I have talked a good deal about how hard it was to leave Australia and the depths of our homesickness since we arrived but I think it is time to talk about all the good we have found here in America. There are at least ten things we love about America. As I ponder the upheaval and life change that we have experienced I can see the goodness of God at every turn. Here are ten things I am grateful for. These are in no particular order.
- Living with four seasons.
- The culture of respect.
- Personal liberty and freedom.
- Friendly, kind and welcoming people.
- Experiencing new flora and fauna.
- The Basketball, girls, big trucks and muscle cars (this vote from my teenage boys)
- Christian Culture
- Being Fully immersed in and experiencing another culture.
- The land of opportunity. .
- Homesteading and Homeschooling.
Lets break that down a little and explore what I mean.
We Love America Because…
Living With Four Seasons
It is funny because many Texans have told me that we don’t really have four seasons here. But to an Aussie who has lived most of her life in tropical Qld, Texas has four definite seasons. This is something I have always wished for. To me there is something beautiful and almost poetic about living out the four seasons and watching the world visibly change as it shifts from one season to the other.
In Queensland the landscape is either always green (if you live on the coast) or always brown (if you live inland). This is of course a generalisation and not exactly true. During the wet season, the inland comes alive with greenery for a short season before dying off again. And some places in-between the coast and outback have periods of brown and green. But this is more related to fluctuating rainfall and seasons of drought, than it is to seasons changing regularly. Australia truly is the land of droughts and flooding rains.
Here in Texas there is a warm brief spring, a hot summer, a late (admittedly) but still distinct autumn and a cold grey winter. It gets very hot, it gets very (for Aussies at least) cold, there are beautiful soft fall colors and bright cheery spring flowers. Four distinct seasons. It is a delight to my senses.
When we drive along the back roads in April and May the fields and roadsides are covered in masses of blue, pink, orange and yellow. The falling leaves and gusty winds of late October whisper of the softly approaching winter. The cold chill of January invites me in to linger by the fire and dream up warm winter wonders to feed my family. The steamy heat of July and August are probably the most unpleasant – but they build resilience as we soldier on with the work at hand and make the coming cool weather, all the sweeter. Yes, I really do love the four seasons living here.
The Culture of Respect
It was evident as soon as we moved to East Texas that this place owns a deep culture of respect. The most obvious display of this was the deeply ingrained habit of saying “yes sir, yes ma’am” frequently, in almost all cases, in any conversation. Although I immediately appreciated the respect shown by such a culture, it took a while for us to adjust and adapt to this as a family.
Speaking like this was not only foreign to us as Australians, but if you were to speak that way in Australia you may find yourself the object of derision and scorn. It would likely be interpreted as prideful and acting superior to converse like that. This is something difficult to articulate or explain unless you have lived in our country.
Regardless, we did our best to help our children adjust to this new way of speaking. We explained the many virtues of honoring and respecting the person you are speaking to with the acknowledgement of ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’. It was an awkward and clunky adjustment and not without incident. Several times our children were judged harshly for not remembering to use these titles.
Despite this, I still think it is one of the things I love about America. Well, Texas at least. There is an honoring of men and women. There is an honoring of those in authority.
There is also an honoring of the elderly. We have particularly noticed this through my in-laws who live near us. They are in their 80’s and comment frequently at how complete strangers will stop and help them at the supermarket, or in the carpark – to carry things, to open doors or assist in any way they can. This to me is beautiful and as it should be.
Personal Liberty and Freedom
This one is perhaps a little delicate to discuss but definitely high on my list. Coming from a highly regulated and controlled country such as Australia, it has been a huge culture shock to find ourselves in a country with so much personal liberty.
Sometimes, it must be said, America has felt a bit like the Wild West. A place with many many more people than Australia, more crime and more risks. For the first 12 months I felt almost on edge, nervous about what might happen next.
Our first rental house was broken into; there were regular and often fatal road accidents reported locally, almost weekly; extreme poverty as well as extreme wealth seemed to affront our senses every time we left the house. The roads were full, fast and furious. Drugs, crime and accidents seem prolific. And perhaps most shocking to me at first… motorcycle helmets are optional, not required by law. So we were horrified to regularly see people riding down the highway at 80 plus miles an hour (128 km/hr) with no helmet and no riding gear!
All that being said, this freedom is simultaneously alarming and exhilarating. A man is free, it seems, to do as he pleases so long as he respects his neighbor. You can put up a building on your property without miles of red tape. You can let off fireworks in your front yard (outside of city limits) whenever you like. I have been able to start a micro bakery from my kitchen under the Texas Cottage Food Laws with ease and simplicity. You can own and operate a gun without any dramas. The list goes on.
