Sad About Sydney

I'm sad to be leaving. I've had a great time. I love exploring different places and different cultures. Though Aussies speak English, they have a lingo all their own. A few times I have had to say "excuse me?" as in "what the heck did you just say?" But overall it's been fun communicating across the gap. Other than the very high cost of living, I could see myself living here. 

I only saw a fraction of the place. Someday I will come back and visit Perth, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Tasmania, Brisbane, and Darwin. You just need more time here to do that. I met a girl from Europe who had seen most of the country by bus on her 3 month holiday. I was here 17 days. Perhaps this seems long by American standards, but countries like Germany get 6 weeks. I met several Germans, British, and other Europeans who were spending weeks at a stop vs my couple days per stop. Even my airport shuttle driver has traveled the world and was speaking of planning his next 6 weeks trip to NY and the East Coast. They save $20,000 and go. Something is wrong with our American standard. Our culture is about work, work, work- and time. That's the stereotype you hear about from other countries. Hurry, hurry. Time is money. You get 2 weeks off. Why do we seem to get the least? My job has great benefits, but for me to take 6 weeks at once would mean forgoing vacation one year in order to bank the time- or requesting leave without pay. I found this article in the subject: 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/08/countries-most-vacation-days/2400193/

 I could go on and on. The point is that I will miss it down unda. 

There are some American things I have missed:

Mustard

Pepper Jack cheese

American style coffee

Half and half

All the ketchup I want instead of a teeny plastic cup of "tomato sauce."

That's a long ramble. Cheers!