I’ve found quite a few expat blogs of Americans living in Australia that I have been checking out lately and there seem to be a lot of homesick Sheilas down under.

I don’t know if it was different for me because I chose to move to Australia and actually had to work quite hard and strategically to get a visa to do it, but I loved pretty much every minute of my time there and didn’t really want to leave.

In fact, I was thinking about it the other day and I think that the reason I often feel I want to move back there is because I wasn’t ready to leave when we did.  I remember being so sad about leaving and it took a really long time for me to stop comparing everything to Australia and thinking that America just does everything ass backwards.

(Note that we left because my husband won the Green Card Lottery, which I will talk about another time).

But, I have learned to appreciate both places for what they are.  I would miss a lot about living here in the US, mostly the community of friends and neighbors that we have where we are.  It’s really a special thing we’ve got going.

I would also really miss my family and how they are with my children.  It’s a lot different when it’s just you, but throw kids in the mix and it’s a whole different ball game.

However, there are many things that I miss about Australia, so I thought I would make a list.  Maybe those homesick ladies who read this will recognize some of these things and learn to appreciate them too.  They actually might miss them too when their time down under is over.

1. Tim Tams – enough said.  I few weeks ago I would also have said “tasty cheese”, but I found some at Trader Joe’s.  Yay!!  I do miss the ice cream there though…it’s SO much better and creamier!
2. Good coffee bars - oh how I miss a good coffee bar that gives you a coffee/cappuccino in a proper cup/saucer with a spoon as opposed to a paper cup with a stir stick, even when you are sitting in the cafe.  WTF?!
3. Beautiful beaches. And, yes, you are right, we have beautiful beaches too.  But, they still have nothing on Australian beaches and the gorgeous clear water where you can look down and see your toes.
4. Clean beaches with no cigarette butts…or smoking for that matter!  Yahoo!  Don’t even get me started on the nastiness that I saw at the last few beaches I’ve been to here with people throwing food and everything else in the sand.  WTF??
5. The fauna – specifically the birds and the bird sounds.  I love the call of the kookaburra.
   
6. The flora – we used to love going to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens ant Mt Coot-tha. Loved looking at all the different plants then getting yummy ice cream at the top of Mt Coot-tha, overlooking the city.
7. Cab queues – you think I could get a cab in my city?  Ha!!  Call one and wait for about 1/2 hour maybe, if you’re lucky.  And I live in a pretty big, popular city!
8. The humor – I love Aussie/Brit humor.  So much wittier than American humor to me.
9. The outdoor culture/weather – with the warmer climate, everything is so much more geared towards the outdoors, which is right up my alley.
10. Markets – there is always an outdoor market to go to on the weekend to get a myriad of cool handmade/artisan stuff.  Great fruit/veg markets too.
11. My friends and family there.
12. Did I mention the beaches? Well, it deserves a second mention at least.
13. I miss outdoor shopping. I miss Queen Street Mall and the Brisbane CBD.
14. I also miss the fact that I lived somewhere on the other side of the world. It made me feel strong and capable that I had accomplished that.  I was amazed everyday at the beauty that surrounded me and I miss that feeling of awe and gratitude too.
15. The accent. I mean, yes, I hear it everyday from my husband, but I don’t really hear it anymore, if you know what I mean.
16. Shopping malls that have Target, a grocery store and a library, in addition to all the regular mall stores. Yes, you read that right.  True one stop shopping folks.  Plus, you can window shop and still not leave empty handed if you hit the library as well.  Awesome!  I LOVE this about Australian malls.  Or is this just in Brisbane?
17. Late night shopping. Though this may seem like an inconvenience to some, I loved it.  It made it like an event!  Every day all the shops close at around 5 or 6pm.  Except on late night shopping night, they stay open until 9pm.  In the suburbs, in Brisbane, this is on Thursday night, then Friday night in the city.  Often on Friday nights, my husband and I would meet in Queen Street Mall after work for a bit of walking around the shops and some dinner and drinks before catching the train home.  It was so fun.  Plus, I like the idea that the retail employees had similar normal work hours like everyone else (most shops open at 9am).  Seems more fair as they have families too.
18. The people. I have to say that I felt (and still feel) that Australians are an extremely polite and kind and generally accepting people.  They like to pull for the underdog and always feel you deserve ‘a fair go’.  I was made to feel at home and part of my husband’s family the moment I arrived (and at that time I was just the American girlfriend).  I never felt like an outsider, even amongst his friends.  At various work places, I was a part of the team and enjoyed nearly every job I held.  And although I have heard some complain about the service in Australia, I never had a bad service experience there.  Quite the opposite.  Everything has always been very good and the people are always lovely.
19. The relaxed attitudes – I feel like both my husband and myself are much more uptight living here.  Americans are an uptight bunch comparatively.   Australians are all “no worries” and “she’ll be right, mate”.  They just don’t sweat the small stuff.  I miss that.  I am currently trying to get that back in our lives right now.
20. The spiders. Are you kidding me?  Did you actually believe that?  I do NOT miss the gigantor spiders and grasshoppers as big as my hand (I kid you  not).  My MIL sprays before we come just for me.   She’s afraid I won’t come otherwise.  And I bring the grandkids.

And, if you are an Aussie expat, or just love something about Australia, feel free to add to my list!

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06/18/2009 | Australia, Living/Working Abroad.

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