From Down Under to Down South

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When I first moved to America, there were plenty of moments when I wasn't sure I belonged. Looking back now, what surprises me isn't the awkward moments—it's how many people seemed determined to make room for us.

In this episode, I reflect on the small everyday interactions that gradually changed how I saw America, from a Thanksgiving invitation to familiar faces at the local grocery store. Somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling like the outsider and started feeling at home.

I don't know exactly why Americans do th...

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What happens to friendships when you live overseas for years? This week, I’ve been thinking about the people and everyday moments we slowly lose touch with — the ordinary Tuesdays we once shared without realizing how important they were.

But this is This Week in America, so things don't stay reflective for long.

I'm also talking about Georgia surviving an intense week of dance auditions, the American obsession with neighborhood swimming pools, why I suddenly miss Saturday morning cartoons, my continuing war with Tennessee squirrels, a suspicious-looking slot machine in a...

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After eight years living in the United States, I thought I understood why Americans talk to strangers.

I assumed it was friendliness.

But over time, I started to realise I was looking at it the wrong way.

In this episode, I share the observation that changed my perspective and why I now believe friendliness isn't the goal at all. From conversations in grocery stores to chance encounters with complete strangers, I explore what Americans may really be trying to do when they strike up a conversation.

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This week, a chest infection brought back memories I hadn't thought about in years. Even though it wasn't COVID, the symptoms felt almost identical, reminding me just how deeply certain experiences stay with us. 

From remembering the uncertainty of the pandemic and being separated from family in Australia, to living through storms and power outages in Tennessee, I explore how difficult moments leave lasting marks on the way we see the world. 

I also share a personal story about helping Georgia navigate friendship struggles at dance, and the challenge ev...

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When we moved from Australia to America, I assumed my daughters would simply grow up with a connection to both countries.

What I didn't expect was how raising kids overseas would slowly change the way I saw home.

In this episode, I share the moment my youngest daughter referred to Australia as "Dad's country" and why it made me realise something important: home doesn't always mean the same thing to every member of a family.

We talk about raising children in another country, building a life overseas...

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Some weeks are full of big moments. Others remind you just how nice an ordinary week can be.

This week, I reflect on the unexpected joy of having nothing much happen. We chat about the explosion of comments on my YouTube channel, why watching strangers connect in the comments has become one of my favourite parts of creating content, and why I still choose to keep politics out of my corner of the internet. 

I also share a few snapshots of everyday life in Tennessee—working from the back dec...

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After living in America for years now, I’ve realised the biggest differences between Australia and the United States usually aren’t the obvious ones.

It’s the social rhythm.

The way conversations start.
How strangers interact.
How Americans encourage people openly.
Even the way people stand in supermarkets.

In this episode, I talk about the small cultural differences Australians notice almost immediately in America — and the strange moment you realise you’ve slowly started adapting too.

From grocery stores and neighbours…
to dance...

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This week in America, I reflect on a milestone I never expected to reach: 10,000 YouTube subscribers. But surprisingly, the number itself isn't what has been on my mind.

Instead, I've been thinking about the stories people have been sharing. Stories about family, kindness, belonging, moving to new places, and the moments that shape who we become. Reading those stories has led me to a realization about this channel, my life, and why the videos that connect most deeply are often the ones where I simply sound the most like myself.

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Living in America changed me more than I realised. After 8 years living in the United States as an Australian expat, I started noticing small changes in my patience, expectations, reactions, customer service standards, and everyday life. In this episode, I talk about the subtle ways living in America slowly changes you over time — often without you even noticing.

From waiting at a Jeep dealership in Nashville… to restaurant service, traffic frustration, appointments running on time, and returning to Australia for a visit… this became one of those moments where I realised I’d ad...

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This week in America, a trip to Daytona Beach for Georgia’s final dance competition of the season turned into something I wasn’t expecting.

What started as a week of dance nationals, beaches, airports and sightseeing became a reminder that the things we remember most about travel are often the people we meet along the way.

From conversations with a Haitian taxi driver, a Jamaican maintenance worker and a Ukrainian family serving pavlova in Florida, to spending time with the dance families who have quietly become part of our...

