From Down Under to Down South

Tag: This Week in America

  • This Week in America — A Kentucky Weekend: Dance, Derby & the Moments You Don’t Plan

    This Week in America — A Kentucky Weekend: Dance, Derby & the Moments You Don’t Plan

    We travelled to Louisville this week for a dance competition.

    That was the plan, at least.

    But I’ve noticed something about these weekends.

    They rarely stay as simple as the reason you go.

    The Drive In — When a City Takes Over

    We arrived just before the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby.

    And the city already felt like it was gearing up.

    Traffic backed up everywhere.
    Police on the roads.
    That quiet sense that something big was about to happen.

    We were still twenty minutes out and:

    • the GPS kept changing
    • the girls were asking how much longer every six minutes
    • Nikki had moved into that calm voice that means she’s not calm
    • and I was confidently choosing alternate routes despite having no idea where I was going

    Which, as a husband and father, is one of the more pointless confidence moves available.

    When a Place Has Its Own Identity

    We were there for dance.

    Louisville was there for Louisville.

    And I liked that.

    America does this well.

    When something matters locally, it doesn’t stay contained.
    It spills into the streets.

    You feel it—even if you’re not part of it.

    The Fort Knox Moment

    Driving through, we saw signs for Fort Knox.

    For most people here, that’s just another exit.

    For me growing up in Australia, it was one of those names that felt almost mythical—
    like Hollywood or Wall Street.

    Seeing it casually written on a highway sign made me laugh.

    Only in America does a dance weekend casually involve Fort Knox.

    A City with Weight

    Then there were the bridges over the Ohio River.

    I’ve always liked bridges.

    They make a place feel like it matters.

    Louisville has that solid feel to it—
    river, steel, history.

    It feels like a place shaped by doing things, not just talking about them.

    Owning Greatness

    The Muhammad Ali murals stood out straight away.

    Louisville doesn’t hide who came from there.

    It claims him.

    And I respect that.

    Australia can be a bit different—we admire people, but we also like bringing them back down to earth.

    America seems more comfortable simply saying:

    “This person was great.”

    There’s something refreshing in that.

    A Side Trip with Brianna

    While Georgia was tied up with competition, Brianna and I explored downtown.

    Those little side moments with your kids matter more as you get older.

    Less about where you are.
    More about being there together.

    Turning Culture Into Experience

    We stopped at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.

    And it’s a very American idea.

    Take something simple—like a baseball bat—
    and turn it into something you can walk through.

    Even without growing up with baseball, I enjoyed it.

    College Sport — Still Hard to Process

    The scale of college sport still surprises me.

    Massive stadiums.
    Serious infrastructure.

    Back home, it exists.

    Here, in some places, it feels like something much bigger.

    Bourbon and Unexpected Conversations

    That night, I ended up at the hotel bar with another dance dad.

    And got an unexpected introduction to Kentucky bourbon.

    Not casually.

    Properly.

    I nodded through most of it, adding expert commentary like:

    “Yeah… that’s smooth.”

    Completely useless.

    Still appreciated.

    What I Noticed About People

    People here are generous with what they love.

    No gatekeeping.

    Just:

    “Here, try this.”
    “Let me tell you why this one matters.”

    That stays with you.

    The Moment That Actually Mattered

    But the real highlight was Georgia.

    She danced her best solo of the year.

    And placed seventh out of twenty.

    Parents see what sits behind a performance.

    The practice.
    The frustration.
    The doubt.

    And then one day, it clicks.

    Fifteen seconds in, I knew.

    She looked calm.
    Settled.
    Like herself.

    That’s the moment.

    Dance Competitions in America

    Not Trying to Be Someone Else

    Georgia dances lyrical.

    Slower. More controlled. More expressive.

    Often up against louder, faster routines.

    So placing felt even better.

    She wasn’t trying to be someone else.

    Cracker Barrel and a Strange Thought

    On the way home, we stopped at Cracker Barrel.

    Sitting on the porch, something crossed my mind.

    This feels like home.

    Which is a strange thought for someone born in Australia.

    But maybe home changes.

    Maybe it grows.

    Of Course We Stopped at Buc-ee’s

    And naturally, we stopped at Buc-ee’s.

    Because no road trip here feels complete without it.

    You can fuel the car, buy snacks, grab merchandise…

    …and somehow leave with more than you planned.

    Every time.

    Closing Reflection

    We went for dance.

    But we came home with more.

    That’s something I keep noticing about life here.

    You head somewhere for one reason…

    …and the place adds its own chapters.

    A conversation.
    A moment.
    A feeling you didn’t expect.

    That’s usually how the best weekends happen.

    Not through grand plans.

    Just ordinary things unfolding well.

    For more reflections like this, tune in to the weekly podcast.

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  • What It’s Like Living in America (Tornado Warnings, NASA & Daily Life)

    What It’s Like Living in America (Tornado Warnings, NASA & Daily Life)

    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.

  • This Week in America: Ice, Cookies & Participation

    This Week in America: Ice, Cookies & Participation

    Some weeks pass quietly.
    Others seem to arrive with a bit more drama.

    This week in America was one of the dramatic ones.

    Not YouTube dramatic.

    Actually dramatic.

    An ice storm rolled through Tennessee. Schools closed. Power went out for thousands of people — some for more than a week. It even made the news back home in Australia.

    But living through something like that and watching it on television are two completely different experiences.

    Because when I think about the week now, it’s not really the headlines that stay with me.

    It’s my youngest daughter selling Girl Scout cookies outside Kroger.

    Sitting in front of the fire when the power went out.

    It’s filling out job applications late at night.

    That’s what the week actually felt like.

