10 Things I Have Learnt Living Overseas

Hi, folks!

Here is my raw and brutally honest review of things I have learnt living and working overseas.


1. The longest period I spent away from Australia without visiting was just over 12 months.  Upon returning, I felt like a foreigner in my home country.  I wandered around feeling like a naive tourist, and commented on the strong Aussie accent of passersby that I once used to have.

2. Speaking of accents, mine keeps changing! Australians say I sound American, Americans say I sound British/South African/New Zealand/German/French - some days I am unsure where I belong.  My career in Speech Language Pathology most likely contributes to my accent change, because I need to be understood by the children and parents I serve, and teach my clients how to produce sounds and words according to their dialect.  Slowly converting American children to Australians, one accent at a time ... Just kidding! 😉 When I first touch base in Australia, my friends and family say I sound really American, and make fun of me for "taking a shower to get cleaner and feel better".  However, after a day or two of immersion into my Aussie culture, I soon fall back into "taking a showa to get cleana and feel betta, maaaaaate".

3. TIP: Prepare a "catch phrase" or clever response for those times when people ask "Where are you from?".  Sometimes I feel like saying "I'm from Antarctica with the polar bears", just to really stump them.  Only on rare occasions do unfamiliar people guess my accent correctly. 

4. I love trying new foods from all different cultures.  Whenever we go on a date night, Greg and I usually choose an ethnic restaurant.  However, sometimes I have those days where I just crave a good ol' Aussie vegemite sanga.

5. Americans LOVE Australians.  They love our laid-back attitudes and accents.  We are associated with iconic legends like Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter", and Paul Hogan's catch phrase "Put a shrimp on the barbie".  They also think we are tough and strong, having to deal with all of the dangerous animals that are apparently out to kill us ... please, America, have you forgotten about your brown bears and alligators?? 😉

South Beach, Miami. Photo taken by Maree Richardson.

6. TIP: Remember and/or practice entering your bank account details for your home country on a regular basis.  On one of my visits to Australia, there was an uncomfortable moment where I forgot my bank account number and password.  After entering it incorrectly a number of times, I was locked out of my bank account.  I called a representative who asked me a bunch of questions including my secret questions.  Turns out I must have answered them incorrectly, also.  After a series of hesitant "okay"'s and "a-huh"'s from the representative, she said she could not assist me at that time and suggested that I visit a branch to sort it out.  Long story short, I visited a branch and was served by the most lovely and understanding bank employee who helped me renew everything.

7. People in other countries often talk about how friendly and happy Aussies are, but I had never noticed this concept until I had been away for over 12 months.  The lady who helped me at the bank branch (from the prior story) spoke to me like a friend, and I left the bank feeling calm, warm and fuzzy (not usually how banks make one feel).  When visiting Tasmania for the first time, and aimlessly getting lost around the streets of Launceston, a friendly person working in the street stopped what he was doing, and took time out of his day to ask if we needed help and gave us directions.  So kind! 

8. It's OK to talk to strangers on planes.  This tends to happen more when I am flying by myself.  You know within the first couple of minutes of making "small talk" with the person sitting beside you whether they are in for a chat or prefer to be left in peace.  I strongly believe you can learn something from everyone you meet in life, whether they stay in your life for 5 minutes, 5 years, or forever.  In the words of Dr. Seuss, "You can learn something new everyday if you listen".

Started out strangers, ended up friends!  Rocky Mountain National Park.
Photo taken by Colorado Sightseers.  

9. Be prepared to translate everything - vocabulary; measurements; dress sizes; humor.  My temperature conversion skills from Celsius to Fahrenheit are improving, but I still use the Converter App on my phone at times.  You will often hear short pauses in my conversation when I am thinking about my audience and which word I need to use - "boot" or "trunk", "bonnet" or "hood", "jumper" or "sweater", "Autumn" or "Fall", "Primary" or "Elementary", "thongs" or "flip flops" - you get the point.  When someone asks me for my dress size, I have to convert Australian sizes to American sizes and vice versa.  There's even jokes and phrases I sometimes use that cause a confused expression on my communication partner's face, which I then have to explain what it means, and by then it has lost all meaning and humor.

10. You will STRONGLY appreciate spending time with your friends and family.  Having a specific, often short, time to spend with my best friends and family means that I am totally invested in them.  We truly make the most of quality time together and it never goes to waste (often at the expense of little to no sleep!) but the memories made are always totally worth it.  Quality over quantity.


Who can relate?


From the utterly confused and happily exhausted,


Maree