If you are an American living outside the U.S. ...

[Heather in Neverland]

what do you miss the most?

 

We were on vacation this week and met some nice people from London. When they found out we were Americans but were living in Malaysia they asked us what we miss the most about America? Not like our family or friends... but what we miss about being in America itself.

 

So I thought about it

 

and thought

 

and thought...

 

I miss Target. A lot.

 

And Mexican restaurants (I'd take Taco Bell right now if I could get it).

 

And I miss customer service. Malaysians have ZERO concept of good customer service or even adequate customer service.

 

I love Malaysia and I love living here but there are definitely some things I miss.

 

What about you?

[bettyandbob]

When I was young and travel a lot, I missed toilet paper. Sometimes I missed toilet paper that didn't have the feel of construction paper. Sometimes I missed toilet paper altogether.

 

If I was away from the US again, I think I'd still miss toilet paper.

[TheReader]

Definitely Target.

 

And parks where I can actually take my dog and walk her. And not worry about splinters in my kids behinds from the wooden slides. Or scrapes from rusty equipment. Simple stuff like that.

 

And yes to the toilet paper. It will be strange to return to the US one day and not feel like I must always have pocket tissue "just in case" in my purse.

 

Mostly though we've been here long enough that there's not a whole lot we still miss as in really, truly miss. Oh, except -- English libraries. The Kindle is a pretty good substitute, but the offerings for kids aren't fantastic yet.

 

And okay, one more thing -- plastic storage containers that don't cost me an arm & a leg. But now I'm getting whiney so I'll quit. It's not good for my contentment level to dwell too long on this sort of thing :)

[Colleen in NS]

I miss Dunkin' Donuts Chocolate and Vanilla Kreme donuts. There was a DD in Ottawa that had these donuts when we lived there, but none here in the Maritimes.

 

I also miss being able to get on a train and being able to access 4 cool cities within a matter of hours (northern East Coast).

[goodgollycr]

 

And okay, one more thing -- plastic storage containers that don't cost me an arm & a leg. But now I'm getting whiney so I'll quit. It's not good for my contentment level to dwell too long on this sort of thing :)

 

This above.

 

Sane drivers

Stores that stock things consistently

Customer service (all around, but at restaurants you get no refills on drinks, even if you get water you have to ask for more.)

Publix :)

[ricm]

After about 6 years overseas I can't say I miss much about the US... except the shopping.

 

It's tough getting the "right" foods, clothes, personal care products when you aren't in the States.

 

Thank goodness for Amazon!!

rm

[Lily_Grace]

Yard sales.

Chinese food.

Good donuts.

Dollar stores.

Knowing there would always be toilets in the public restrooms.

Mail every day.

 

I don't miss a whole lot, but these are at the top of my list.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Lily_Grace

[Heather in Neverland]

YARD SALES!!! yes I totally miss those!

 

And what is this "toilet paper" of which you speak? :D I don't recall what that is!

 

As far as contentment goes... I am totally content. Although I miss Target, there are so many things about Malaysia I would miss if I left here!!!

 

But I do miss Target. Really. I'm not kidding. :tongue_smilie:

[Snickerdoodle]

When we were living abroad I missed buying benadryl over the counter.

[Hannah]

Would you all mind saying where you're living. The curious want to know :)

[Mom in High Heels]

Target, Target, Target!!!!!!! I could probably live without everything else, but oh, how I miss Target. When we visit the States I spend so much time in Target I think the employees are convinced I'm casing the place for a robbery.

 

To a lesser extent I miss Wendy's. Their Mandarin Chicken Salad (please tell me they still have those), fries and a chocolate Frosty are the PERFECT fast food meal, IMO.

 

ETA: Panera's spinach artichoke souffles. Mmmmmm........

[stripe]

And I miss customer service. Malaysians have ZERO concept of good customer service or even adequate customer service.

 

 

Maybe you can take a little vacation to Japan sometimes?

 

When I've come back from a long visit, on a practical level I am eager to have reliably running, potable water and my stove with four burners and a big frig. And a washing machine. The practicalities of life increase in importance when they are tiime consuming or difficult!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

what do you miss the most?

