In one of the classes I’m teaching this semester, we’re reading a book called The Culture Map, which discusses various cultural differences by comparing some of the norms and expectations that can be seen across different countries. Unsurprisingly, reading and talking about what it’s like to live and work in places like the US, Poland, China, and Mexico has me reminiscing a whole lot!
In fact, I recently took a look back at some of the posts I wrote about my experiences living and working in these countries, which got me thinking about the things we miss most about each of them, and I started wondering if those A-Z lists I made near the end of our time in Poland (2016), China (2019), and Mexico (2023) ended up being correct, or if there are other things we miss that I didn’t even think of at the time. So, for this month’s post, take a walk with me down Memory Lane as I delve into what we REALLY miss about some of our first homes abroad.
But first, a disclaimer: each of my original lists had some form of “our home”, “our apartment”, or “our neighborhood”, the cities we lived in: Łódź, Hefei, Guadalajara, and their respective languages: Polish, Mandarin, and Spanish on them, and those would easily make it on any list I were to make today because, well, those were our homes and communities, and I simply love language! But for this post, rather than sentimentality, I’m hoping to narrow down all the other features of each place as objectively as possible. Maybe one day I can use this to find the perfect hybrid of a future home country. You never know!
Poland
When thinking about our time Poland, the first thing that comes to mind, which is, in fact, on my original list, is Ryan Air. Although now I’d probably just say “budget airlines” in general as I have no specific allegiance to Ryan Air over Whizz Air or Easy Jet, the concept as a whole is absolutely one of the things we miss most. In 2016, we took a €30 flight from Warsaw to Porto, Portugal. Can you imagine?! A similar distance here would be for us to go to Winnipeg (not even international), and it would cost at least $400. Of course, digging a little deeper, it’s not just the cost, but the variety and closeness that Poland/Europe provided us. We could and did take a bus to four of Poland’s neighboring countries and a local train to several others in the region, and that’s really what we miss: close international options.
Next up would be the grocery stores, which isn’t on the list exactly, but the idea is there in “chleb” (bread), “kiełbasa” (sausage), and “kartofel” (potatoes). We miss the quality and the freshness of Polish products. At first, I remember lamenting the fact that we had to make so many things (like sauces and salad dressings) from scratch, but now I wish we had fostered those skills a bit more. Thankfully, we did learn some lessons and still habitually make our own bread and pickles, but it feels less purposeful and more avoidance strategy here. I also really miss having a huge variety of all the foods I grew up on. Only in Chicago am I able to find several, authentic varieties of my beloved kabanosy and homemade pierogi (although Ottawa gave us a smaller, but still respectable selection as well), but nothing compares to Poland!
And rounding out the podium of things we miss most about Poland has to be the architecture, which is also on the original list. Honestly, that was one of the things that immediately struck me about living in Łódź, and I never grew tired of staring at all the incredible buildings around me. I’m sure this is partially why we keep choosing historical cities like Guadalajara and Québec because I love being even just a small part of the incredible history of the spaces I inhabit. We don’t often find ourselves re-visiting places, but when we do, by far our favorite pastime is to see how the city has changed because even more impressive than the architecture itself is how it’s adapted again and again. Through its factories turned malls and power stations turned cultural centers, Łódź taught us to look a little deeper at the architecture around us, and I sincerely miss seeing those impressive transformations and how they’ve shaped and re-shaped the city.
China
The first thing we miss about China is so obvious because we bring it up all the time: QR-code payment (represented by “WeChat Pay” on the list). We didn’t use cash at all while we were living in China, and that was close to a decade ago! Stores, restaurants, street vendors, farmers selling produce out of the backs of their trucks – literally everyone used digital forms of payment, and I miss it so much. Not only was it way faster and easier for us linguistically-challenged foreigners, but think of all the paper we saved by avoiding all those receipts! Related to the use of digital payment, I also miss the fact that I could go anywhere with just my phone in my pocket. In China, I almost never bothered with a purse or a bag because everything I needed was on my phone. I’m not generally a huge fan of technology, but that’s absolutely one piece of tech I wish was the norm everywhere.
Next up for China has to be the fast trains (or the “gāotiě”). Similar to the budget airlines in Poland, I miss the extensive, cheap, and super-easy-to-use train system of China. I often say you can get anywhere in China without a car, which isn’t exactly accurate, but that’s definitely what it felt like. We never worried about getting from city to city or even planning our trips much in advance because there was always another train. In addition to the plentiful (and affordable) travel options the train system gave us, I straight up just miss taking the train. It’s easily my favorite method of transport, and I’m sad that options for it are limited (to say the least) in North America. There’s simply nothing quite like casually slurping up some ramen while the vastness of China zooms by at 200km/h.
