Since we're on the home stretch and about to leave the wonderful world of Oz I made a list of things I'm going to miss.
In no particular order...
The eggs - God they have good eggs here. They are a wonderful delicious bright ORANGE, which means lots of flavor and lots of Omega 3. American eggs are flavorless and yellow in comparison and since we eat eggs every single morning I'm really going to miss these.
The coffee - I've written about how I take my coffee and how it's a pain in the ass to figure out how to order it in different countries. But now that I've been here awhile I'm definitely going to miss my flat whites. I think what I'm honestly going to miss most is the size of the coffees. They come in really small sizes...6 or 8 oz is the norm, and I love it, I don't NEED a giant coffee, in fact even in the US when I order a giant coffee I never drink the whole thing.
Australian sense of comradreship - There's a certain Aussieness that I can't really accurately describe and you'll have no idea what I'm talking about unless you've been here. But they're way out here in the middle of nowhere all by themselves and they are there for each other. They have a deep sense of togetherness and "I'm here for you mate." I guess you could call it patriotism as well, they go out of their way to support other Aussies in whatever they do, ie. they still love Mel Gibson even after his fall from grace.
Speaking of mates, the way they constantly use the word "mate". I don't think I can get away with it...calling others mate that is, but I do love hearing it, it's a good word and can be used in many many different contexts.
Aussies in general - They're nice. Just really nice people. They always want to help you out. I very rarely encounter a rude Aussie.
Ferries - It's awesome to get wherever you need to go by ferry.
Sunscreen with Zinc - Oh how I love the zinc sunscreen. I've tried about 7 different brands and have finally found the BEST sunscreen in the whole wide world. It's Australian Cancer Council Active and it works so well that Dom can slather himself up and go at least ONE WHOLE HOUR without having to seek shade or reapply. That's amazing for someone who normally burns in the shade with sunscreen on especially in this uber intense Australian sun. AND it goes on and soaks in IMMEDIATELY so you're left feeling like you have absolutely no sunscreen on whatsoever. It's fantastic, I plan on buying boatloads of it before we leave.
Prescriptions - $24 for all prescriptions...I have nothing else to say about that.
Kangaroos and Koalas - Hands down the coolest animals I have ever seen and to see them in the wild is just amazing.
The beach - Obviously I could live somewhere in the US with a beach, but honestly I'm not a real beachy type person, and there's just something about the Australian beaches...they're so beautiful and there's always a cool breeze so you never feel too hot. And they're SO easy to get to...I will definitely miss that.
Now, I'm sure I've missed some things on here and I'll update if I think of more.
Any other of you expats who have some good Aussie things you'll miss when you leave?
Ahh- I'll miss so many things. I agree with your list (except for the Rx thing- I've had prescriptions that were over $100 here). I'll add these:
ReplyDelete-Bakeries. Fresh bread and pastries on nearly every corner
-Views. So many gorgeous views, everywhere!
-TimTam Crush.
-The accent. I love the Aussie accent (and words like rubbish, trolley, pram,- and expressions like brilliant and darling)
-Living in the city. Not sure how I'll ever be able to go back to suburbia and strip malls.
Are you going to do a list of things you won't miss? Because those crazy shopping trolleys with the 4 wheel drive would be up at the top of that list for me!