 

We were on vacation this week and met some nice people from London. When they found out we were Americans but were living in Malaysia they asked us what we miss the most about America? Not like our family or friends... but what we miss about being in America itself.

 

So I thought about it

 

and thought

 

and thought...

 

I miss Target. A lot.

 

And Mexican restaurants (I'd take Taco Bell right now if I could get it).

 

And I miss customer service. Malaysians have ZERO concept of good customer service or even adequate customer service.

 

I love Malaysia and I love living here but there are definitely some things I miss.

 

What about you?

 

When we were in Germany, I missed bagels (seriously, my MIL would come with a bag for each kid in her suitcase), Arby's and English language libraries (I cried when the local bilingual school said I could check out books).

 

In Japan I missed being able to read signs. And because I didn't feel comfortable driving much there, I missed the sense of being able to just jump in the car and go see something interesting. I still missed Arby's. I missed having a yard; living in a tower apartment was draining with three active boys. But most I missed my husband, because he was gone most of the time.

[Amira]

Most of the things I miss could be solved by just living in a different city than we live in now. Things like indoor plumbing and high-speed internet are widely available in the capital. I can get most of the food I want here (chocolate chips, cocoa, coconut milk, tamarind, vanilla, and fish sauce are the only things I need sent from the out of the country). Since I don't like most American food, I don't miss that; instead, I have to cook time-consuming Central Asian food when I live in the US that I can just buy here, like laghman. And the produce here is a million times better and cheaper than anything in the US. The toilet paper doesn't bother me; shopping for food is a lot funner, if a lot more time consuming; my internet connection is fast enough to download ebooks; and I can make most any food I want to.

 

I do prefer buying clothes in the US and I hate shopping in the US (I guess I'll be the odd one out who doesn't like Target). I'll wear clothes totally out when I live here just to avoid shopping for clothes. I might have to figure out if Land's End will ship to Kyrgyzstan.

 

This is the first time I've lived overseas that I haven't missed books. Ebooks are the most wonderful thing ever invented.

[zaichiki]

Well, I live in the states, but we spent some time in Russia. It didn't take long for my culture shock to kick in (b/c we were living in tight quarters with family). I was surprised. The *one* thing that had me *in tears* was the lack of an American-style washer AND a DRYER. Oh my goodness. Thoughts of laundry consumed me all day. I missed my dryer. Really.

 

(Perhaps it would have been easier if I hadn't had to DO so much laundry. Kids, ya know. Oh, they got SO dirty over there. I think there was dust/dirt in the AIR even!)

[Heather in Neverland]

Well, I live in the states, but we spent some time in Russia. It didn't take long for my culture shock to kick in (b/c we were living in tight quarters with family). I was surprised. The *one* thing that had me *in tears* was the lack of an American-style washer AND a DRYER. Oh my goodness. Thoughts of laundry consumed me all day. I missed my dryer. Really.

 

(Perhaps it would have been easier if I hadn't had to DO so much laundry. Kids, ya know. Oh, they got SO dirty over there. I think there was dust/dirt in the AIR even!)

 

Most people air dry their clothes here too. But me? I flew into Malaysia on a Tuesday night and Wednesday morning my very first purchase was a clothes dryer. :D

 

My electric bill is through the roof because of it but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

[Harriet Vane]

Well, I live in the states, but we spent some time in Russia. It didn't take long for my culture shock to kick in (b/c we were living in tight quarters with family). I was surprised. The *one* thing that had me *in tears* was the lack of an American-style washer AND a DRYER. Oh my goodness. Thoughts of laundry consumed me all day. I missed my dryer. Really.

 

(Perhaps it would have been easier if I hadn't had to DO so much laundry. Kids, ya know. Oh, they got SO dirty over there. I think there was dust/dirt in the AIR even!)

 

One of my dearest friends relocated from Chicago to Scotland. It's an extremely wet climate, and NO ONE uses a dryer. My dear friend spent her first two years in a Laundry Twilight Zone--putting the clothes out on the line, rushing them in if it looked like rain, draping the clothes around the (tiny) house to dry, and with all this effort, nothing ever dried anyway because the air is just so damp there OR things would get rained on before she could get them in. It was freakin' misery. She finally put her foot down and insisted on a dryer no matter what the cost.

