We’ve been expats for a long time now. Trips back to visit the US are still strange, yet extremely familiar in their strangeness. There were no big moments of reverse culture shock on our Christmas trip “home”, but there was plenty of culture-based amusement.
Our itinerary always involves a turn around a supermarket to wonder at its size and contents, and as many meals at Mexican restaurants as we can manage. Our relationship with the US is in a bit of a rut, really.
There’s usually a bit where we get sucked into the television, marveling at the latest versions of trash programming or perhaps just the sheer quantity of programs available. (This trip involved a marathon of shows about Saturday Night Live through the decades.)
Now that we live in an English-speaking country, we no longer have that “Hey, everyone’s speaking English!” realization 100 times per day in the US, but my ear still automatically picks out American accents in a crowd. Being in an American-filled crowd can be distracting.
There are usually several points during the trip when we get excited about how cheap something is. On this visit, we especially delighted in the numerous half-price drink nights that bars and restaurants around town offered.
We also love a turn around a giant liquor store when we’re in the states. In Tennessee (as in many other states), you can’t sell wine or hard alcohol in a supermarket. Instead, one has to go to specialty alcohol shops, shops which often rival the size of a typical European grocery store.
At home in Europe, we’re often asked things like “Does XYZ happen in America?” or “Is ABC popular in the US?”. While I used to answer such questions with confidence, these days I find myself struggling. Can I really answer such questions with authority anymore? I mean, if we’re relying on what was true when I last lived in the US, Americans rarely own smartphones, and none of them have even heard of Twitter. It’s possible that some other things have changed since 2004, as well, and perhaps a couple of them escape us during our yearly-or-so visit.
Over the years our list of things that we buy and bring home with us from the US has dwindled; I think we’re down to vanilla extract and antiperspirant, and I’m pretty sure one can buy decent antiperspirant in the UK these days (I’ve never actually checked, because my stock of US stuff has yet to run low). When we lived in Germany, stocking up on over-the-counter medicines was always a US ritual, but here in the UK, self-medication is totally a thing.
We’ve taken to filling our surplus luggage space with giant jars of salsa, just because we can. Also, because salsa in the UK comes in tiny little expensive jars, and the variety is limited (and most of the time I am too lazy to make my own salsa).
After over 10 years of only experiencing the US through the haze of jet lag, and with no plans of moving back, I’m wondering what our long-term relationship with our home country will look like. The rituals associated with our temporary repatriations are slowly becoming obsolete. The internet provides us with all the American TV and news we could possibly want. Europe (and especially Edinburgh) is catching on to the pleasures of Mexican cuisine. The only irreplaceable bit would appear to be spending time with friends and family.
(That, and the pleasures of a well-made dirty martini.) I feel a challenge coming on: on our next trip to the US, I’m going to find some brand-new “only in America” things to do. Hopefully we won’t have to resort to open-carrying assault weapons through the toy department of a Target.
Happy New Year, everyone! Fellow expats, what do you like to do on trips back to your home country?
Those flavoured vodkas look disgusting.
I need to spend some time exploring a liquor store next time I am stateside.
Agreed. I’m having a hard time imagining how whipped cream vodka could be anything but awful.
What is it with deodorant? C still imports his here and he hasn’t lived at home for (adding in my head…) 15 years or so?
Trips home are now much more similar vs Canada than France or Switzerland was, though even there I think one sees the impacts of globalization. But Mexican food is always always a big difference.
I like the idea of some only in America challenges, hmmmm
If NAFTA didn’t bring good Mexican food to Canada, what was the point?
Also, let me know if you come up with any good America-only stuff. 🙂
Don’t knock the flavored vodkas! They aren’t meant to be had straight. You use them in delicious concoctions. My personal favorite in cold weather? Salted caramel vodka. Add to hot cocoa or hot apple cider. Yum!
You know that was one of the only flavored vodkas that I considered trying during that trip to the liquor store (the other ones were cucumber, tomato, and chipotle). I don’t usually love sweet drinks, but put the words “salted caramel” in front of pretty much anything and you’ve got my interest.
We do a lot of those same things. Love the big ol’ Costco-sized containers of dried spices (and the bottle of vanilla extract!). I drop $60-$80 on deodorant every visit, too.
You know what else we stock up on? Dobies. You know what those are? Scrubby, spongy things that apparently are just not represented in Germany. We always come back with 20 of them, often cleaning out the stock at the store.
How about what I *don’t* like to do? Hit the mall. Even worse: bounce from strip mall to strip mall. Even after buying a car over here, I hate driving around town. Can’t not stock up on stuff, though.
I had never even heard of dobies, but apparently they are available on Amazon UK (probably much cheaper in the US, though). Good that you have a lightweight thing to stock up on – very practical for suitcase import.
I must admit we do often end up at the mall for clothes shopping in the US – I hate it, but it’s basically the only clothes shopping we do all year, and I’m able to be quick and efficient at stores I know (plus, everything’s so cheap!). In 5 years in Munich I think I only ever entered a clothing store there once.
I almost wrote a similar post this week! We just got back the other day, and we were baffled with the variety of things for sale in the US (as usual). I went to one store to get some eye drops and was overwhelmed with the 50 types and had to ask the pharmacist to pick one out for me. Choice is good, but too much choice is overwhelming. And yes, Mexican food. And Chinese food. And bagels. And Thai food. And just food in general. I didn’t realize how much I missed it. The food in German is super, but you do miss the awesome and easy restaurants in the States!
Thanks for the post Julie.
Approaching the ninth year of living abroad and when we are back in the US, we still pack up on antiperspirants, composition books, boxer shorts and a few other items we can’t find here in Germany.
Awareness of the culture differences is still there, sometimes it’s more profound, sometimes less. The moments of stark distinction usually fade after the first week or so back home – and that works in both directions. When returning to Germany, the differences are quite noticeable. After time, they too fade.
But I suppose there will always be some part of me that is anchored in the US, a fundamental part. As much as my perspective may have changed on any number of things political or practical, I am at heart an American, and don’t expect that will ever change. And as much as I may feel assimilated here, I will also be the “American” and I’m not concerned about that. I’m proud of it.
Maybe that’s why I pack my luggage with things from home – things that resonate for some reason, things that keep me connected with the place that I will never really leave.
I’m just about to get on a plane in the ‘states to head back to Germany. I must confess that apart from a pair of jeans—25% off at Macy’s with a Hertz Rent-a-Car key tag—the only thing I’m carrying back is Orginal Gasoline-Flavor Listerine. While in America, my two culinary indulgences are Heirloom Fritos, and Diet Dr Pepper.