3 Bedroom Bungalow to Let in Crazytown: Withdrawl

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Withdrawl

Whenever a group of expats meet-up there is always a few minutes that we seem to dedicate to naming the things that we miss about our home country. It isn't that we don't appreciate the country that we are currently living in or recognize the fact that we are truly blessed to have the opportunities that we have in our host country, but one always does miss the familiar.

Having just returned from America I have been contemplating the things I truly miss about home. Here are a few of them:

1. The large selection of restaurants. I know in large cities in the UK there is a large selection of restaurants, but here in the area of England that I live in there is a real lack of dining out options. There is a local pub, a kebab shop, a couple of chinese restaurants and a couple of indian take outs. In the small town I lived in before moving here we had a steak house, multiple pizza joints, a subway, a sonic (fast food burgers/chicken/ etc.) a McDonald's, a KFC, a family restaurant that served breakfast all day (bonus), a Taco Bell, a Wendys (fast food), a Mexican restaurant and more. I guess if my husband and children ate chinese food or indian I might feel less restricted, but they are picky and don't so our options are extremely limited here.

2. Seeing my favorite American shows when they are first aired. Yes, I get my shows here but usually it takes months to get them from the original air date in the States. A mild annoyance.

3. Strangers randomly picking up a conversation with you in a supermarket line. It just doesn't happen here. Of course there are times when in the States it used to annoy the hell out of me when I was in a rush, but generally I miss it.

4. Having family in the same country. I have never actually had family live near me my entire adult life, but there is something comforting about knowing they are at least in the same country, even if it is a 20 hour drive away.

5. Water pressure. At my mom's house her shower nearly pins you to the back shower wall. It is awesome. It takes literally 3 seconds to wash all the shampoo out of my hair. In the two houses that I have lived in here in England the water pressure has been less than desired. Of course I desire water pressure that is near equal to being pressure washed so I guess that might be hard to find anywhere.

6. Having air conditioning. Do I really need to explain this one? Of course on the same side of this argument it would be nice to also have a hot summer than lasts longer than the month of July. Which is why I guess air conditioning would be superfluous in England.

7. Understanding all the cultural references. I understand a lot of cultural references here in England now, but sometimes I will just nod my head or just have a look of pure cluelessness on my face. Every once in a while I just wish I was in on all the jokes.

So if you were to leave your home country or have left already, what would/do you miss?

Comments (18)

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Pants With Names · 763 weeks ago

There are so many things that you miss, but I find the cultural thing the biggest to deal with. Even harder between the US and the UK where you think it won't be that different (compared to say the UK and Bangladesh) but it really is. WElcome back! Hope we get a bit more summer for you. x

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Expat Mum · 763 weeks ago

Sausages. Can't say it enough. Oh, and even my daughter commented yesterday about how English drivers let you in when you need to merge into a traffic lane. We were in appalling traffic yesterday in the middle of Newcastle, but all the drivers were taking turns to get into the proper lane. They would rather sell their souls to the devil in Chicago!

1 reply · active 763 weeks ago

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Mom in High Heels · 763 weeks ago

LOL! I learned to drive in Chicago and this is soooo true!

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lyn · 763 weeks ago

I miss going to the Pub..walking everywhere..public tranportation....sauasages..fish and chips cheese and onion crisps..Twiglets...Galaxy chocolate...good bread...toasted cheese and onion sandwiches...and of course my family!! ;-)

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lyn · 763 weeks ago

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TheMadHouse 92p · 763 weeks ago

This is true even on North and South England. I missed my family

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Mom in High Heels · 763 weeks ago

Your family doesn't eat Chinese or Indian? What is wrong with them? I'm not a HUGE fan of Indian, but Chinese? Loves it. About once a month we'll order Chinese food (which all 3 of us eat with chopsticks-a must) and watch Kung Fu Panda (we ALL love this movie and have no problems watching it over and over). Maybe that's how you can talk your family into liking Chinese! Let them watch Kung Fu Panda while they eat it.
Let's see, what do I miss about the US? Target, TJMaxx, Marhsall's Hobby Lobby, Wendy's frosties (OMG, some days I would sell Indy for a frostie), big mall, cell phone plans that I can understand, knowing what everyone around me is saying (sometimes this isn't a good thing, but having everything in German around me is weird), the Olive Garden salad.
Things I DON'T miss: ridiculously low speed limits on long stretched of highway, commercials (we don't get them on AFN), big billboards everywhere, and NOISE. The US is so noisy.
BTW, if you want to watch your favorite shows, check out tvshack.cc They have thousands of shows and usually have new episodes up the day after they air in the States! Hurrah!

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Captain Dumbass · 763 weeks ago

Guess it would depend where I was moving to. I'm sure I could get over the losses quick if I was pulling up stakes and moving to Maui.

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smittenbybritain · 763 weeks ago

Kat, I was reminded of some of these things again this summer on our trip. The one thing I did miss (besides the air-con, which as you say, really is a moot point) was the variety of restaurants that we have here in the U.S. How easy it is to find Mexican food for instance. But other than that there wasn't anything I really missed about America. But I do know how you feel because I remember feeling that way twenty years ago when I lived in England. When I think about the things that I used to miss I now regard a lot of them as petty. But that's because I'm much older and those things like conveniences you realize in the grand scheme of things don't really mean that much. Once you're back in the states for good, you start to take them for granted again quite quickly. I missed my family too but then after I moved back I really didn't see them that much and now even though my parents only live 30 min. away, they never come up to my house.
As far as #3 goes that happens because you live in the South. No one here talks to me in a store, anywhere! You're lucky if the sales person talks to you. #5 really made me giggle because when we were in England we were loving the wonderful water pressure and taking long showers. Our water pressure where we live in PA is terrible also our water is very hard. When I was in the UK I barely needed any lotion or hair conditioner, my hair and skin were so soft. It's interesting how people's experiences are different depending on where they are from.

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crunchiemummy 61p · 763 weeks ago

The cultural differences are so true. Just when I think I'm fitting in, someone will say something during conversation and I find myself nodding away wondering what the heck they are going on about. Having lived here so long though I imagine the same thing to happen when we do finally move back.

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Vegemitevix · 763 weeks ago

Right on the money for me today. Today's the 2 yr anniversary of when I left NZ on this big adventure to ENgland. I miss so many things. Definately cultural references - it's a different sensibility here, more formal. Less chatty. I miss feeling part of a community as I did in Auckland where everyone knew me. I miss decent cafes and coffee! I hate to say it but it's shit coffee in England it really is. I miss summer, and the surf, and the beach. I miss the food. I miss fresh fish and meat and shellfish. I miss boating and skiing and the bush. I miss having a large two storey house and a decent yard. I miss being 1km from the beach. I miss people who have watched me grow up and become the woman I am today. I miss most of all being able to go back. It's been two years since I've bene downunder. Four years since I've seen my mother. I just wish I could pop home when I feel homesick. :-( I'm praying to get back for Christmas. But as I'm still not earning enough the £8k airfares could be impossible to find.

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deleted98147 2p · 763 weeks ago

I'm moving to Spain next month so no doubt I'll make myself a list like this too! I reckon, family, water pressure and the air conditioning thing will feature in my list too - not that we wont have air conditioning it's far too expensive to have on out there and in the winter it's freezing! Should be fun eh!

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Emma · 763 weeks ago

I lived in California for a while and whilst I didn't miss anything about the UK I still miss stuff from the US! I miss sunshine, air con, krispy kreme, road trips, sunshine, Walmart!!!!

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jfb57 64p · 763 weeks ago

I thinkit is quite difficult to know what you'd miss. I suspect it wouldn't be the things you'd immediately think of like different food items.

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SueAnn · 763 weeks ago

I used to live in Ohio and now live in New Mexico. I really miss Frozen Custard Stands...oh the creaminess!!! I really miss that!
Hugs
SueAnn

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turtleturtleturtle 21p · 763 weeks ago

I'm in California now and miss Florida. When I was in Florida I missed Ireland. When I was in Ireland I missed Japan. When I was in Japan I missed Ireland.
Usually I miss Ireland. Family, friends, in-jokes, and knowing what people are saying are severely underrated.
That said, I'd give my left leg for for a source of bread without high fructose corn syrup in it. Indeed bread without any sweeteners in it at all, please. That's my dream. It's a bit sad. And perhaps time to but a bread maker. But would I use it?
It's harder being someplace familiar than somewhere completely different. When you expect things to be one way and they're different it's harder than finding the unexpected. And can be maddening.

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Kim@TwoGoodCookies · 763 weeks ago

I just came back to the UK from the US (after a month home). Oh boy do I miss Mexican food. And Mexican ingredients in the supermarket. And space. Just wide open expanses of grass, fields, dirt and sun. I often find it very overwhelming when I first get back to the UK that there are people everywhere. And houses everywhere. And cars and dogs and stuff everywhere. That said, I also have a grocery shop just up the road and easy access to the city of London, so I guess one has to take the good with the bad!

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Soma Sengupta · 762 weeks ago

Air conditioning! Mexican food! Yes, I do miss those. Mostly I miss that ease that comes from familiarity. There's something so comforting about home!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Withdrawl

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