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Living in America as an Australian changes the way you speak in ways you don’t expect. After 8 years in the USA, I’ve started noticing American phrases, cultural differences, and everyday habits slowly becoming part of my life without even realising it.

It starts small.

Saying “y’all” at work.
Asking for a “to go box” instead of takeaway.
Calling it a gas station instead of a servo.
Even changing the way you say “water” just to be understood.

In this episode, I talk about the str...

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This week, a few seemingly unrelated things came together.

A missing dance partner. The World Cup. Memories of Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand. A part-time job that almost became a full-time career. A YouTube video that suddenly took off.

For years, I measured success by promotions, responsibility and whatever the next opportunity happened to be. Lately, I've started asking different questions.

What if success isn't about chasing the next thing?

What if it's about building a life you actually enjoy living?

In this...

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Australian humour can be hard to explain until you live somewhere else and suddenly realise… people aren’t hearing it the same way.

In this episode, I talk about the small parts of Australian humour that don’t always translate in America — self-deprecation, deadpan sarcasm, understatement, “taking the piss,” and the very Australian habit of cutting down anything that feels a bit too serious.

After living in Tennessee for years, I’ve started noticing how much humour depends on shared timing, tone, and cultural understanding. Same language… slightly different meaning.

T...

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This week in America, I started a new job at a self-storage facility just ten minutes from home — or, as I've discovered, exactly two songs away.

What I thought would be a story about starting a new job quickly became a story about people.

In my first week, I met a woman from Augusta who shared stories about life during Masters week, the owners of a local Chick-fil-A who reminded me why American friendliness still surprises me, a trucking company owner from Kentucky who travels the country watching his gr...

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Why do Australians sound rude in America? Why do cultural differences between Australia and the US change how we come across without us realising? This episode explores the moment you realise you sound rude in America — and why it happens.

After living in the United States for several years, I’ve started to notice something subtle. It’s not that Australians are trying to be rude — it’s that the way we speak is often more direct, more to the point… and that can land differently here.

Back home, saying what...

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After 24 years in banking, more than 2,500 job applications, and a career that became my identity, I found myself facing something many people quietly experience but rarely talk about:

Starting over.

In this episode of This Week in America, I share the reality of leaving a senior banking career after burnout, the emotional toll of unemployment, applying for thousands of jobs in my late 40s and early 50s, losing a dream opportunity because I didn't have a university degree, and unexpectedly finding purpose through ballroom dancing, podcasting, YouTube, and building...

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Living in America as an Australian, you start to notice the small cultural differences that no one really talks about.

In this episode, I share 10 American habits that still surprise me after 8 years — from grocery shopping at places like Publix, to restaurant service, home owners associations and everyday life in the United States.

These aren’t the big, obvious differences between Australia and America. They’re the small, everyday habits that catch you off guard — the ones you only really notice when you live between two countries.

Some of...

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In this episode of This Week in America, I talk about the unexpected ways living in Tennessee has changed what feels familiar to me. I used to miss the loud chaos of Australian birds every morning—lorikeets, magpies, cockatoos—but lately the sounds of cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers have started feeling like home too.

That leads into a bigger conversation about life as an Australian living in America, how your sense of home slowly changes over time, and why emotional connections can form in places you never expected. I also shar...

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There’s a small money habit in America that I didn’t notice at first — and now I see it everywhere.

It shows up in tipping, payment screens, and everyday spending habits that quietly add up. The moment you think you’re done… there’s often one more decision waiting. A tip. An upsell. A donation prompt. Something small, but repeated often enough that it starts to shape how you spend without you really noticing.

In this episode, I talk through what it feels like to experience these everyday money habits...

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A week ago I uploaded a video called The First Things Australians Notice in America.

https://youtu.be/a2mJtfnJU-8

What happened next caught me completely off guard.

The video passed 160,000 views, the comments poured in, and I found myself spending hours talking with Americans from every corner of the country. What started as a simple discussion about cultural differences became something much bigger.