    ✈️ Planning travel between Australia & the US?
    :I usually compare flights and accommodation here with Expedia:

    Girl Scout Cookies Outside Kroger

    On Saturday, my youngest — Brianna — stood outside Kroger in full Girl Scout uniform trying to sell cookies to strangers.

    Thin Mints.
    Samoas.
    Tagalongs.

    There’s a folding table.
    A small square card reader.
    A roster system run by mums who sound a bit like army sergeants.

    Everyone has allocated supermarket time slots. Everything is scheduled and organised.

    And the interesting thing is — people just know what to do.

    No one looks confused.
    No one wonders why a kid is selling biscuits outside the supermarket.

    They’ve grown up with it.

    Some people buy two boxes without slowing down.
    Some stop and chat for a minute.
    You’ll hear “Good luck sweetheart,” as they tap their card, and keep walking.

    It’s a very American kind of scene.

    There’s an idea here that confidence is something you practise publicly.

    You walk up to strangers.
    Speak clearly.
    You handle rejection.
    Keep smiling.

    In Australia we did fundraisers too, of course.

    But we weren’t running what felt like a small retail operation outside Woolworths in full uniform.

    There’s something impressive about it.

    It’s community — but structured.

    Standing there with my accent, feeling slightly out of place but also very proud, I realised something.

    For Bri, this isn’t cultural.

    It’s just normal.

    She was born here. This is her country.

    She won’t remember it as “a very American experience.”

    She’ll just remember standing there and being brave.

    When the Ice Storm Hit

    Then the ice arrived.

    If you’ve never lived through an ice storm, it’s difficult to explain properly.

    Rain falls.

    But the moment it touches anything — trees, roads, power lines — it freezes instantly.

    Branches turn into glass sculptures.

    Honestly, it’s beautiful at first.

    The whole neighbourhood looks like it’s been coated in crystal.

    And then the trees start snapping.

    That’s the sound that stays with you.

    Sharp cracks in the night — like something under pressure finally giving way.

    You lie there half awake waiting for the next one, hoping none of the trees in the backyard end up on the roof.

    Then the snow arrived.

    Fresh snow always looks beautiful.

    White rooftops.
    Silent streets.
    Everything softened.

    The deer came back through the neighbourhood too, trotting down the middle of the road like they’d taken the place over again.

    Which, to be fair, they probably had.

    No cars.
    No engines.
    Just deer walking down suburban streets.

    Suburban Skiing

    At one point people were actually skiing down our road.

    Skiing. In the suburbs.

    Meanwhile I’m outside reminding the kids not to eat the yellow snow — which I’m fairly certain is universal parenting advice.

    But underneath the strange beauty of it all, the storm was serious.

    Schools closed for seven days.

    Seven.

    Some people lost power for ten days or more.

    Many homes had no heat.

    And sadly, there were deaths too. Not dramatic headline events — just quiet cold-related deaths. Elderly people found alone in freezing homes.

    That part still feels strange to me.

    Because winter in Australia just doesn’t carry that kind of risk.

    You rug up.
    Have a bit of a whinge.
    Put the jug on.
    Make a cuppa.

    Here — especially in the South where we’re not really built for extreme winter — things get exposed quickly.

    Branches snap.
    Power lines sag.
    Roads turn into ice rinks.

    And within about a day, the bread, milk and eggs disappear from the supermarket.

    I’m still not sure what everyone’s baking during these storms, but it must be something extraordinary. Maybe they are trying to replicate my ANZAC biscuits recipe!

    Every time.

    We lost power for two days.

    Two days without power is annoying, but we were lucky.

    We’ve got an open fireplace.

    So we layered up and managed fine.

    At one point I was outside cooking steaks on the barbecue in minus twelve while snow was falling around me.

    I reckon they tasted better for it.

    Maybe that’s just survival bias.

    The girls thought the whole thing was a bit of an adventure.

    But I kept thinking about the families who didn’t have the same setup.

    America often feels incredibly capable.

    Until weather hits.

    And then you see how quickly everything pauses.

    It’s not criticism.

    It’s just… bigger.

    Everything here feels bigger.

    The Quiet Part of the Week

    And then there’s the quieter side of the week.

    The part that doesn’t make headlines at all.

    Filling out job applications.

    Uploading resumes.

    Typing the same information into online portals that don’t talk to each other.

    America talks a lot about opportunity.

    And that’s fair — there is opportunity here.

    But it’s also very structured.

    Masters degrees required for minimum wage roles.
    Specific certifications required.
    Years of experience required.

    If the box isn’t ticked, the system simply keeps moving.

    Even things like being asked to identify your race on job applications stand out when you’re not used to it.

    It’s not cruel.

    It’s just the system.

    And as an immigrant, you notice those systems very quickly.

    Because work here ties into everything.

    Healthcare.
    Stability.
    Long-term plans.

    So you adapt.

    You build slowly.

    You look for another way in.

    It’s not dramatic.

    It’s just part of living here. I explore that more in this video titled When You Live Between Two Countries

    Participation

    Looking back at the week — the cookies, the ice storm, the job applications — they all seem to point to the same idea.

    America asks something of you.

    It asks kids to step forward.

    Families to prepare.

    Adults to compete.

    There is opportunity here.

    But you participate in it.

    Living here hasn’t made me less Australian.

    If anything, it’s made me more aware of the pace I grew up with.

    Things felt smaller.

    Less sharp around the edges.

    Here everything feels turned up a little.

    Not worse.

    Just louder.

    And watching Bri confidently asking strangers outside Kroger if they’d like to buy cookies, I realised something.

    She won’t see any of this as cultural analysis.

    She’ll just see it as life.

    Living Overseas

    Maybe that’s the real thing about living overseas.

    You adjust.

    Grow into it.

    You learn to stand steady when the ice comes.

    That was this week in America.

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