These are a few of my American things

My friend recently asked me what American things I am going to do during my last weeks in the States. Until he asked, I hadn’t thought much about the things I will miss from America, if there are any. My game plan for my last weeks stateside have just been to spend time with friends and family, who are irreplaceable and will not fit in my suitcase no matter how hard I try. My fried said he would eat a lot of burgers and pizza (because they don’t have those in Australia?). As I’ve thought about it, here are some “American” things I will be overdosing on over the next few weeks.

Peanut butter. Who knows what kind of peanut butter they will have over there? Regardless, I know that it will be more expensive. If the selection is unsatisfactory, I may have to resort to buying peanuts and a food processor to try and emulate Robin’s Peanut Butter. Additionally, I hear that Reese’s or any  peanut butter and chocolate confections are sparse. No Moose Tracks ice cream?! That gives me an excuse  to indulge in my favorite sweet treats while I can.

Big things. Apparently everything is smaller Down Under particularly cars and food. For America’s sake, I shall ride in our large minivan or Buick tank to get a supersize BigMac from McDonalds (it’s called Macca’s for short in Australia). Or maybe a big McFlurry. Or maybe just pick up a gallon of MooseTracks ice cream with a king size Reese’s…

Driving on the right side of the road. Or driving in general. With $6 gas, access to a bicycle, bike lanes, and public transportation, my plan is not to have a car while in Perth. And I’m selling mine, which means I shall relish every gas guzzling mile, mind numbing errand, and jaunt around New England that I have left.

Graham crackers. Graham crackers are good for lots of things. They can serve as conduits for peanut butter, nutella, or serve as a snack plain. But most importantly, they are the bookends for s’mores. When I was in Ireland, I had my mom ship my s’mores, marshmallows and Hershey chocolate bars, because my roommates had never had a s’more. What deprived souls. Time to light the campfire, and make a “toast” to the ooey, gooey, American camp delight. 

Pennies. There are no one cent denominations in Australia dollars. Not that there is a use for pennies. They really are more of a nuisance. But since I can use one cent, I’m going to pay for everything in change. EXACTLY. And maybe I'll find a heads up penny for good luck.

American sports. I’m excited to witness the spectacle of Australian Rules Football, rugby, and cricket. I’m not a big sports spectator (I’m more of do-er), but if I were to follow any sport, itwould be women’s basketball. Luckily I am in the great state of Connecticut, where women’s basketball reigns, and I have the privilege of attending one or two WNBA Connecticut Sun games in the next few weeks. I will oblige my urge to be patriotic and feign interest in the NFL preseason and Red Sox games that my mom follows. 

Dunkin Donuts. Perhaps it’s nostalgia for my first job, coming home and smelling sickeningly sweet from glaze, sugar, and syrup, but whenever I pass a Dunkin Donuts, I feel a small compulsion for a French Vanilla coffee. Even moving to South Carolina, I felt deprived without a DD on every corner. My last flight to the Providence airport, I stepped into the terminal, and the whole airport smelled like Dunkin. I knew I was back home. After all, isn’t America supposed to run on Dunkin? And from what I hear, ordering coffee in general in Australia is not the same. Espressos, long blacks, lattes, and cappuccinos, with a regular coffee out of the norm. I’m game for the uniquely Australian  flat white, which is basically a latte with no foam. An extra cup of coffee a day will be worth those caffeinated jitters.

What other “American” things should I fill my two and a half weeks with?