[Amira]

Well, I live in the states, but we spent some time in Russia. It didn't take long for my culture shock to kick in (b/c we were living in tight quarters with family). I was surprised. The *one* thing that had me *in tears* was the lack of an American-style washer AND a DRYER. Oh my goodness. Thoughts of laundry consumed me all day. I missed my dryer. Really.

 

(Perhaps it would have been easier if I hadn't had to DO so much laundry. Kids, ya know. Oh, they got SO dirty over there. I think there was dust/dirt in the AIR even!)

 

You know, the dryer thing has never bothered me. I don't even know if they are available to purchase here. After living without one for a year 6 years ago, I haven't used one since, and never missed it, even for the two years we spent in Seattle. But it does give me one reason to like summer a little more. Generally I dread summer, but it's lovely to have the clothes dry quickly for a few months.

[Cinder]

I haven't lived outside the US, but I grew up in HI, which has it's own culture. I didn't miss the beach as much as I missed the food. When I first moved to the mainland you couldn't get Hawaiian Sweet Bread anywhere--now it's everywhere! And I still don't know where I'd get Portuguese sausage. There are too many food items I've missed over the years.

 

We had some friends who lived in Turkey for 3 years. They said the thing they missed most was fast food. The first place they ate at after returning was KFC.

 

We knew another family that lived in Canada for a couple years and they'd drive to Maine to pick up American favorites--like Oreos. They said there were Oreos in Canada but they didn't taste the same as American Oreos. :tongue_smilie:

[Embassy]

Shopping. Free shipping on homeschool purchases.

[yucabird]

I miss bookstores and libraries. Decent clothing is difficult to find (Clothes are cheaply made and more expensive than one would expect.).

And yes, Target. :001_smile:

[ktgrok]

I've never lived overseas, but in my travels I missed american radio. When we were in Scotland there were only 4 radio stations that we could find, the entire time! And two were really the same station. People were amazed when we told them that there were so many in the US.

[chiguirre]

When we lived in Venezuela, Target and Walmart were like Disney to me when I'd visit my parents. My mom would get so tired of wandering the aisles with me oohing and aahing over everything I couldn't pack up and take home. When we lived in Argentina I missed spicy food, any spicy food would do, but there was none to be had. Of course, now that we live in Houston, I miss Venezuelan food and bakeries. Maybe I'd be perfectly content in Miami.

[JaniceO]

When we lived overseas, I missed shopping (especially bookstores). I also missed fast food restaurants.

 

But I have to say, after living back in the US for almost a year now, I'd give anything to go back to Italy.

[Heather in Neverland]

When we lived overseas, I missed shopping (especially bookstores). I also missed fast food restaurants.

 

But I have to say, after living back in the US for almost a year now, I'd give anything to go back to Italy.

 

That is really interesting to me. Can I ask why? I feel right now that if I left Malaysia and went back to the U.S. I would really miss it.

[dangermom]

OK, I only lived in Scandinavia, so we still had toilet paper (albeit scratchy). What I missed was ice cubes, especially in soda. I'm from Bakersfield, and my family puts ice cubes in everything, including milk. My dad's idea of a nice drink is a giant cup completely filled with ice, with soda in the cracks between. In Scandinavia, they don't really do ice cubes much, and regard them as kind of unhealthy (you shouldn't shock your stomach with cold drinks).

 

My little funny story: one hot summer day I was downtown and soooo thirsty, the kind where all you want is a nice glass of ice water. There was no ice water, but there was a Burger King with a picture of a nice icy soda! So I went in and asked for a soda with LOTS of ice. The girl just looked at me funny; why would I want less soda? LOTS of ice, I said--I didn't even want sticky soda, just ice. So she brought me my soda--with 3 sad little ice cubes bobbing around in it, almost melted from the lukewarm soda.

 

OK, it's not high adventure. I should go to Malaysia...

