Tag: A-Z

Things We Miss about the United States

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

A few months ago, I wrote a post taking a look back at the things we miss most about our previous homes. I did this by re-analyzing the A-Z lists I made for Poland, China, and Mexico; however, during this process, I realized I had never made one of these lists for the very first country we called home! So, in honor of its 250th year, I give you my A-Z list of the things we miss most about our country of origin: the United States of America.  

Apple Festival – The Elijay Apple Festival will always be a favorite of mine, but really this is just a stand in for all the annual events we grew up with and now miss out on every year: Greek Fest, Taste of Marietta, Owl-o-ween, etc.

Beef Jerky – An obvious choice for this list because it’s one of the first things we stock up on when we get back to the States. I never thought I’d miss having access to a literal wall of beef jerky options, but here we are.

Chicago – My hometown although I honestly have very little claim to it these days. Regardless, it’s the US city I most look forward to visiting, and the one I talk about more than any other.

Directness – In general, Americans are friendly yet direct, and the longer I’m away, the more I miss this odd combination that tends to be useful in so many ways.

Efficiency – Maybe similar to our tendency for directness, I love that efficiency is always the goal in the US. “Time is money” must be ingrained because I feel it in the US more than most places.

Family & Friends – Of course, as on every one of these lists, the single thing I miss more than anything else would be all our family and friends. I’m eternally grateful that we have social media and video chats and all sorts of ways to keep in contact, but the distance is by and far the hardest thing about being a perpetual expat.  

Goodwill – Another random favorite of mine, we have done our best to hunt international equivalents over the years (in Canada, it’s Value Village by the way), but there’s something about Goodwill specifically that just hits home. Maybe it’s the weird smell…?

Holidays – We celebrate ALL the holidays and then some, but we do miss some of the nostalgia often associated with the holidays. We rarely go home for Christmas anymore, but even when we do, everything has changed, and so have we.  

International Everything – Living in a country full of immigrants is the best thing ever! We really didn’t realize just how many cultures we had access to in any major US city until we moved to places with less diversity.

Junk Food – Say what you will about American food, but you can’t knock the sheer number of options we have. Pretty much every trip back to the States requires a specific to-eat list, and I’m not going to lie, a big portion of that list is always junk food.

Knowing Stuff – This one was a little hard to pin down, but we miss just inherently knowing how things are done and what people mean. Luckily, we’ve become almost immune to ambiguity, but sometimes it is nice to fit in without even trying.

Late Night Options – So maybe the pandemic killed this for everyone, but when we lived in the US, there were always places you could go late at night: CVS, Walmart, fast food restaurants, gas stations, etc. I can’t be the only one who needs an occasional 3am treat!

Moe’s – Ah, “Welcome to Moe’s!” This might be mostly nostalgia as well, but I love reliving my high school days with a build-your-own burrito and a heaping basket of free chips and salsa!

National Parks – Another one I’ve written a whole post about; our national parks are INCREDIBLE. I miss the number, size, and ease of visiting both our national and state parks.

Optimism – Americans don’t always have the best reputation abroad, but generally, one of the first things people notice about us is how optimistic we are. And these days, that’s actually pretty refreshing.

Publix – I must definitely be getting older because Publix might just be my favorite grocery store. Their chicken tendies? Sweet tea? Everything so nice and orderly? Even the color scheme – we miss it all!

Quantities – Something else we always end up doing when we go back to the US is stocking up on our essentials, particularly in large quantity packaging. I find it so annoying that in most countries, I can only find blister packs of things like Benadryl or Ibuprofen. I need more!

Road Trips – Thankfully, we’ve lived in a lot of good road trip countries, but none quite compare to the US. I don’t know how or why, but the US really does a fantastic job with our highways, rest stops, radio stations, all the road trip staples.

Service – Maybe this is related to Americans being friendly and direct, but whenever I’m back in the States, I immediately notice how nice and efficient our customer service is (in general). Smiles and small talk rarely feel forced in the US.

Theme Parks – Of course, talking to my parents always makes me miss Disney World, but I also miss the abundance of large theme parks in general. Regular trips to a theme park seemed like such a normal part of life, but not so much outside of the US.

Unlimited Refills – I just can’t believe anyone would shell out $5 for a non-refillable soft drink! Coffee, tea, soda, etc. should not cost that much. The only way it makes sense is if you get to drink as much as you want!

Variety – During the World Cup this year, we saw a lot of memes with people’s reactions to the massive amount of variety available in the US. From the cereal aisle to the menu at Cracker Barrel, Americans are always spoiled for choice.

