Arcadia Italy

Ok so there’s a lot of talk of how Aussies have a better lifestyle – better beaches, free health care, amazing holidays and generally a more chilled out and relaxed way of life. But sometimes… the USA just gets it so right.

Electrical plugs

So it’s only a little thing – but you guys seem to have so many more of them, in Australia we’re conservative about putting them right near the tv or maybe one in the bathroom – but in my travel’s to the USA, you couldn’t turn around without a plug in your recent vicinity and this is so handy when you're charging phones and laptops etc.
Aussie bonus points: we do have this handy way of not using excess power by putting a switch on the plug. USA you could really up the anti here!

Choices, Choices, Choices

In the USA – you want a cheesecake? How about a choice of 20?! You want anything and there’s always a huge amount of choice – this can be amazing but also inundating. Ever heard of decision anxiety? Your huge population allows for so many more options so you always get a range to choose from in your choices. In Australia, in comparison, I don’t think we have quite the same range of options.  We definitely do not have an entire shop dedicated to choice in cheesecakes.

Costs of clothing

Everything is less expensive here – outdoor equipment, shoes, clothes, toiletries. Don’t even get me started on your Target! Oh dear, 10 minutes in there and suddenly I’m off to the baggage isle to buy more luggage to put everything in to take more home. 

Cheap groceries

So a bag of fruit and veges in Australia will cost you anywhere from $30-45 in Australia. I went to a local grocer in Philly and got a similar bag of produce for $20! Eating healthy…SCORE!

Sugar

So I’m not a big fan of the stuff - it’s not healthy, it’s addictive, and so tempting but no where in the world does sugar so well and in such huge amounts (and in the perfect fat/sugar ratio) than the USA. The junk food is so tasty – it’s best done in very small doses, but then American doesn’t really do small sizes, so you'll have to find a friend to share the food / guilt / management of self-control.

Welcome nature and Generosity

I’ve always found Americans in the USA to be the most hospitable, generous and welcoming people who would completely change their plans / direction just to help me out when I asked for help when I was lost. So giving, it’s like you’re always welcomed into strangers homes like you’re a long lost relative. Amazing.  This also extends to amazing hospitality in hotels, restaurants and even just people in the street. 

Chipmunks / Squirrels

So they might be rodents to you - but to an Australian, you are suddenly surrounded by cute fluffy creatures who scamper delightfully and have no intent to kill you – nor do they have fangs. It's quite the change from our home environment and so we see it as a win win for an Aussie.

Wifi

It’s almost always free – it’s everywhere and it’s fast. When you compare this to Australian internet which hasn’t yet reached the speeds that Kazakhstan enjoy (a third world country) it's expensive and also not easily accessible and has a tendency to dropout. Then you’ll understand why the Aussie’s get excited about their download speeds while travelling in the USA.

Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s

Enough said. Order me a forklift to load me on the plane home.