[Colleen in NS]

Another thing I miss is inexpensive M&Ms. :D They are very expensive here. But when we go to the States, I stock up.

 

That is really interesting to me. Can I ask why? I feel right now that if I left Malaysia and went back to the U.S. I would really miss it.

 

I would very much miss Canada if I moved back to the States (though I sometimes long to move back to the States to be closer to my family and warmer weather). I have become Canadian in my thinking in a lot of ways, but I've been here for 18 years, too. I would miss the CBC news, which is more internationally-focused. I would miss the welcoming people here. I would miss Canadian humour. I would miss the friends that saw me through my first years of motherhood. I would miss the health care system and the mentality about social networks here.

[mazakaal]

Target!

 

drive-through banking

 

customer service - So many people here seem to take the attitude, "You should be thankful that I'm willing to sell you this/let you stay in my b&b/etc."

 

good restaurants - There are some very good restaurants here, but they're pricey and hard to find. I miss good, reasonably priced restaurants. We rarely eat out because I've grown tired of paying an arm and a leg for barely adequate food.

 

good bookstores

 

good libraries

 

Costco

 

convenient shopping

 

Those last two are more because I live so far from civilization. Other parts of England have Costco and convenient shopping.

 

Some things that I don't miss are the really bad US drivers and the 'keep-up-with-the-Joneses' mentality.

 

Some things I know I'll miss when we move away:

 

the countryside

 

the coastline

 

Cornish pasties

 

Devon clotted cream

 

bourbon cream biscuits

 

One thing I know I will not miss... the weather!

[mazakaal]

Well, I live in the states, but we spent some time in Russia. It didn't take long for my culture shock to kick in (b/c we were living in tight quarters with family). I was surprised. The *one* thing that had me *in tears* was the lack of an American-style washer AND a DRYER. Oh my goodness. Thoughts of laundry consumed me all day. I missed my dryer. Really.

 

(Perhaps it would have been easier if I hadn't had to DO so much laundry. Kids, ya know. Oh, they got SO dirty over there. I think there was dust/dirt in the AIR even!)

 

 

Ohhh. I feel your pain. I lived in Russia for a year. We lived in a dorm and had shared use of the smallest washer on the face of the earth. And had to hang our clothes all over our dorm room to dry them. Thankfully, I didn't have children yet, so it was just dh's and my laundry.

[Audrey]

what do you miss the most?

 

We were on vacation this week and met some nice people from London. When they found out we were Americans but were living in Malaysia they asked us what we miss the most about America? Not like our family or friends... but what we miss about being in America itself.

 

So I thought about it

 

and thought

 

and thought...

 

I miss Target. A lot.

 

And Mexican restaurants (I'd take Taco Bell right now if I could get it).

 

And I miss customer service. Malaysians have ZERO concept of good customer service or even adequate customer service.

 

I love Malaysia and I love living here but there are definitely some things I miss.

 

What about you?

 

The sound of a slow, soft Southern drawl. *sigh* I never had much of one myself, and now I speak with a very neutral accent. Whenever I hear a Southern drawl on tv (a real one, not a Hollywood mimic of one), I have a nearly visceral reaction to it, like being pulled from the center.

[JadeOrchidSong]

OP:

I have a friend that moved to Malaysia two years ago. She is not used to the wealth of her husband's family in Malaysia. She is Canadian, but she lived in the US for 6 years while her Malaysian husband got his Ph. D degree. Maybe you and she can get together since she says that it is rare to see a white person around. Let me know and I will connect you two. By the way, her kids are 7 and 9.

[JennifersLost]

I live in Western Canada.

 

I miss Mexican food, too - we used to live in California. There isn't even a Mexican food restaurant in town here - except Taco Bell, which I have never eaten in.

 

Right now I miss sunshine - we are having the coldest, rainiest July ever - and that's saying something for the misty NW coast mountains!

 

I miss the loudness. It's hard to describe. When I laugh out loud I really stand out here and I know people are thinking, "American!"

 

Sometimes I miss the feeling of people surrounded by hundreds of thousands of other people. We live in the biggest town in a six hour radius and there are only about 15,000 people here. On the other hand, I'm growing to love the feeling of there being so few people here. Depends on the day.