To illustrate my point I often picture traveling along a road. In Australia you are buckled into a railway carriage, set on a straight track following the railway line – you are wearing safety boots, helmet and goggles and know exactly what will happen next. In America you are thrown loose in the back of a pickup truck (Aussie ute) with no seatbelt, no safety gear and no clear road ahead. You can go anywhere you want and choose your speed.
The thing is, I didn’t realize just how set on the railway track or all buckled in I was… until I was here and found myself unbuckled. I didn’t understand I was all boxed in, until the box was removed.
I heard a well known Australian evangelist Martin Iles explain it this way… “In America you are free. You might die, but you are free.” That freedom whilst at times unsettling when you are used to so much rigidity and control, is also truly liberating.
Friendly People
Since we landed at the Houston airport we have found the American people to be kind and generous. They have an open and friendly manner and seem always willing to help. Perhaps it is that culture of respect I spoke of earlier. When I walk through the supermarket, carpark or street I am always greeted with a smile and a nod or a cheery hello.
People go out of their way to greet you, help you or excuse themselves if they might have walked in your way or gone before you. Manners are a really big deal over here.
Of course there are unsavory types here just as there are anywhere… but in general I think it is fair to say the people of Texas have been not only warm and welcoming but are, in an everyday way, very friendly.
New Flora and Fauna
Another thing I have loved about living in America is the sights, sounds and smells of a completely different ecosystem. I have seen and heard animals, birds, plants which beforehand were completely unknown to me.
Deer, squirrels, armadillos, raccoons, blue birds, red cardinals, hummingbirds… and so many more. Then there is the forest… it is so different. It smells different. It sounds different. It looks different. As I walk slowly through our property from the open pastures to the forest at the back and the seasonal creek that flows sometimes through the little gully… every step reveals a new and different home to the one I know. Still God’s world crafted by his omnipotent hand… yet vastly different to the one I grew up in. The one I spent my childhood days wandering through deep in thought and lost in imagination. The same but so so different.
Here there are majestic grand oak trees in place of the graceful eucalypt. There are shy skittish deer in place of the quiet kangaroos.
We live in the area known as the Piney Woods so there are plenty of towering pines. Then there are a host of small shrubberies that I am still learning the names of. Wildflowers, native herbs and grasses that I am ever so slowly discovering. It is a whole new world, which if your eyes and ears are attuned, offers a limitless supply of wonder and joy.
Basketball, Girls, Big Trucks and Muscle Cars (Voted by My Boys)
Ok so all I will say about this is that clearly these are all found in abundance here in Texas and appreciated by my teenage sons. Basketball is of course played in Australia but it is much bigger here and the opportunities to play are vastly improved.
The only other comment I will make, is to say it is crazy to me that in Australia we have huge wide open roads with large shoulders on them and relatively small modest trucks (by which it is understood most Americans mean a beefed up ute or tray back vehicle)… however in America they have narrow little roads with no shoulders on them at all and huge big wide trucks that you almost need a separate license to drive (except of course you don’t because this is Texas!).
My boys assure me the abundance of modified vehicles, sports cars, and big trucks with extra wide wheels, and jacked up chassis are really ”skibidy toilet rizz” and “lit” (somebody take me back to the 80’s!)
The Christian Culture we Love About America
I am well aware with this point that I am living in the Deep South and in the heart of the Bible Belt. That is to say, not all areas in America will offer the same vibe or culture as that which I have experienced here. That being said, I have been shocked and amazed at the deeply Christian roots and culture that permeate every area of life here in East Texas.
Coming from a largely humanist and often atheist country like Australia, this has been a very different experience for me. It was shocking, but in the best kind of way. What I don’t think I realized is that I was so accustomed to my faith being offensive to the world around me, that when I walked into a world where that was celebrated and normalized, it came as a great relief.
Perhaps unwittingly I had been living on the defensive. Always subconsciously aware that faith wasn’t something that was allowed in the workplace or the business world or the retail world. It was for my own private life and perhaps when I felt led to share it one on one with someone I met.
I remember the first time I really noticed it was soon after we arrived in Houston. I walked into a health food store which I fully expected to be plastered with new age propaganda and mystic motives. Instead I was confronted by scripture hung on every wall and gospel music playing in the background. At first I thought this must have been a once off circumstance. Then as I visited more and more new places, especially when we moved to rural East Texas… I found it extremely common to find a strong Christian presence in retail stores, businesses and workplaces.
We were shocked to find Bibles and Christian books in prominent position at the front of the store in Walmart! That would never happen in Woolworths or Big W in Australia.