Waffle House – Another specific favorite that is hard to explain. Is it a little dirty? Freezing cold and extremely uncomfortable inside? Greasy and probably one of the unhealthiest meals you can get? Yes, yes, and yes, but we love it so much!

eXcessive Smiling – Okay, maybe I don’t even really miss the smiling itself, but I do miss not being thought of as weird for smiling for no reason.

Yes, Exactly! – Another one that was a little tricky to put into words, but we miss being able to truly commiserate. A lot has been happening in the US, and while our friends/family abroad sympathize with us, they can’t exactly empathize.  

Zero Phone Calls – And finally, we miss being able to do anything and everything online. I honestly thought that was going to be a global norm, but it turns out a lot of places still opt for phone calls and paper trails. Ugh!

So, that’s my official A-Z list for the United States! Given all the things we miss about each of our previous homes (and how much we talk about them), we are constantly asked if we’re ever going back or if we’ll ever finally stay put somewhere. To which I say, but what about all the awesome things we have yet to discover?! 😉   

Things We’ll Miss About Mexico

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

Another international move is on our horizon (and fast approaching), so, of course, I find myself reminiscing and thinking about what an amazing 2+ years we’ve had en México. As I did with both China and Poland, I felt the urge to record some of our favorite things about living here in the form of an A-Z list of what we think we’ll miss most when we leave. Things like:

Amigos – Without a doubt, the hardest part of any move is leaving behind our friends, and I don’t know if it’s because we were here longer or because we found our friendship medias naranjas (soulmates), but this time it’s even harder. 🥹

Bebidas – Where do I even begin with all the drinks we’ll miss! Cantaritos, cazuelas, carajillos…hey, maybe this should have been “c”! Pre-Mexico, I didn’t think I was a fan of fruity drinks or coffee, but I clearly had no idea what I was missing!

Comida – Fittingly, right after bebidas is another, equally important category: la comida or the food. Even before we stepped foot into Mexico, I knew this was my favorite cuisine. Tacos are life as far as I’m concerned, and it should be no surprise that by far the best tacos (and every other Mexican dish) I’ve had has been right here.

Day of the Dead – I’m not into creepy or scary things, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with Día de Muertos, but after celebrating it in both GDL and Oaxaca, I absolutely love it! I’m taking my Day of the Dead decorations with me to Canada, so let the celebrations continue!

Español – This is another big one. I put so much time and energy into learning Spanish over the past three years that it really pains me knowing it’s already starting to deteriorate. I also know I’m really going to miss all the friendly “buen día”s and general ease and openness that comes with español.

Futbol – Tucker loves his sports, particularly local sports, so we had amazing luck moving to GDL, choosing to support Atlas, and then watching them win back-to-back championships! But really, you don’t have to win or even like soccer to enjoy the excitement you can hear literally everywhere in the city when someone scores a ¡GOOOOLLLL!

Guadalajara – Of course, “g” is for the city itself. We chose Guadalajara specifically, which was new for us. I wasn’t assigned to a posting here, we personally decided that GDL had the vibes we wanted (and maybe needed) in the uncertain pandemic times. And honestly, I don’t think we could have possibly made a better choice. In another life, we were definitely Tapatíos.

Handicrafts – I thought China had the handicraft market cornered, but I was so wrong! Mexico also has an incredibly vibrant and varied collection of things ranging from jaguar whistles to braided bags. I will, of course, be bringing many things with me when I go, but I’ll also miss seeing what all is out there!

Ice cream – Or more specifically, nieves de garrafa, is one of the main sweet treats we know we’ll miss (especially Tucker). I mean, ice cream is always good, but when it’s tequila or Ferrero Rocher flavored, that’s really something special.

Jacarandas – I’ll likely never have my own garden (for so many reasons, worms being just one of them), and maybe this is why I was completely entranced by the flowers of Mexico. Even in the cities, there are tons and tons of flowers all year round, my favorite of which are undoubtedly the absolutely gorgeous jacarandas.

Knife sharpeners – This one really represents all the sounds we’ll miss when we leave Mexico. The pan flute whistle of the knife sharpeners, the garbagemen and their cow bells, and the daily shouts of “AGUA” just to name a few.

Limones – Tucker thinks I have a limón problem. If they’re offered as a food or drink accompaniment, I usually take several and douse whatever I have. I have absolutely become a limón convert during our time here, and I know I’ll miss having them as often as I’d like.

