A Sydney man has revealed how a month-long European holiday made him question the way he was living back home — and ultimately helped convince him to leave the city altogether.
Nick Slater and his fiancée Zoe moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast at the beginning of August, chasing what he describes as a “permanent sense of holiday“.
The content creator told Yahoo Lifestyle the move had been on the cards for some time. Their lease was ending and, with children potentially in their plans over the next few years, they also wanted to be closer to family in Queensland.
Nick Slater revealed he and his fiancée Zoe moved to the Gold Coast from Sydney, saying it had been a plan for a while but a European holiday is what pushed the couple to do it.
(Supplied/@nickslater)
But it was a month travelling around Europe in June that gave them the final push.
“We noticed they are so carefree over there, and they’re not as strict with their routine,” Nick said.
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“We took inspiration from that, because in Sydney, we just fell into a very optimised culture where we were trying to perfect everything.
“We were getting obsessed with nighttime routine, and doing all the right things.”
Have you happily made a big move? Contact claudia.poposki@yahooinc.com with your story
Sydney man rejects ‘optimisation culture’ after Europe trip
The “optimisation” Nick describes is the growing fixation with trying to improve almost every part of daily life — from sleep scores and morning routines to diets, exercise and productivity.
While many of those habits can individually be positive, Nick said he had reached a point where trying to constantly make the “right” choice was making everyday life feel unnecessarily rigid.
He would feel guilty if he had a couple of drinks, for example, or didn’t perfectly follow his bedtime routine.
Nick said he noticed in Europe that he might have his priorities “backward”.
(Supplied/@nickslater)
Europe offered a stark contrast.
People were eating dinner at 11pm, socialising late into the evening and, from Nick’s perspective, appeared far less concerned about sticking to the sort of routines he’d become accustomed to.
It made him question whether he had his priorities “backward”.
Aussies continue to ditch capital cities
Nick and Zoe aren’t alone in reconsidering big-city life.
The latest Regional Movers Index, produced by the Regional Australia Institute and Commonwealth Bank, found the number of Australians moving from capital cities to regional areas reached its highest level on record in the March 2026 quarter.
The number of Aussies swapping capital cities for the regions jumped 20.1 per cent in just three months, with almost four people moving out for every three heading the other way.
A big inspiration for the move was their European holiday.
(Supplied/@nickslater)
Sydney led the exodus by a long way, accounting for 55 per cent of those leaving capital cities.
And while many Australians may not think of the Gold Coast as “regional”, it is in fact included as regional under the Australian Bureau of Statistics classification.
Housing and cost-of-living pressures are among the factors influencing where Australians choose to live, according to the report, although for Nick the motivation was much more about lifestyle.
How regional move changed Aussie’s every day life
One concern the couple had before leaving Sydney was whether the move would limit their professional opportunities, but Nick said that hasn’t eventuated.
Instead, he said the biggest change has been allowing themselves to loosen their routines.
“We’re just relaxing the rules a little bit,” he said.
“We’re seeing friends and family more, having a beer on a Wednesday night and not beating ourselves up for it. It’s been great so far.”
Nick said the move had been good for the couple.
(Supplied/@nickslater)
Nick said the couple feel “a lot happier” and more connected since making the move.
For him, that’s also what can sometimes be forgotten in the pursuit of an increasingly optimised life.
“We optimise for sleep, dieting and don’t drink. So, I’m being perfect, but human connection gets missed from the conversation,” he said.
Nick pointed to communities around the world known for longevity, where strong social and family connections are often a prominent part of daily life.
“So, yes, be healthy, but also, I think that human connection factor needs more attention, and that’s kind of what we’ve been prioritising the last month or so,” he said.
Since making the move, Nick said he’s also noticed plenty of other former Sydneysiders and Melburnians around the Gold Coast — something the broader migration figures suggest is far from anecdotal.
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