This week, I'm sharing some of the stories, insights and kindness that appeared in those comments. From goodwill and community to...

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There’s a moment that tends to happen when you live overseas.
 Someone hears your Australian accent in America… pauses for a second… and then the questions start.

After eight years living in the United States as an Australian, I’ve noticed the same questions come up again and again. Some are funny, some are unexpected, and some reveal more about the cultural differences between Australia and America than we probably realise.

In this episode, I walk through the questions Americans often ask Australians — from wildli...

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This week in America somehow turned into a mix of Jeep suspension problems, MRI tunnels, ballroom dancing injuries, drum recitals, and trying to work out why American kids seem to have busier schedules than corporate executives.

After my Jeep Wrangler started developing the infamous “death wobble,” I found myself bouncing between tire shops, mechanics, dealerships, and a father-and-son off-road garage that felt more like a Southern sitcom than a repair shop. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I also had an MRI on my leg, discovered my personal bravery limit insi...

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Living overseas changes the way you see the place you came from.

After eight years in the United States, I’ve started to notice things about Australia that I never really thought about when I lived there. Not the big, obvious things — but the small, everyday ones. The kinds of things that quietly shape your sense of home.

In this episode, I reflect on what I didn’t realise I’d taken for granted growing up in Australia. From simple routines and food, to humour, culture, and the sounds that sta...

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What happens when your kids grow up in a country that still feels new to you? In this episode of This Week in America, I share a simple moment at The Hermitage in Nashville that turned into something bigger — a quiet realisation about identity, family, and what it means to belong in America as an Australian.

Living in the United States for eight years, I’ve grown used to the questions about my accent. But hearing my daughter confidently say, “I’m American,” stopped me for a second. Not because it surprised...

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As an Australian living in America, I’ve come to realise it’s not the big cultural differences that stay with you… it’s the small, everyday habits.

In this episode, I talk through some of the little things Americans do that still catch me off guard — from sending mail from your own mailbox, to turning right on a red light, to traditions like trunk or treat.

They’re completely normal if you’ve grown up in the United States.
 But from an Australian perspective, they stand out in quiet, unexp...

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This week in America — a Kentucky weekend that started with a dance competition and quietly turned into something more. From Louisville traffic during Derby season to bourbon conversations at a hotel bar, a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum, and a roadside stop at Buc-ee’s… this episode reflects on the small, unexpected moments that end up defining the trip.

At the center of it all is Georgia’s best solo performance of the year — a reminder of what sits behind those few minutes on stage, and why those moments land differentl...

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After living in the United States for a number of years, there are still plenty of things that surprise me about daily life here. Some are confusing. Some take getting used to. But there are also things America does genuinely well — things that stand out once you’ve lived somewhere else.

In this episode, I reflect on a few parts of American culture that have quietly impressed me since moving here. From the way communities show up for each other, to the openness of everyday interactions, to small habits that make life...

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What does everyday life in America actually feel like? In this episode, I share a week that started with representing Australia at a school international night in Tennessee… and unfolded into a series of small moments that say a lot about living in the United States as an Australian.

From sausage rolls, Vegemite, and Tim Tams at an American school event… to watching kids grow up in a naturally multicultural environment… to the small everyday differences you don’t really notice until you do — like ice in drinks, mailbox flags, and even how E...

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After living in America for eight years, there’s one small phrase I’ve come to appreciate more than I expected.

“You’re welcome.”

It’s such a simple response. But the way different cultures handle gratitude says a lot about rhythm, acknowledgement, and how we close small moments.

In Australia, we tend to say “no worries.” It minimises the act. Keeps everything level. There’s humility in it.

In parts of America — especially in the South — “you’re welcome” feels like something else. It receives the gratitude. It c...

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This week in America, I started noticing how everyday life works a little differently.

Living in the United States as an Australian, it’s often the small things that stand out — like how many everyday tasks become services. From lawn care crews moving house to house, to businesses built around things most people don’t want to do, there’s a strong sense of opportunity in everyday life here.

After our fridge broke down, a trip to a local appliance store also highlighted how commission-based sales shape customer service in Ameri...

