The first time I ordered “chips” at a diner in the United States, I asked for a side with my burger.
The waiter nodded.
Walked off.
Came back with a tiny packet of potato chips.
I stared at the sad little bag while he cheerfully asked if I wanted ketchup for my “fries.”
Everyone else was eating hot chips.
I was holding something you’d pack in a kid’s lunchbox.
And honestly — that tiny moment sums up why this whole project exists.
Because living overseas isn’t defined by dramatic culture clashes.
It’s defined by moments like that.
Small.
Harmless.
Slightly confusing.
And very funny in hindsight.
From Nowra to Nashville
I grew up in Nowra on the NSW South Coast.
Later, I spent about 15 years in Canberra before packing up and moving to Nashville in 2018.
Work was the official reason.
Adventure was the unofficial one.
And if I’m honest — so was curiosity.
As a country music fan and musician, Nashville has always had a certain mythology. Road trips. Songwriters. Guitars in every bar. The whole thing.
It’s changed a lot. Hot chicken joints, rooftop bars, bachelorette weekends.
But the music’s still there.
From country to indie to the odd metal show tucked into a corner somewhere.
And that contrast — myth vs reality — became part of what I started noticing.
Living Between Two Countries
I live here with my Aussie wife and our two daughters.
One was born in Australia.
The other is a proper Southern belle — born right here in Nashville.
Part of the move was about options.
Two passports.
Two systems.
Two cultural lenses.
Before Nashville, I’d also spent time living in Samoa and Fiji. The Pacific has shaped me in ways I probably didn’t understand at the time.
Looking back, Nashville wasn’t a dramatic leap.
It was just the next chapter.
Living across multiple cultures has a quiet effect on you. I wrote more about that feeling in:
👉 When Accents Start to Blur After Living Overseas
It’s subtle.
But it changes how you hear the world.
Walking Away From a 24-Year Career
In 2024, I stepped away from a 24-year career in finance.
That wasn’t impulsive.
It was gradual.
Seventy-hour weeks.
Long commutes.
Missing small moments with the kids.
At some point, I realised I was financially stable but time-poor.
And time, especially with young kids, doesn’t compound.
It just goes.
So I shifted.
Less corporate.
More present.
More storytelling.
Why I Created “From Down Under to Down South”
This channel and blog weren’t built to criticise America.
Or romanticise Australia.
They exist because living between cultures sharpens observation.
You start noticing things you never noticed before:
How Americans end conversations.
Why Australia and New Zealand get confused.
The way politeness lands differently.
How goodbyes feel faster here.
How home feels when you’re far from it.
I’ve written about some of those moments here:
👉 I’m Still Caught Off Guard by the American Goodbye
👉 Why I Ended Up Making a Video About Australia and New Zealand
These aren’t rants.
They’re reflections.
Calm ones.
The kind you’d have over a barbecue or on a long drive.
What Aussie Expat Culture Shock Actually Looks Like
When people think of expat culture shock, they imagine big things:
Healthcare systems.
Politics.
Driving on the other side of the road.
But most of it is smaller.
It’s vocabulary.
Social timing.
It’s ordering “chips” and getting crisps.
Sociologists often describe culture shock as a gradual adjustment process rather than a dramatic event. The University of Queensland has written about how adaptation tends to unfold in subtle stages rather than one big moment.
https://www.uq.edu.au
That feels accurate.
It’s not one shock.
It’s a thousand micro-adjustments.
And over time, those adjustments become stories.
What You’ll Find Here
When I’m not filming or recording the podcast, I’m:
Being a dad.
Dancing ballroom.
Cooking — I’m a qualified chef, so the kitchen’s still my reset button.
This project sits at the intersection of all of it:
Family.
Identity.
Food.
Humour.
Cultural contrast.
It’s about noticing.
And sometimes laughing.
And sometimes pausing.
If you enjoy thoughtful, understated reflections on Aussie vs American life — without outrage or hype — you’ll probably feel at home here.
You can watch the latest episodes here:
👉 From Down Under to Down South on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@FromDownUndertoDownSouth
And if you’d like the occasional reflection in your inbox, there’s a free Aussie Slang Cheat Sheet waiting in the newsletter.
Thanks for being here.
Hoo roo, maties.