The third thing for China has to be some of my favorite Chinese dishes, which is hilarious because I actually struggled with eating nothing but Chinese food for months after we first arrived. I initially found real Chinese food to be altogether too different from what I was used to, and I just couldn’t get over the lack of familiarity. That is until I found my favorites and learned how to ask for what I wanted, essentially creating a new level of familiarity. And now that we can’t get real Chinese food regularly, I find myself making those things myself (which if you know me, you know is a huge deal because as a general rule, I don’t cook). There’s just something so utterly unique about authentic Chinese food, and once you find what you love (which for me includes but is not limited to Chongqing noodles and jianbing, both of which are on the list), it’s hard to live without it. Of course, it’s also hard to live without Ele.me and free tea everywhere we go too, but I’ll save those for another list…
Mexico
I knew without a doubt that I would miss rainy season when we left Mexico. The US is blessed with an abundance of regular storms, and that was something I quickly came to miss when we first moved abroad. But Mexico upped the ante, and now I miss having a whole season of daily storms and crazy weather. There’s just something about a storm that is so exciting, yet calming at the same time, and being able to set your watch by that phenomenon every day for three months is magical. I know rainy season can actually be dangerous for many people and places around the world, but from my home office in Guadalajara, it was beautiful. And the fact that it brought cooler temperatures every year only added to its appeal. I’m probably one of only a few people in the world aiming for rainy season when I travel, but hey, I knew that about myself then, and it’s still true now!
Another thing we really miss about Mexico was summed up pretty nicely with “spontaneity”, but I don’t think we realized just how much we’d miss it in basically every aspect of life. It could be due to the huge swing back into a super schedule-oriented country like Canada, but we definitely struggled at first getting back into the habit of making reservations and planning things out months in advance. Even now, I sorely miss the ahorita of it all! Nothing felt as rushed or as imperative, and yet everything still got done. When I find myself worrying about things piling up and deadlines fast approaching, I try to channel our GDL years and the tranquilo way of life that everyone loves about Mexico, and rather than making a plan to do something fun next weekend, we’ll up and go right then instead. ¿Por qué no?
And last but not least for Mexico is, of course, the cuisine. Are you sensing a theme? We miss the high-quality groceries of Poland, the unique foods we came to love in China, and for Mexico, it’s all about the perfect collection of ingredients which have come together to make the most delicious cuisine in the world, and you can fight me on that! Tacos – perfect. Molletes – perfect. Palomas – perfect. You name it, I love it. And much like finding authentic Chinese food, the further away you get from Mexico, the less likely you are to find it (especially at a reasonable price). But again, as I reflect, I feel like it’s not just the food that I miss, but the way it was enjoyed. 3am tacos after a night out; molletes for a quick-and-easy breakfast on the go; palomas sipped on a sunny rooftop terrace – the food is incredible, but the atmosphere is even more so!
And while we’re full-on reminiscing here, there was one other thing that happened to be on all three of my original lists: “amigos”, “péngyǒu”, or “friends”, and honestly, more than anything else, that’s what we miss the most. Sometimes it’s hard to have our friends spread out all over the world, but it’s also pretty special. So, here’s to the next time we see each other – reminiscing in one of our homes or off exploring another! Either way, you know we’ll be eating something delicious!
Okay, I realize Milwaukee is not the most glamorous or exotic city on anyone’s list, but hear me out. This smallish city, famous for its breweries and cheese, is only about an hour north of Chicago. Perhaps because of this, it can sometimes be overshadowed by the fame of its neighbor; however, in addition to the flavorful brews and delicious cheese curds, the city also lies along Lake Michigan with a river running straight through its center (sound familiar?). It also has a very strong European influence, which can be seen in the architecture and abundance of towering cathedrals. It might be less than half the size of Chicago (and about half as expensive!), but this city has been modernizing in a way that would make any European enthusiast proud. Many historical neighborhoods have been beautifully restored, the additions of a city Riverwalk and a new park have livened up the outdoor scene, and if you’re brave enough to endure the temperatures, the city is absolutely breathtaking in the winter.
The capital city of Ukraine has had a bit of a bumpy ride over the past few decades, but that isn’t so evident when traipsing around the city as an excited tourist. Although Ukraine is not in the EU yet, you’ll find many of the same European conveniences backpackers and travelers alike have come to expect: wonderful public transportation, many downtown hostels and hotels, and a slew of monuments, churches, and parks to wander around. The city is known for its monasteries and domed, Orthodox churches, but I remember it most for it’s extremely cheap and delicious food! Most signs are in Cyrillic (like the Russian alphabet), which I think adds greatly to the city’s charm, but if you’re worried about language skills, the English spoken is quite common and understandable, especially by the younger generation.
