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| If you knew then, what you know now | |
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| Topic Started: Feb 1 2010, 12:35:31 AM (2,189 Views) | |
| AmbroseChick | Mar 19 2010, 12:26:09 PM Post #41 |
True Blue Mate
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I haven't had much difficulty obtaining food things... but I have had macaroni & cheese packets sent over (not the noodles just the orange powder stuff) because my 10 yr old refuses to eat Australian mac and cheese and I refuse to pay the price for the American version. I have also had many packets of ranch dressing mix sent over as well. I think my only frustration has been the hours that the stores are open... it makes it challenging to get any shopping done but on the other hand its been good for the budget!  |
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| blarg | Mar 19 2010, 01:55:47 PM Post #42 |
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True Blue Mate
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Yeah, the store hours are painful at times. When I brought my partner back to the states I was telling him that we could shop at Old Navy at midnight in our little podunk town in Southern Oregon. He loved it. It took me a LONG time before I stopped assuming I could just knick by somewhere and get something at 7pm. |
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| TerritorianTori | Mar 19 2010, 03:57:10 PM Post #43 |
Dance to disco
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LOL... that reminds me of the first time K visited the States. We'd just gotten out of a movie at around 10pm, and I suggested going to Wally World. The look on K's face was priceless. "You mean there are stores open 24 hours here?" 
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 South Texas to the Northern Territory - since 2004 I'm a huge fan of... Angry Video Game Nerd | The Big Bang Theory | Doctor Who | Pet Shop Boys | Yanks Down Under ~ Americans living in Australia Avatar by Sketch Shop Boys | |
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| Samantha | Mar 19 2010, 04:51:09 PM Post #44 |
True Blue Mate
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They might not be at all branches, but I did some Kraft 'Dino' Maccarroni and Cheese at "Cheap as Chips" the box was 2.00$ which is still expensive but not crazy. |
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| Johnnynero | Mar 19 2010, 05:15:48 PM Post #45 |
Anklebiter
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| sunshine | Mar 24 2010, 01:37:18 PM Post #46 |
True Blue Mate
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so true. the one thing that always trips me up is that I now need to carry cash regularly. I keep forgetting that most places have a $5 or $10 limit in order to use plastic. |
| Steph | |
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| shylady | Mar 24 2010, 03:31:45 PM Post #47 |
oldYank
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 Reminds me of a former YDU'er Brett, that lived here in Perth for ~2 years, as they were leaving I bought some of the stuff they didn't want to take to New York...Brett said, "Oh, COOL! I've never SEEN an Aussie $100-note, only $50's come out of machines!" I, on the other hand, being older, have had to learn to USE plastic, since I moved here!  |
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"I could’ve turned a different corner, I could’ve gone another place... " ku,'09 | |
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| Johnnynero | Mar 25 2010, 04:17:14 PM Post #48 |
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Anklebiter
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If I knew then what I know now I probably wouldn't have agreed to move here. |
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| chocopaws | Mar 25 2010, 04:29:22 PM Post #49 |
True Blue Mate
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I, too, missed tortilla chips. But Coles has Mission Tortilla Chips (my favorite!) on a regular basis now. I brought a couple hundred tampons with me when I moved over here. XD I can't really think of anything that I wish I had brought with me. Perhaps that was just good planning on my part (but really, my husband did all the planning hahaha). Johnnynero - is it that bad? |
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| gpierce | Mar 25 2010, 07:39:55 PM Post #50 |
True Blue Mate
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Really? Why? What do you know now that makes you say that? Why is here so bad?? Greg |
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| jayde | Mar 26 2010, 01:07:41 AM Post #51 |
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Yacker
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I occasionally used to think that too, of course I am planning my return home, so its eased off a bit now. I dont Hate the USA, after all it gave me a wonderful man, but I miss all that I am used to, and have not managed to make many new (read any "American") friends here, which I think makes a difference. I always thought immigrants who stayed within their own culture in a new country were a bit strange, why not enjoy the culture you have moved to, but with all my new friends being made from an aussie club, i have more understanding now. Some things are great here, and I am sure if it is your own culture you must miss it terribly. But me not so much, even though I have taken the ultimate step and am now a ring-in yank. |
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N400 approved Sep 2009. Australian Spouse Visa 309/100 applied for 21 Dec 2009 Medical criteria not met, so waiver application sent Medical Waived and 100 visa approved 12 July 2010  | |
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| Johnnynero | Mar 26 2010, 11:12:15 AM Post #52 |
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Anklebiter
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It's pretty bad. My wife finally brought the issue up today, (as she's a very smart woman and knows when I'm not happy), and I told her that it's only been 6 months so I'll see how I feel in another 6 months... I had to clarify and say that I hoped that I'd feel more "at home" and used to things after more time but that honestly I couldn't picture spending the rest of my life here... She said we need to discuss this because she DOES picture spending the rest of her life here. So you can imagine how I'm feeling right about now. RIGHT NOW I can't see past how I'm feeling at the present. Because I am optimistic, I do tell myself it will get better. But, as I noted on the "homesick" thread, I like I don't want to start acquiring more stuff, more ties to Oz. Our son is 2 1/2 and I find myself thinking things like I don't want him to go to school here... I tell my wife that I don't see that it's particularly "better" here... Things along those lines. I feel trapped. I feel like I've severed ties and given up a life that I was pretty happy with. Sure, we had our money problems and such just like everyone else and there are/were things about the US that I didn't care for... But it was HOME... and this isn't. As long as I'm being honest and spilling my guts, I feel like I made myself believe how great it was going to be here for the sake of making my wife happy and now that I'm here I feel like I made a mistake and sacrificed my own sense of security and well being for her. Then there's the other side of me that says "suck it up"; we all make mistakes and we have to live with them... But lately I've had a real sense of my own mortality, (maybe having a toddler at 48 does that), and just feel that I'm too old to be much into the whole starting over thing... God what a mess. Anway, there you go... Sorry to lay all this crap out here. Edited by Johnnynero, Mar 26 2010, 11:15:12 AM.
