like Coles and Kmart), and their remote location makes it difficult to order food or clothes online. Cellular service is also problematic, as it cuts out at a distance 15 minutes away from Alice Springs.
In her job now as a women’s health educator, Tylah also said the biggest challenge is the lack of resources.
‘We don't carry blood in the hospitals, so working here means you have to adjust to the fact that someone in a car accident is less likely to survive. (Two-month-old) babies have more chances to survive in Sydney than in a rural town,' she said.
'In Sydney, you're sold this lie of that's where opportunity is and the countryside is boring. I found the opposite, here there is no job competition, I feel so valued and doubled my income.’
'Here, it's more important to do one thing and make it good, and everyone just tries their best.'
She also had a message to those who were once like her, trapped in urban disillusionment and feeling a spark to explore the world outside city life: 'People, especially those from big cities, should just try it, just try it and say you'll give it that. It opens your life to what could be instead of what's expected of you.'
Well, we’re glad Tylah found her place after such a bold — and honestly, quite scary — move!
Source: TikTok
What do you think of her story? Have you had a similar experience of moving elsewhere to start over? In your case, do you prefer living in the city, or out in the countryside?
Share your thoughts and suggestions with us in the comments section below!
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