Living in America as an Australian comes with moments you don’t expect — from tornado warnings to standing under a NASA rocket.
This week had two of them.
One where we were standing underneath a rocket that took people to the Moon…
…and another where we were sitting downstairs close to midnight, waiting out a tornado warning.
And somehow… both of them felt normal.
That’s probably the part I wouldn’t have expected when I first moved here.
The Quiet Shift You Don’t Notice
When you first arrive somewhere new, everything stands out.
The way people speak.
How things are done.
The way everyday interactions happen.
You notice all of it.
You’re constantly comparing it to what you’re used to.
And in those early months, you feel very aware that you’re somewhere different.
But over time… that awareness softens.
Not all at once. Just gradually.
You stop questioning as much.
Things that once felt unusual start to feel expected.
And you don’t really notice the shift happening.
It just sort of… creeps in.
Until you get a week like this—where a few moments line up—and you suddenly see it again from the outside.
Waiting Out a Tornado (Like It’s Just Part of the Week)
We had our first tornado warning of the season the other night.
Late. Around midnight.
There’s something about that time of night that changes everything.
The house is quiet.
The day’s done.
Kids are asleep.
And then suddenly… you’re waking them up.
Not in a panic—but not casually either.
There’s a tone to it.
“Alright… let’s head downstairs.”
We’ve done it before. The girls know what’s going on. They know where to go.
And that’s the part that would’ve surprised me the most years ago—how quickly something like that becomes familiar.
We went down into the safe room.
Turned on the live coverage.
And that’s another thing about storms here…
You don’t just hear about them—you watch them.
In real time.
You see the storm moving across the map.
You hear street names.
Nearby towns.
You listen for anything close to you.
And you just… wait.
Not panicking.
But not relaxed either.
Just aware.
Even our cat, Bluey, came down with us—walking between the girls like he was checking on everyone.
That moment… sitting together… waiting…
It slows everything down.
And then it’s over.
Back upstairs.
Back into bed.
House quiet again.
Just another part of life here.
Tennessee Weather Has No Interest in Easing You In
What made it even stranger…
Two days earlier, I was in shorts.
Sunday — warm.
Sunday night — tornado warning.
Monday — snow and ice.
And no one really reacts like it’s dramatic.
It’s just… the weather.
Tennessee doesn’t ease you into anything.
It just changes its mind.
And people here just adjust.
The Word “Reckon” (And the Things That Quietly Overlap)
Someone mentioned in the comments recently that the word “reckon” gets used a lot here in the South.
That made me pause.
Because back home in Australia, it’s just… normal.
“I reckon…”
You don’t think about it.
And then hearing it here—in a completely different part of the world—used in a similar way…
It’s one of those small moments where things unexpectedly line up.
Where you realise…
Not everything is as different as it first seemed.
Standing Under a Rocket That Went to the Moon
A few days earlier, we’d taken a trip down to Huntsville, Alabama.
To visit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
You walk in… and there it is.
A Saturn V rocket.
And it’s hard to explain the scale of it until you’re standing underneath.
It just keeps going.
Section after section.
Stage after stage.
And you realise…
This is what took people to the Moon.
And around you?
Families walking past.
Kids running around.
People stopping for photos.
It’s not treated like something distant or untouchable.
It’s just… there.
Part of where you are.
That’s something I’ve noticed living here—you don’t just learn about history…
You live around it.
Of Course There Was a Buc-ee’s Stop
On the way home, we stopped at Buc-ee’s.
Because you don’t not stop at Buc-ee’s.
Teriyaki jerky again.
Every time.
If you want to try this, you can buy it from Amazon, you’ll also need some of their famous Beaver Nuggets to go with it.
When Costco Flips on You
We were in Costco the other day.
And I realised something had flipped.
Back in Canberra, we’d get excited about American products.
Different brands.
Different packaging.
Things we didn’t normally see.
Now?
We’re in Tennessee…
And it’s the Australian lamb that stands out.
That’s what catches my eye.
That’s what feels different.
Watching Australia From the Other Side of the World
Australia played Japan in the Women’s Asian Cup Final recently.
6am start here in Nashville.
And just trying to watch it…
Subscriptions. Platforms. Apps.
Back home, it would’ve just been on.
No thought required.
But I was up for it.
Because those moments…
They don’t change.
The anthem.
The teams walking out.
It still hits the same.
Maybe even more.
What Changes… and What Doesn’t
Living here changes a lot of things.
What feels normal.
What stands out.
Things that feel familiar.
But something I’ve noticed over time…
The people I tend to connect with most here…
Often aren’t from here either.
Different countries. Different backgrounds.
But there’s a shared understanding.
They’ve had to learn a place… not just grow up inside it.
And maybe that’s part of it.
Because even as things shift…
There are moments where you realise:
That part of you hasn’t gone anywhere.
It just shows up a bit differently now.
Why American Goodbyes Feel Faster Than Australian Goodbyes
Why Americans Say “You’re Welcome” So Often
Final Thought
What becomes normal… isn’t always what you expect.
Sometimes it’s tornado warnings at midnight.
Sometimes it’s standing under a rocket that went to the Moon.
And sometimes…
It’s just realising you didn’t notice the change happening at all.
That was this week in America.
