Things I Miss - The Short List

Although I'm living in a 1st world, English-speaking country that really has more similarities to life in the US than differences, there are certain things that I've found myself missing often.  Here are just a few of them in no particular order- and not including family and friends- because those are implicitly at the top of the list of course!

*Mexican Food 

I think I could conceivably be OK with the fact that there aren't Mexican food restaurants here IF the general ingredients to make some of my favorite dishes were readily available.  But they're not.  I get so frustrated when I find a recipe I want to try that includes typically Mexican food ingredients, because I pretty much know I won't be able to find those ingredients. 

 

*Target

Don't even get me started on the imposter that calls itself Target here, because it is really just upsetting...

 

*Oprah

Well, the Oprah Winfrey Network to be exact.  Yes, it's true, I'm an Oprah fanatic. And unfortunately I let myself get addicted to her shows (mainly "Oprah's Next Chapter") in the months before we moved.  I got excited the other day when I saw O Magazine in the grocery store... until I saw the $9.99 price tag!

 

*Diet Dr, Pepper

My life blood. Honestly, I don't know how I've survived over 3 months already without it.  Coke Zero will do as a substitute for now, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it.  There is just no replacing good ol' DDP. 

 

*Tall buildings, freeways, crowds

Basically all the things you find in a big city.  I very much feel like a city mouse living uncomfortably in a country mouse's shoes.

 

*Online shopping

Australia as a whole is really not too big on online shopping.  It's probably good for our bank accounts, but oh how I miss Amazon and all the other amazing online shopping in the US

 

*Being within 1-4 hours of the same time zone as my friends and family

My brain is on auto-calculate CONSTANTLY adding or subtracting hours to figure out what time it is in any given place in the U.S.  I've got a very limited time frame each day where "acceptable phone talking hours" overlap between here and the U.S.

All those things aside, I do try to remind myself that these are very minor things (well aside from DDP and Oprah, of course).  And I also know that whenever it is that we move back home, I will be thinking of all the things I miss about life in Australia.  But until that time, please, all of you- go enjoy these things for me! :-)