Anywhere from basketball games, my husbands workplace, homeschool groups, to the local county fair, it is normal to find yourself called to prayer with random strangers. How awesome is that!?! I love it. Instead of the name of Jesus being a customary swear word, it is lifted up and honored as God’s name. It has simply been refreshing and encouraging to have our family live in such a strongly Christian culture.
Being Fully Immersed in a Foreign Culture
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will grow you and expand your horizons more than anything if you will allow it. It is both terrifying and full of wonder. Completely overwhelming and life altering, yet empowering and exhilarating.
I have a new and deep respect for immigrants that I certainly didn’t have before. For the first 12 months I spent a lot of my time confused as I struggled to get my head around new rules, new ways, and new words. My head was spinning as I struggled to develop the fresh neural pathways in my 46 year old brain, necessary to live in this strange new world.
Yet despite the challenges, or perhaps because of them, the experience of immersing myself and our family in a new culture is one I am truly grateful for. It has stretched me, scared me, and still been richly rewarding as I came to see with new eyes another dimension of God’s creativity and care. What a diverse and beautiful world we live in!
The Land of Opportunity
It is true that there are many and varied entrepreneurs in Australia. It too is a free country where you can try your hand at most things that might occur to a creative mind. However it is also true that red tape and legal hoop jumping have become a true barrier to such minds and their best laid intentions. From everything I have seen entrepreneurial pursuits are both culturally and legally encouraged here in Texas.
As a people, Americans seem to cheer on the Lone Ranger type who boldly steps forward with a business idea. Conversely in Australia we often suffer from the tall poppy syndrome where we feel it imperative to cut down the high achiever. Now it is also true that there is strong support, at least in regional Australia, for grass roots businesses and people love to support local. However it seems a fine line and if you have too much success, too soon you may be ridiculed or sidelined. No doubt this is an unfortunate fruit of our colonial convict history.
Of course these are generalizations and don’t apply in every situation. There is a danger I suppose in me making any of these statements, that they be misunderstood or misused. I love my homeland and it is full of many many good people with the best of intentions. It is however hard to get past a deeply intrenched culture.
Another advantage for the entrepreneur is the population density here. There are JUST. SO. MANY. PEOPLE! People, people, people! Everywhere you look, drive, walk, there are houses and cars and lots of people!
Australia is almost as big as the continental United States of America. It is a big place. Yet the state of Texas alone has considerably more people than the entire nation of Australia!
Texas 31 million people vs. Australia 26 million people.
Think about that for a minute. Is that not crazy?!
Image Credit: The Australian Government. Source: http://www.anbg.gov.au/maps/aust-usa-map.jpg
There are many times in which this introverted Aussie quakes at the sheer number of people around me. It is overwhelming. Just too many people. But for the business minded person or the family wanting to work a side gig… this is really very good news. The opportunities abound simply because of the numbers.
Homesteading and Homeschooling
The last point on the list of things I love about America is also probably related, at least in part, to population density. That is, the abundance of homesteading and homeschooling opportunities, resources and contacts.
In Australia we were pretty much limited in homesteading resources, to what we could find on YouTube… most of which was American. There were a few rare exceptions.
In America we have already had the chance to attend one homesteading conference since we arrived, and there are many more held every year, all over the country. We have several friends in both countries seeking to live this simple life, closer to the land, growing more of our own food. But the opportunities for connecting, networking and learning at in person events, seems far greater here.
I wrote last year about our trip to South Carolina for the Farm Where You Live Festival and all that was involved.
Homeschooling too has way more scope and opportunity here. It is totally legal to homeschool in Texas and there is no requirement to report anything or provide any paperwork of any kind. After jumping through all kinds of hoops and filling out days of paperwork to legally homeschool in Queensland Australia, this is a lovely change. I am aware that this varies greatly from state to state in the USA.
Obviously these two areas, homesteading and homeschooling, are areas we as a family are deeply invested in. They are of particular interest to us because of the way we choose to live. I think the overall theme here though links back to the previous point about personal freedom and liberty.
Disclaimer and Conclusion
Truly I feel more than a little vulnerable sharing these thoughts with the world. I know how easily words can be misunderstood. I love my homeland and always will. I am proud to be an Aussie. I am proud to share my Aussie heritage and teach it to our children. At the same time, I think it is important and helpful (especially for my family in moments of chronic homesickness), to remind ourselves of all the things we love about America. As I have sat here pondering and putting my thoughts down in words, I have been struck by how very blessed we are. Blessed to have seen and experienced all that is on this list and vastly more. Blessed to be Nine Little Aussies in America.
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