I get to house sit these first six weeks that I am back, so I'm living rent free - so great. The house even has a pool - even better! But I work a very demanding job here too (not that you can tell by most my social media posts though). It took six stressful months just to get my new work visa SUBMITTED to the Australian government, and another five weeks for it to be approved. While I waited for a decision, I came back over on a tourist visa, which meant I couldn't legally work AND I didn't really know whether to pack for three months or four years as I was leaving home (I ended up packing only two large bags, with a combined weight of about 150lbs...haha, oops). You read above correctly, but maybe you missed it, my work visa was approved!!! Which means I can continue working in Australia up to four years now! Whoop!! Whoop!! Go me.
But let's get back to my job description...for all of you who don't know, I work for an emergency respite care company called S.N.A.P. (Special Needs Accommodation Program) - which is why you'll see many of my work posts on social media hashtagged with "#ohsnap." Clever, I know :) Basically we take in foster kids and look after them short term until their case worker can find a permanent placement. These kids can stay with us anywhere from a couple days to over a year; the real kicker is that most of ours that we get have some sort of disability/special need - it ranges from bipolar, schizophrenic, autistic, and oppositional defiant disorder...just to name a few. It's twenty four hour care and there's a number of different support workers (carers) like me who rotate on and off shifts, which typically run
Yes we get to do fun activities with them: Luna Park (amusement park), Wet 'n Wild (water park), FlipOut (trampoline park), movies, pro soccer/rugby games, beach days...these are activities I get to do if the person I'm looking after has earned their activity points and chooses to do them. And for me they're "free" so it's even better! But the downside to working with some of these kids is getting cussed at, getting threatened, getting spit (spat) on in the face, having your phone smashed, getting bit, getting scratched, getting kicked...these things have ALL happened to me and generally happen on the "reg(ular)" and as unfortunate as it is there are very few "incident free" days. In fact, I consider a good day to be a day when the cops don't get called, or I'm not spending 12+ hours in a hospital with no sleep.
This job takes a toll on you. It's not all rainbows and beaches like it might seem...please pray for me, I need patience, because the next four years has only just begun!
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9
xo - Cristin