 

I miss Barnes and Noble - the store. WHen we visit my family we go there multiple times and I spend hundreds of dollars on books. I love to browse. We have a nice little bookstore here which is impressive in what it packs into a small space, but there's no way it could have the selections B&N has.

 

THat's all I can think of at the moment....

[DawnM]

I missed being able to buy catchup and mustard over the counter. I also missed TV. Let's see.....M&Ms, Reeses, several convenience foods.

 

Of course, things are different now than when I grew up there. They now have quite a few of the things I missed available to them in the city now.

 

Dawn

[Meriwether]

When my sister was an expat, she would always take crisco and brown sugar back to make chocolate chip cookies. Ranch dressing and cream of tartar. Reese's Peanut butter cups for her Dh. When she came home to visit us she brought cheese and olive oil.

[Sputterduck]

Two things.

 

I miss Thai food. Like, every day.

 

I miss people in general feeling like they have power over their own lives. Americans say, "Rise up and change things!" Mexicans say, "That's how Americans think. We just deal with what we have."

 

 

eta Two more

 

I miss truly clean water!

I miss flushing toilet paper!

Edited July 28, 2011 by Sputterduck

[Sputterduck]

When we were living abroad I missed buying benadryl over the counter.

 

Here you can get almost anything over the counter.

 

I went to the pharmacy once for something and they had run out of pills so they offered me the med in injection form! Just like that. No prescription, no doctor involved, nothing. Freaked me out.

 

I go to the pharmacy all the time now and buy things without ever checking with a doctor. I love never having to get my prescriptions renewed. I don't need any prescriptions at all!

Edited July 28, 2011 by Sputterduck

[chiguirre]

Yes, SD, that is a definite perk. I bring back Amoxycillin packs when we visit Venezuela because it's so much cheaper and I have it on hand when dh or I get sick on a Friday night.

[Negin]

I'm not an American, but I've lived there long enough to feel like one most of the time. Dc and dh are Americans.

 

Target

Friendly Customer Service

Costco

Hanging out at Barnes & Noble until closing time

Friendship

 

Off to read all the replies and I'm sure I'll agree with many other posts. We usually visit the U.S. once a year, so we get a good fix. :)

[Negin]

When we lived in Venezuela, Target and Walmart were like Disney to me when I'd visit my parents. My mom would get so tired of wandering the aisles with me oohing and aahing over everything I couldn't pack up and take home.

This describes us to a "t". :D

 

I have to say that I MUCH prefer clothes shopping (for me and dd) in the U.K. But we hardly ever get there ... I really dislike clothes shopping in the U.S. for the most part. I find it much, much easier in the U.K.

 

Some British things are pure nostalgia for me also, but that would be a whole 'nuther thread. ;)

 

The more places I've lived, the more I miss them when we move to a new place. Nowhere is perfect and everywhere has its pros and cons ...

[pqr]

English Language bookstores, did I mention English Language bookstores?

[stripe]

I miss the loudness. It's hard to describe. When I laugh out loud I really stand out here and I know people are thinking, "American!"

 

That's funny. Whenever I come home from visiting my inlaws, the quietness almost echoes. I just sit and enjoy how....quiet it is at my house in the US.

I go to the pharmacy all the time now and buy things without ever checking with a doctor. I love never having to get my prescriptions renewed. I don't need any prescriptions at all!

I love this too! It seems horribly dangerous on the one hand, but incredibly convenient for common stuff like an eye infection or whatever. I also love easy walk in doctors' appts, even for specialists. I completely think US doctors should do this.

[kengjw]

what do you miss the most?

 

We were on vacation this week and met some nice people from London. When they found out we were Americans but were living in Malaysia they asked us what we miss the most about America? Not like our family or friends... but what we miss about being in America itself.

 

So I thought about it

 

and thought

 

and thought...

 

I miss Target. A lot.

 

And Mexican restaurants (I'd take Taco Bell right now if I could get it).

 

And I miss customer service. Malaysians have ZERO concept of good customer service or even adequate customer service.

 

I love Malaysia and I love living here but there are definitely some things I miss.

