After finding herself working multiple jobs just to make enough money to pay her rent, Celeste knew something had to change. She was struggling to make ends meet while living in Gordon in Sydney’s north and came to the realisation that working one job during the day and another at night was no way to live.
“It was crazy. I was just like, ‘what am I doing? Why am I doing this?’ ” the 28-year-old told Yahoo News.
“It was this cycle of me working multiple jobs at one point and only paying rent. And then a bill comes up, and there goes your money. Just to rent and bills.”
The lack of time and money meant Celeste was “constantly worried, constantly stressed and never really settled”.
In March this year, she and her fiancé made a move they had been considering for a while. They swapped the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a small town in the Snowy Mountains, about an hour and 45 minutes away from the popular tourist town of Jindabyne.
Being in nature with fresh air and less expenses has been great for the couple’s mental health, as well as their wallets. Source: Celeste/tiktok.com/@seatosnowy
“I’ve always wanted to move to the middle of nowhere and leave that all behind and just slow down completely. Get back in touch with the things that actually bring me joy in life,” she said.
“I just feel like society is out of control with the cost of living and everything’s ‘smart’ and AI… I just feel like we’re so disconnected from ourselves.”
The Regional Movers Index, which tracks movements between Australia’s regions and capital cities, shows migration from capital cities to the regions has remained high since Covid.
In the June quarter of this year, 11.2 per cent of movers made a move from a city to a smaller town.
Financial impact of tree change
Celeste’s partner found work easily, and Celeste was able to keep one of her part-time jobs that allows her to work from home.
Even with the reduction of work hours, the pair aren’t stressing about paying their rent and find that they have much more downtime to do things they’re passionate about.
For others thinking of escaping city life, she says ‘just do it’. “I’ll never get sick of the views.” Source: Celeste/tiktok.com/@seatosnowy
Celeste estimates they are saving “hundreds” weekly with the reduced rent, emphasising how she was paying through the nose for a shared apartment in Sydney, compared to a three-bedroom house now with a backyard.
And it’s not only their financial situation that’s improved. The change has also worked wonders for her mental health.
“The wide open spaces are so healing and to be away from all the noise, all the traffic… it’s a breath of fresh air. The slow pace works wonders for the nervous system,” she said.
Coles, Woolworths two hours away
One of the hardest things about living more remotely is the distance from amenities like shops, supermarkets and hospitals.
The closest major supermarkets are almost two hours away, meaning that a trip to do groceries can take as long as a five-hour round trip.
While she described it as “challenging”, Celeste said the distance has forced her to become more resourceful. She now plans out her shopping ahead of time and makes the trip to the shops once every three weeks, and happily supports local butchers and greengrocers in between for her fresh food.
Have you been thinking about escaping the city?
For anyone wishing for a change but not sure where to start, Celeste offered some advice.
“You need to just take that leap and trust that it will work out for you and you’ll figure it out as it comes,” she said.
“Don’t listen to what society is saying or the pressures of society that are telling you that you have to work a 9-to-5 and be in the rat race, because if your heart and soul want to have a different life or truly slow down, it is completely okay to do that.
Celeste has had time to focus on her baking, with her recent creations using the lemons from the tree in her backyard. Left: A lemon slice. Right: A lemon almond cake. Source: Celeste/tiktok.com/@seatosnowy
“There was this little voice niggling away at me – and I’m sure a lot of people are the same – it’s saying, ‘I want to move, I want to change’. Just listen to that voice, because that’s your future self guiding you to where you need to end up.”
Celeste now dedicates her spare time to her love of baking, something she rarely had time to do in Sydney. She loves baking from scratch, and has started sharing her recipes online.
From her home she has a view of the mountains, which she says she will never get sick of.
“Never. And I’m still just like, ‘wow’. Like every day I’m like, ‘wow’,” she said.
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