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?! 😉