 

What about you?

 

I am not an American but I live in the US right now but I missed all the street foods and "pasar malam" (night markets) in Malaysia. Sighhh...I wish I can just walk out of my house and go down the street for a good meal :0) Oh...how I miss "stir-fry kway-teow" *drooling*...lol.

 

Julia

[Heather in Neverland]

Here you can get almost anything over the counter.

 

I went to the pharmacy once for something and they had run out of pills so they offered me the med in injection form! Just like that. No prescription, no doctor involved, nothing. Freaked me out.

 

I go to the pharmacy all the time now and buy things without ever checking with a doctor. I love never having to get my prescriptions renewed. I don't need any prescriptions at all!

 

Same here. They will hand you anything. Xanax? Here you go! Darvocet? Here you go! It's really weird. :tongue_smilie:

[Heather in Neverland]

I am not an American but I live in the US right now but I missed all the street foods and "pasar malam" (night markets) in Malaysia. Sighhh...I wish I can just walk out of my house and go down the street for a good meal :0) Oh...how I miss "stir-fry kway-teow" *drooling*...lol.

 

Julia

 

Oh my, the char kway teow at the stall across the street is heavenly. And the Nasi kandars... What would I do without those? And the lahksa? And the Nasi lemak? Ok now I am hungry.

[Heather in Neverland]

OP:

I have a friend that moved to Malaysia two years ago. She is not used to the wealth of her husband's family in Malaysia. She is Canadian, but she lived in the US for 6 years while her Malaysian husband got his Ph. D degree. Maybe you and she can get together since she says that it is rare to see a white person around. Let me know and I will connect you two. By the way, her kids are 7 and 9.

 

What part of Malaysia is she in? I would love to talk to her. She can come visit me. There are white people everywhere here! :tongue_smilie:

[justamouse]

I love this thread.

 

And I'm really loving all of my books.

[Deb in NZ]

I miss the shopping.

 

Clothing---I am short & I can not find any jeans that come close to fitting. And even the cheap clothing costs much more than what I would pay in the States.

 

Food---I miss unsweetended cereal that is not corn flakes, rice krispies, or museli. I miss bacon really fries up crisp & does not end up simmering from all the water that comes out of it. I miss Poultry Seasoning, French Fried Onions, ranch dressing, etc. I miss pie filling, crisco, & real maple syrup. I miss bagels, english muffins that don't cost $4 for six muffins, & real American donuts.

 

All in all I do like living in NZ. When I have taken my family back to VT, I find that I soon miss things that are common place in NZ.

[regentrude]

I am not American, but have been living in the US for 15 years. When I spend extended time in Europe, I miss tortilla chips - nothing else.

 

In the US town where I live, we have no Target, no Barnes&Noble, no mall, no decent shopping available (and I use a clothes line anyway instead of a dryer:)). So really, for me, there is nothing to miss.

[stripe]

I miss bagels, english muffins that don't cost $4 for six muffins,

 

You've got to learn to make your own -- I did it once and they tasted exactly like the bought ones but better. I just saw some on a food blog that were made with Alton Brown's recipe, which apparently are pretty pourable. Anyway I strongly encourage you to try.

 

Maple syrup, I completely agree. But when I am overseas I tend not to eat American style pancakes, so I haven't missed that. But I did pay $6 for a tiny jar of Nutella once. At least it came in a glass jar one could reuse as a drinking glass. Why don't they do that in the US? This idea is genius! I saw it in Australia with jam too.

[Mom in High Heels]

 

I miss the loudness. It's hard to describe. When I laugh out loud I really stand out here and I know people are thinking, "American!"

 

 

Ugh, that's one of the things I do NOT miss about America! I hate how loud restaurants in the US are. We've gotten so used to quiet, relaxing meals here, and every time we go to the States, it's so jarring to walk into a restaurant and be bombarded by music and loud conversations. I hate it. I can't enjoy my meal because I have to hear all about the bad day the loud guy behind me had or have to ask the server to speak up because I can't hear what they're saying over the music. Very, very annoying! The quiet is one of the things I will miss the most about living in Europe.