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?

Counting the Miles

My education has taken me far and wide and taught me everything I know. In three weeks, I will begin my farthest adventure yet. 

From my first day of kindergarten, my daily trip to Ledyard Center School was 4.3 miles, and that’s where I began a life of reading, writing, and four square on the playground.

Ledyard High School was only an extra 1.1 miles further down the road, but it taught me the good, bad and ugly of sports coaching and that a torn ACL plus AP Biology can lead to a career.

When I was 18, I packed the Howie minivan for the 306.9 miles from Gales Ferry, Connecticut to College Park, Maryland. I found out what kinesiology was, why anyone would fear a turtle, and how hard it is to get people to Step it Up and take the stairs.

My first international adventure was 2,982.7 miles from Gales Ferry to Limerick, Ireland where I learned the meaning of “craic”, “slainte”, and that football, basketball, and baseball are not the only sports (gaelic football and hurling are real sports).

After graduation, I went 708.4 miles from Gales Ferry to Columbia, South Carolina where I spent five years running, jumping, dancing and getting Piled Higher and Deeper. I fell in love with muscadine wine, added  “y’all” to my vocabulary, stomped Copperhead Road, and discovered the joy (or insanity) of running 50 kilometers through the forest and getting lost during a 200 mile relay.

None of that compares to the miles to come.

Perth is 11,647.8 miles (18.745.4 kilometers) from Gales Ferry, Connecticut or 11,449.2 miles (18,425.7 kilometers) from Columbia, South Carolina. I can’t wait to find out what I will learn "Down Under".

(I’ve had a little practice converting miles to kilometers, but I better get practicing. A 5k is 3.1 miles, 10k is 6.2, and 50k is about 31 miles. Think I’ve got it covered?)