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| koalamama | Mar 26 2010, 12:40:13 PM Post #53 |
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True Blue Mate
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I really hope you two are able to work through this. Maybe in 6 months you will feel differently... but maybe not. And then you have some hard decisions to make. I had resigned myself to sucking it up, but then when talking with someone they made a comment about along the lines of " you can't just mark time here" and I thought, that's exactly what I am doing. Are there any Americans in Adelaide that you can hang out with when the need strikes? |
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| chocopaws | Mar 27 2010, 12:10:28 AM Post #54 |
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True Blue Mate
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I agree with Megan. This is definitely a serious issue that you and your wife need to discuss. She wasn't happy back in the states and you're not happy over here. It's true that you can't just mark time here and endure things just because you made a mistake. You know you're unhappy and something needs to be done. On the other hand, it's good to keep an open mind and yes -- see how you feel again in six months. But don't think of it as, "Oh good, in six months we can revisit this and maybe we'll be able to go back home." Think of it as six months in which you want to do the most that you can and keep thinking about the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives. Good luck... and if you need someone to talk to just to get things off your chest, the YDU folks are always more than happy to lend an ear. 
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| lizkay | Mar 27 2010, 02:45:37 AM Post #55 |
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Chinwagger
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It's a hard position to be in Johnny. I feel your pain. Your feelings resonate with me but I know you're in a much more difficult spot than I since we have no familial ties here. I hope you can express yourself honestly and openly with your wife. It will make it much worse to keep it bottled up, to let it all accumulate over time. The worse thing couples can do is allow resentment to build up. Talk with her, keep the conversation going. I think out of all the changes from this experience, the most important will be that this time here in Australia together can make my marriage even stronger than it already is. We will grow from this experience together. I talk about it [my struggle to adjust here] openly with my husband who is much more agile than I and who is adjusting better than I. I am always thoroughly impressed with people from this site and other expat blogs I read who are able to adjust so well and are simply peachy with their new lives here. I want to be that flexible, adaptable. So I work on it everyday. (Sometimes I think I'm losing it with the mental dialogues I have with myself.) I have been working quite diligently at keeping a positive and open attitude. It's not always easy, but it's been getting easIER as of late. I focus on the positive things about living here and try to add to the list --really push myself to add to the list. I don't want to be someone who always thinks the grass is always greener on the other side. (I, like you, when in the U.S., was really psyched, jazzed, over-the-moon-thrilled about coming here when my husband decided to accept a job offer here). I had my own culture shock episodes (I've posted [ranted] here about it in the past). Lately, I have been trying hard to work on stopping myself from comparing the elements of life here to those in the U.S. for sanity's sake. It helps but it's kind of impulse, natural to compare... I hear you loud and clear on your sentiment about the sacrifice to move here. Like most people, we had to give away, sell at substantial loss our material possessions to come here. I think many people took/are taking a significant hit financially to either make the move here or to live here, or both. I, too, have thought about this as an argument against throwing in the towel just yet. But, for you, it doesn't seem like this should, in the end, really be a consideration over all your other concerns. Sounds like you're fighting some tough decisions involving the future. Focus on what you think is best for you. The costs to make another move is just the unfortunate byproduct of what you determine to be your future course. My best wishes as you work this through...with your wife - together. |
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| SanDiablo | Mar 27 2010, 08:39:26 PM Post #56 |
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True Blue Mate
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JohnnyNero - perhaps THE most dangerous thing about moving here (no, perhaps about life in general) is reconciling reality with expectations. High expectations are a recipe for disaster, whereas low expectations can only be exceeded. My husband also uses language that suggests we will stay here forever - which stresses me out because I fantasize about going home someday. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is forever, so don't let it all weigh so heavily on you right now and try to find some moments to enjoy. And if you drink beer...I can promise to help you enjoy some in the very near future, as I am moving to Adelaide soon and am happy to shout a round or two and share my story. |
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7:55 AM Feb 8