“Huang-what?”, you might be asking yourself. Huangshan or Yellow Mountain is not particularly well-known outside of China, except perhaps by avid hikers or mountaineers. However, this city and the mountain it takes its name from are spectacular places for anyone to visit. Lying about 4 hours west of Shanghai (by train), Huangshan is a destination that really has it all: beautiful nature, historical sites, and modern shopping. It might not be one of the largest cities in China (or even close), but it’s still pretty large from my perspective, with a population of 1.5 million. Just outside the city, accessible by bus are the mountains (to the north) and the preserved ancient towns of Hongcun and Xidi (to the northwest). All are worth a visit, and will remind people why China is often referred to as a traveler’s dream.
Known officially as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Macedonia is a small country in southern Europe that most people wouldn’t be able to pick out on a map. The capital city of Skopje, lies in the north of the country and is completely surrounded by mountains, giving it spectacular views from every angle. The city was heavily influenced by ancient Greece, which you can easily see in the large stone bridges and plethora of white columns, but it uses the Cyrillic alphabet (like Russia) and also claims one of the largest numbers of mosques in Europe: talk about a melting pot! The culture there is a unique mix all seeming to revolve around food, the incredibly refreshing 
Ah, Norway! Land of trolls, fjords, and the midnight sun. When I hear people planning a trip to Norway, usually Oslo and other cities in the southern part of the country are the first to be mentioned. However, I would much rather choose Bergen, a little further north, nestled into the fjords on the country’s west coast. This city in winter or summer is a great jumping off point for further exploration of the fjords, but it has enough to do in town that you might not even want to leave! From town squares and colorful row houses to funiculars and downhill sledding, Bergen has a lot to offer for those who prefer to spend their time on activities that don’t break the bank. However, when the time comes to spend a little cash, a great way to do it is on the food! There is a wide variety available here from traditional Scandinavian specialties to a TGIFridays; the choice is really up to you!
Another destination from my homeland (home state even) is Savannah, GA. This seaside city is always equated with the “old south”: plantation houses, buttery foods, and a slower pace of life come to mind. However, this city is a lot more than that. It can cater to a younger crowd nowadays with its bar streets and beaches, but there are also tree lined avenues, old cemeteries, and little antique shops that are great for the traveler with varied interests. Savannah is not as famous as perhaps New Orleans or Charleston, but maybe for that reason, I found it to be less affected by outside influences. It is a city that it uniquely itself: beautiful and eclectic, much like many Georgians I know.
One of my more recent discoveries, Ulaanbaatar is an unexpected gem of the travel world. A unique combination of different cultures set in a landscape like no other I’ve seen. The city itself has plenty of sights and traditional Mongolian activities and foods, but just outside the city is a completely different side of life in one of the largest landlocked countries in the world. A nearby national park gives breathtaking views of the mountains and vast plains of Mongolia, while wild horses and yak stand on the side of the road grazing in the fields or drinking from the winding rivers. It’s a bit more rugged outside the city, but no less friendly. Ulaanbaatar is consistently ranked highly by travelers who are lucky enough to go there. The lamb dumplings alone are worth the journey!
This destination (and the whole country really) is near and dear to my heart. I spent a year living in Poland and made it my job to explore every corner of the country. What I found was a series of destinations that many people gloss over in favor or Warsaw or Krakow, the more international locales. However, when I think of places to visit in Poland, my mind first goes to its Baltic Coast. Just across the Baltic sea from Sweden, Poland’s “Tricity” of Gdansk, Sopot, and Gdynia sits about four hours north of Warsaw (by car). These cities have an incredibly interesting history, which has allowed them to retain their distinct and varied atmospheres. Gdansk, formally German, has an industrious feel, an international airport, and an impressive city center. Sopot is a resort town with Europe’s longest wooden boardwalk and many fancy shops and hotels. And finally Gdynia, the most Polish of the three, boasts beautiful beaches, several hilly parks, and a ferry to Hel and back. Who wouldn’t want to to see all of that?!
Last year around this time Tucker and I were finishing up our year spent in Łódź, Poland. It was an absolutely amazing experience that I did my best to share with all my friends and family via social media. Perhaps one of the most expressive ways I found to share what we were experiencing was through the “Notes” I wrote each month on Facebook. Unfortunately, due of the nature of Facebook, they weren’t terribly easy to find, especially after some time had passed, so as I prepare for our next adventure abroad (and the sharing that will surely follow), I wanted to make my previous posts more accessible. So here are the links to the ten posts I made last year during our time in Poland. Enjoy!
Dani Francuz Rose 