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

From Resident, To Citizen

Hi, folks!

After 4 years of living and working in America, transitioning from conditional to unconditional Permanent Residency, mountains of paperwork, fees, fingerprinting, background checks, interviewing, testing, and more waiting, I became a U.S. Citizen in December of 2017.  I am honored to now officially call myself a dual citizen of Australia and America.

Photo taken by Gregory Richardson.

For those of you wondering if it was worth the "hard slog" - absolutely.  The freedom to move between countries whenever I please without being scrutinized, the mental and emotional stabilization of knowing that Greg and I will no longer have to be apart for extended periods of time, and being welcomed "home" no matter which direction I travel, is a feeling like no other.

A few weeks prior, I undertook a face-to-face citizenship test and interview.  I was a little nervous preparing for the process since the test covered a variety of U.S. facts and history.  There was a bank of 100 possible questions that the interviewing officer could select from.  These questions and answers were memorized on our "hurricane evacuation road trip" up to Alabama and back!

Greg and I attended the Oath Ceremony in Tampa, Florida.  It was short and sweet, albeit heartfelt and meaningful.  There were 69 people from over 20 countries who also attained their U.S citizenship alongside me at the ceremony (although I was the only person hailing from Australia)!  It was interesting to hear some of their stories.  One man from Guatemala had been waiting 15 years for this moment - Wow!

Who else out there is a dual (or triple!) citizen?  If so, what countries are you a citizen of?

Cheers,

Maree

     

2017 in Review - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Friends!

Here is a brief update of our 2017.

It was a “rocky start” for us. The herniated discs in Greg’s lower spine worsened.  He ended up having back surgery in May. We were slow-going for awhile, however, with physio appointments and at-home stretches and strengthening exercises, Greg is much improved. 

Career-wise, I transitioned to working for the local School Board as a Speech Language Pathologist. I'm currently stationed at 3 different schools, and enjoy the variety of working with preschool and elementary/primary aged children.  The School Holidays will be a bonus, too! 😉

Hurricane Irma pummeled through the Caribbean and into Florida in September. We evacuated our house and drove up to Alabama to wait it out. It was a bit nerve racking waving goodbye to our house and not knowing what it would look like when we got back. Fortunately, the storm veered to the right and avoided a direct hit in our area. Our hearts go out to all those who did not fare so well.

We visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee for a second time. This place holds a special place in our hearts.  I also spent one week exploring the beautiful Australian state of Tasmania with my Mum.  We experienced some of the clearest waters, cleanest air, untouched nature and the most diverse geography.  Tassie is bloody beautiful, mate!

Honeymoon Bay, Tasmania, Australia.  Image captured by Maree Richardson.

To top the year off, I officially became a dual Australian-American Citizen. After 4 long years the wait (and paperwork!) has finally come to an end and a new chapter begins.  You can read more about this in my next post. 😊

Have a great week!

Maree