Molletes – A dish I had never heard of quickly became one of my favorites in Mexico, the humble mollete. Toasted bread covered in a variety of amazing combinations from the more traditional: melted cheese, refried beans, and salsa Mexicana (my favorite), to the more modern, eggs Benedict, not to mention all the dulce options like lechera or cajeta and fruit, all of which I miss already!

Nature – Stereotypes have a way of getting into your head without you even realizing it, and for me, one that I had prior to our time in Mexico was that it was all deserts down here, which is absolutely not the case. I rarely saw the deserts of the North, but I will certainly miss the agave fields, the waterfalls, the forests, the beaches, and really all the amazing nature Mexico has to offer.

Our neighborhood – As much as I love GDL, what I love most is probably our neighborhood: Colonia Americana. It was recently voted as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, and we couldn’t agree more.

Pueblos mágicos – Someone had an amazing idea to boost tourism in some of the random smaller towns across Mexico by creating a pueblos mágicos (or magic towns) list. Visiting these places felt a little like collecting Pokémon, but it also allowed us to see so many different sides to this beautiful country.

Queso fundido – Another pleasant surprise for us came in the form of queso fundido. We knew we loved the queso you get at Mexican restaurants in the US, but real queso is so much better. Thick and eaten with warm tortillas, why has this version not made it north of the border?!

Rainy season – I am so happy that we already got the first storm of rainy season 2023 (a bit early as they usually start in June) because I LOVE RAINY SEASON. The clouds rolling in, the smell of a storm coming, the ridiculous amounts of rain and lightning and thunder, and even the adrenaline-inducing inundaciones that follow.

Spontaneity – If China taught us to expect the unexpected, Mexico has taught us to stop planning ahead so much. It’s far more fun to just wing it, and trust me, that’s actually much easier to do when literally everyone else is doing it too.

Tacos y Tequila – I couldn’t pick just one! Tacos are my favorite food, and learning the true art of the taco has been a dream come true for me, but tasting the best tequilas in the world from the city where they originate is something I’ll also miss dearly.

Usar esto… and by “esto” I mean the Mexico-specific finger gestures used to indicate “sí” or “no”. After being confused by these finger nods for months, we finally asked what they meant, and then quickly adopted them ourselves. I can’t wait to attempt them in Quebec and see the reactions!

Viajar – Of course, one of the things I always miss when we leave a country is the easy access to domestic travel options. I LOVE seeing parts of a country that usually only locals see, and in Mexico, although it was a bit harder to accomplish, I felt equally if not more excited when I was successful.

Weather – Surprisingly, one of the things we’ll miss most is el clima de GDL. Even though it’s so far south, the high elevation means that it doesn’t get super hot, there’s minimal humidity, and the seasons are the most consistent I’ve ever experienced. We almost forgot that in most places (like Canada), you have to check the weather every day before going out – how weird!

Xolos – Seeing a xolo (or Xoloitzcuintle) in the wild, or you know, just walking down the street with its owner was something like a game for us. “Xolo spotting” we called it, and we’ll definitely miss it as well as the regal, hairless dogs themselves.

Yolo vibes – I didn’t know how else to put this, but one of the things I’ll miss most about our Mexico lives are the “yolo” vibes we’ve experienced. “Social Thursdays”, staying up late and eating tacos well into the madrugada, the calm, good-humored or tranquilo way of handling life’s problems; it felt mentally healthier and at the same time, so much fun!

Zócalos – or plazas, are a bit of a stand-in for all the incredible architecture and history that make up each of Mexico’s many beautiful city-centers. Being from a country that loves to knock things down and build anew, I’ll forever be enamored by pre-1700s buildings, of which Mexico has its fair share.

So that’s our list! As always, I’m excited to see which of these really end up being the things we crave in a year or two, but for the time being, I’m happy to spend our last week here relishing these and many more aspects of Mexican Life as we try to gather the courage to leave it all behind. Thanks again, Mexico, what an amazing experience it has been!

Interesting Country Facts A-Z

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

April is here and with it, as always, comes birthdays week. Generally, around this time, Tucker and I are gearing up for a celebratory trip; however, just like last year, no such adventure is on our horizon. No worries though because over the past year I’ve done more than enough armchair travelling for another round-up of interesting country facts, this time coming to you alphabetically. Enjoy!

Antigua – This relatively small island in the Eastern Caribbean has a sweet secret known as the Antigua Black, the world’s sweetest and rarest variety of pineapple.

Belize – Many countries are known for their wines, but Belize puts a bit of a spin on the traditional recipe. In this Central American country, they specialize in making cashew wine, or wine made from the fermented fruits of cashew trees.

