About Us

Hi there!

I'm Lina, a Colombian who's all about adventure and doing things differently! When I was 26, I traveled to Australia to study English, not knowing that Melbourne would become my home. It's been 8 years since that day, and as you can imagine, I've racked up a lot of experiences and stories that I've always wanted to share.

A good chunk of my adult life has been spent in Australia, where I've studied English, completed two diplomas and a master's degree, all while working various jobs (being a jack-of-all-trades). I've met kangaroos and animals I never imagined seeing. I've laughed until my sides hurt, I've cried, I've seen incredible landscapes, and I've learned countless lessons. I've grown professionally and learned about life in general. I've valued every person who has crossed my path and appreciated every opportunity.

In Australia, I met the person who is now my life partner, lived through a pandemic, and learned what it means to be far from family. Today, I can say that I'm infinitely grateful to life because I made the decision to come to Australia, and although it wasn't easy at first, migrating is one of the things that transformed my life forever.

Where does the idea for this blog come from?

The idea comes from wanting to serve the Latin community in Australia by sharing the knowledge I've acquired over all these years and making different processes easier. I decided to create this space as a tool to help people who are thinking of coming to Australia to work or study, or who are already here starting their processes.

In this blog, you'll find information on everything I wish I knew when I first arrived - from information on daily life in Australia, but also on useful topics such as job applications, studies, visas, and much more.

Also, we wanted to offer a perspective that wasn't written by an agency (like most of the other sites are!). Latinos en Aus will hopefully be a site that tells you the truth about life in Australia - not just the pretty or good-sounding stuff, but how things really are.

A bit more about us

Lina

I studied Industrial Microbiology in Bogotá, a beautiful career that I'm passionate about and has allowed me to enjoy great successes in Australia. I also completed a Master of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Melbourne and have learned countless skills, which have allowed me to go from an English student to a professional scientist in Australia.

I enjoy exploring cities and learning about different cultures. I relish the tranquility of reading a good book in a hammock, but I also love long walks exploring an unfamiliar country.

I also love baking healthy cakes, and one of my favorite plans is visiting local markets, buying fresh ingredients, and cooking for my friends.

Paul

The Australian 🇦🇺 half of the team! Like Lina, I love travelling and cooking. Unlike Lina, I also love watching sports (go Saints!) and nerding out on coffee and drinks. I'm a IT Consultant specialising in Solution Architecture, but over the years have done a huge amount of different jobs - mainly in hospitality while travelling.

I've watched Lina go through all the trials of IELTS, visas, applying to universities, and finding a company to give you a chance in your chosen career, and many times have wished there was a resource we could confidently refer to to know what we should do next. I remember vividly when we were about to apply for our partner visa, and wished there was a resource for me to both reassure myself AND answer all Lina's questions - which is why this site is written in both English and Spanish (to hopefully help the next generation!).

For the site, I'm in charge of all the technical stuff! I'll also be contributing a few articles and giving the perspective of the 'local partner' of a Latina in Australia.