19 American Expats Share What They Do (And Don't) Miss About Living In The US
I recently asked the American expats of the BuzzFeed Community to share the things they miss most (and don't miss at all) about living in the US, and there was definitely a theme or two in the responses I got.
Comedy Central / Via giphy.com
Here's what 19 of them had to say:
1."Taco Bell 😂😂 Every time I came home, that would be the first thing I'd want to eat."
"I don't live overseas anymore but for the years I did, that was what I missed most. Now that I live stateside again, I hardly eat there. it's weird the things you get homesick for." —Haru1012
2."Clothes dryers! I feel like I may never experience a fully dried article of clothing ever again… and shower curtains versus half enclosed glass partitions. (I'm in the UK.)"
3."I moved from Florida to England. I miss Chick-fil-A and don’t miss fearing I’ll be shot everyday."
4."The only things I find myself missing are the seasonal Starbucks drinks. But the fact that I can walk my dog at night without fear of being attacked more than makes up for that."
5."I moved from Pennsylvania to Iceland, the only thing I really miss is online shopping (think Amazon, Etsy, etc.) but that’s what I get for moving to a small island in the middle of the ocean. However, I do NOT miss being scared of walking alone as a female, being nervous in large crowds due to gun violence, or fearing going into debt due to health emergency."
6."Moved from NYC to London. I miss my friends and family and good Mexican food. I don’t miss unreliable public transportation or paying for healthcare."
7."Not much to be honest. I'd say a decent buffalo chicken salad with all the bits, like bacon, egg, fries, and ranch. I always feel safe, even as a woman. I know I'll get medical aid without bankruptcy, even if it's a devastating diagnosis or accident. I'm definitely more aware of how absolutely batshit the US is, especially now and it's so sad to see."
8."I moved from the Philadelphia area, where I had loved my entire life, to northern England last year. Love it here, and have found reasonable (and usually healthier!) substitutes for most all of my former favorites. The single exception is iced coffee. Specifically, Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee with cream and sugar."
"You can get iced lattes here with no problem, iced coffee is less common, but even when you can find it, it is just mediocre. I was so, SO excited to find a Dunkin' Donuts in Leeds, we made a special trip just so I could go, and was fairly crushed to find out that it isn't the same. Chains like Taco Bell taste pretty universal, but for some reason, good iced coffee remains elusive. Tragic." —Anonymous
9."I miss free water, Target/Walmart, and having stores open past 8 p.m. on Saturday."
—Anonymous
10."I’ve lived in Europe for about 10 years for my studies and then work. I miss the traditions and holidays I grew up with, but I also love discovering new ones in each place I’ve lived. When I get homesick I crave American junk food and ask visitors to bring me Little Debbie’s treats. However, I rarely ate this when I was growing up and don’t even eat it when I go home to visit. It still brings me comfort to eat it from the other side of the world though!"
"The other thing I miss is Arm & Hammer toothpaste. We always buy several tubes to bring back to Europe with us as European toothpaste just doesn’t give you the same lasting clean feeling as American toothpaste!" —Anonymous
11."I've lived in South Korea two years, and I definitely miss having a dryer at home, having plenty of personal space, and QUALITY MEXICAN FOOD!!! I DO NOT miss knowing there might be guns or shootings everywhere I go, dealing with US government organizations, and the constant feeling that someone is going to steal something. The first time I went to a cafe with my Korean friend she told me that we can leave our bags on a table to save our spot...I was SHOCKED. People don't steal here! I have even left my bag on a picnic blanket during a festival all day just to return from the stage with everything still there. Peace of mind is WILD y'all."
—Anonymous
12."I love living in London and at the same time I can miss a ton of obvious things (family/friends/Wegmans). But the thing I miss the most is…diet root beer. All British people say 'it tastes like toothpaste' but they are wrong and they should feel bad about their lack of understanding of the greatness that is diet A&W."
—Anonymous
13."I've been living in Germany for a decade. I'm still not used to the fact that I can't go shopping on Sundays."
—Anonymous
14."I miss food that has seasoning. The other day I heard a lady in a restaurant complain that her Caesar salad was too spicy."
—Anonymous
15."I miss the well maintained roads and road signage. I do NOT miss the racism and xenophobia and the vicious hateful politics. The slide towards fascism is a huge concern. I’ve lived outside the continental US for over 40 years, between Venezuela (11 years) and Puerto Rico (since 1990)."
—Anonymous
16."I MISS CHEESE CURDS!!! I’m from the Midwest and despite living in the Netherlands, where cheese is plentiful, the Dutch don’t have cheese curds!"
"But, I’ll gladly sacrifice my cheese curds in exchange for the health insurance, government benefits and gun safety…*sips tea*" —Anonymous
17."My family, and being able to see them regularly. My parents are aging and it's difficult to watch this from afar."
"The things I used to miss at the beginning aren't as important anymore (I used to have major cravings for all sorts of foodstuffs), and used to hit up every restaurant possible whenever I went back. These things are less and less important to me as time passes (14 years in France)." —Anonymous
18."I miss the convenience of large stores. In my current country even buying something as simple as an ice cube tray can mean visiting 2–3 stores."
—Anonymous