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Living overseas stretches you.
It expands your perspective. It changes you.

But it’s not free.

In this episode, I reflect on what it really means to live between two countries — Australia and America — and how moving across the world shapes not just you, but your children as well.

From magpie calls in Canberra to aircraft overhead in Tennessee… from supermarket aisles in Coles to raising kids who grow up belonging to more than one place… this is a quiet reflection on the cost of building a bigger l...

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What feels “normal” when you live in another country… isn’t always what you expect.

In this week’s episode of This Week in America, I found myself in two very different situations — standing beneath a Saturn V rocket that took people to the Moon… and sitting in a safe room at midnight during a tornado warning.

And somehow… both felt like just another part of the week.

That’s the shift you don’t really see coming when you move overseas.
Not the big differences — but the small, gradual...

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Why do American goodbyes feel so different to Australian ones?

After years of living in the United States, there’s still one small social moment that catches me off guard — the way conversations end. In Australia, goodbyes tend to wind down slowly. There’s a rhythm to them. A soft warning. A gradual exit.

In America, it can feel much more efficient. Direct. Sometimes abrupt.

In this episode, I explore the cultural differences between American and Australian social norms — what those goodbye rituals reveal about communication styles, politene...

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This Week in America: Tornado Season

The first time you hear a tornado siren in the American South… you don’t forget it.

For many people living in Australia, tornadoes feel like something distant — dramatic footage from the news somewhere in the American Midwest. But living in Tennessee, you quickly learn that severe weather isn’t something that sits in the background of life.

It’s something you pay attention to.

In this week’s reflection I talk about the moment tornado season became real...

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After eight years living in the United States, one thing still quietly fascinates me — not how polite Americans are, but what they’re polite about.

From apologising for existing…
 To holding doors from impossible distances…
 To saying “sorry” before giving a compliment.

These are moments that, back home in Australia, wouldn’t even register.

This isn’t a criticism. It’s an observation.

A look at how politeness shows up in different places — and what that says about culture, comfort, and the assumptions we don’t realise we’re...

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This Week in America: Spring Arriving

Spring doesn’t arrive all at once in Tennessee.

It shows up through small signals.

A classroom full of curious first graders listening to an Australian story about wombats. Cars covered in yellow pollen. The distant hum of pressure washers across neighbourhoods. Parents suddenly organising summer camps months in advance.

And then the evenings begin to change.

Deck lights appear in backyards. People start grilling again. The air warms. And eventually, the fireflies return — tiny flas...

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After eight years of living in the United States, I’ve realised that some everyday American habits feel completely normal… until you step back and look at them from the outside.

From root beer and sugary breakfasts, to tipping culture, giant sodas, and striking up conversations in supermarket lines — these are the small things Americans rarely think twice about, but that still catch me off guard as an Australian living here.

This isn’t a criticism. I live here. I love living here.

It’s simply a reflection...

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This week I received an email from Georgia’s school about attendance.

Apparently she has reached five “unexcused absences”, which means I now need to have a meeting with the principal and the school counsellor. The interesting part is that I don’t even know what the five absences are yet — I have to wait for the state to send a letter outlining them.

What struck me about the situation wasn’t really the rule itself.

It was the structure behind it.

After twenty-five years in banking...

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Think American folklore is scary?

From the Bunyip to the Min Min lights, the Australian bush carries stories that make Bigfoot feel almost… friendly.

As an Aussie living in the United States, I hear a lot about the Mothman and the Jersey Devil. But today, I’m taking you back home — into the Dreamtime, the Outback, and the misty bush — to share five Australian legends that have unsettled people for generations.

We’re talking about giant water spirits, ghost lights that follow cars across empty highways, and the so-cal...

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Living overseas long enough changes the way you hear things.

Sometimes it’s obvious. Sometimes it’s just a single word that quietly reveals where you started.

In this episode of This Week in America, I reflect on accents, tone, and the subtle ways culture settles into the way we speak. From catching myself saying “car park” instead of “parking lot”, to hearing the different voices my daughters have developed growing up between Australia and America.

I also share a small moment from the dance studio where a British pa...