Chile – While the world’s first potatoes are generally thought to have been grown in Peru, approximately 99% of modern-day potato varieties are genetically linked to a small island off the cost of Southern Chile.

Dominican Republic – Located on Hispaniola, one of the largest and most diverse islands of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic was highly sought after during the Colonial Era. Due to the relatively early Spanish presence/conquest of the area, the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor in Santo Domingo is actually the oldest cathedral in the Americas (completed in 1541).

Equatorial Guinea – People from this Central African nation are called Equatoguineans and their official language is, somewhat surprisingly, Spanish.

Fiji – The name “Fiji” is actually the Tongan word/pronunciation of the island; the Fijian word is “Viti”. The misnomer occurred because the first encounters between western explorers and Fijians took place on the island of Tonga.  

Ghana – Ghana, which means “Warrior King”, is located on the Gold Coast of West Africa. It is home to the world’s largest artificial lake, Lake Volta, which has a surface area of over 2 million acres.

Haiti – On the other half of Hispaniola (the second largest island in the Caribbean) lies Haiti, which is often associated with Voodoo. However, “voodoo” is actually more of a product of US pop culture than an accurate portrayal of the Haitian religion known as Vodou.  

India – As a country well-known for its delicious curries, I found it interesting that the word “curry” likely comes from the Tamil word “kari” meaning “sauce”. Tamil is spoken throughout most of Southern India.

Jamaica – Like many English-speaking islands in the Caribbean, Jamaica celebrates Boxing Day and/or New Year’s Day with a colorful parade known as Junkanoo. Interestingly, “Junkanoo!” is also the name of a Baha Men album. 

Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan has a long history, thus it’s not so surprising that it has its fair share of epics, such as one of the world’s longest poems, the Epic of Manas. This poem of more than 500,000 lines revolves around the hero Manas and his many adventures.

Lesotho – An enclaved country entirely within South Africa, Lesotho has the distinction of having the world’s highest low point. In fact, the elevation of the entire country is above 1,000m (3,300ft), which is why it has the nickname “Kingdom in the Sky”.  

Madagascar – Madagascar is home to many diverse ethnic groups, each of which has their own traditional customs and rituals. One that I found particularly interesting was the Famadihana ceremony, or the turning of the bones, where families rebury their ancestors with fresh cloth, on which they write the names of the deceased so they will always be remembered.

Nepal – Most people know that Mount Everest sits on the border of Nepal and Tibet/China, but I recently learned that the Nepalese name of the infamous mountain is Sagarmatha. In Tibetan it’s known as Chomolungma.

Oman – The humble Sultanate of Oman is actually the oldest independent state in the Arab world, but perhaps even more interestingly, the most popular soft drink there is Mountain Dew.

Panama – The recent Ever Given debacle has shed some light on the importance of shipping canals, and where there’s a need, there’s a price. The Panama Canal makes over $2 billion per year in shipping fees. The average toll for a ship to travel through the canal is about $150,000.

Qatar – A peninsula on a peninsula, Qatar is the flattest non-island country in the world. It would also be a fantastic Scrabble word if proper nouns were allowed!

Russia – Russia is big. The Trans-Siberian railway, which crosses the entire country, is over 9,300km (5,700 miles) long. It’s easily one of the longest and busiest railway lines in the world. 

Sri Lanka – The teardrop of India is known for its tea (Ceylon being a former name of Sri Lanka), but it’s also where cinnamon was first cultivated.

Tanzania – While there are many notable features of Tanzania, my favorite country fact is that Zanzibar, an island just off the coast, was the location for the world’s shortest war. The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 lasted about 40 minutes.

Uganda – This Central African country was given the nickname “the Pearl of Africa” by none other than Winston Churchill. He wrote fondly of the country and its diversity in his book “My African Journey” published in 1908.

Vatican City – Technically a city-state, the Vatican City has lots of strange laws, one of which has to do with the guards they employ. Evidently the guards that protect the Vatican must be Swiss males between 19-30 years of age and they must be over 174cm (5’8’’) tall. The uniforms are also required.

Wales – Part of the United Kingdom, Wales is sometimes overlooked by its somewhat more famous neighbors, but a surprising number of celebrities are Welsh: Roald Dahl, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Anthony Hopkins just to name a few.

Yemen – Yet another country on the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is the suspected home of the infamous Queen of Sheba. 

Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe has had a rough history of leaders. From the late 1980’s to 2017, a disastrous authoritarian regime threw the country’s economy into a tizzy leading to many crashes and insane hyperinflation. For this reason, Zimbabwe’s government was printing 100 trillion-dollar notes as recently as 2009.