It's All in the Details

Australia… it sounds like such an exotic locale.  I have to admit, when making our plans, I allowed myself to get caught up in all of the hype and stereotypes.  I didn’t imagine kangaroos jumping down the streets, but I did expect to be blown away by how different it was from the states.  Even though I knew better, I expected something more akin to the movies.  I expected more surfboards, more outback.  (Could I be more oxymoronic?)  Silly, I know.  Quite honestly, I simply didn’t expect this - something so normal, so a-stereotypical.  Don’t get me wrong – life is different here, but the differences aren’t always so obvious.  There aren’t sun-kissed surfers roaming the streets or “Crocodile Dundee” look-alikes hanging out in the local pubs. (Duh!)  It’s all much subtler than that.  The differences are in the details. 

On any given night, as I walk home from the grocery store, I could mistake my neighborhood for one in Denver, with the quaint houses and tree-lined streets.  The local restaurants aren’t even that different - BBQ, Thai, