Gotta Get Back, do, I do

In an effort to try to remain positive I'm going to spin this next blog into, "Stuff I'm looking forward to," Rather than "Things I won't miss about Australia."  Here it is, ta da!

1. Prices:  If I ever complain about what anything, I mean anything, costs in the United States I hereby grant you permission to slap me in the face.  You may refer back to this statement as proof. 
   
2. Selection:  This can go both ways. While I'm excited to have the endless choices we are afforded in America, from anything such as bread to running shoes to toothpaste, I would be lying if I told you I didn't look at it differently than when I left.  We have too much selection.  I fear it has created a society of people who think that it's their right to have such a selection and complain when they don't. This could spin me on an entirely new post entitled,  rights vs. privileges, why is this so hard to understand?  But, I will save you the rhetoric.  A lot of Americans have turned into whiny, privileged, self-aggrandized brats. Believe me, it's not a great look from the outside. I strive to not let myself become a part of that culture. 
   
3. Sunflower Seeds:  I am grateful to my wonderful friends and family who have kept me in supply with my beloved David Sunflower Seeds while I was here.  Either by airplane or mail, I've had a lot of seeds for a country with none in sight. But, I'm so excited to be able to get in a car and drive to the local store to get them. Seriously, it's embarrassing how excited I am about this. 

   

   Soon, my love, soon.

4. Family (this includes Zoe and Zoom Zoom): This is the number one reason why we aren't staying here for good.  I feel like if we even had one, second cousin, twice-removed, we might entertain the thought. But alas, we do not. My mother is rejoicing. Plus, we really miss our dogs. My daughter and I sit at the park and watch the dogs play.  It's a sad sight and maybe a little creepy. Soon, they will be our dogs we will be watching! 
5. Watching American sports at normal times: I will enjoy not having to wake up at 3am to watch the Tennessee Titans play their fascinating brand of football. Fairly sure that is a form of torture in some cultures, especially the watching the Titans part. 

   

   Actual picture of me watching the Titans.  Really?  Not really.

6. Food:  Weird that this is on both lists, eh?  As much as I love having independent, local shops and restaurants everywhere, there are a few foods from Nashville I've truly been missing.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  But, I'm also looking forward to knowing exactly what stuff is going to taste like.  For some reason, companies here have bought licensing for American products but not the recipes.  That means that I get super excited when I see a product from home only to eat it and be horribly disappointed that it almost tastes like what I remember. It is a very frustrating phenomenon.  

   

   Don't be fooled. These are "Australian" Doritos.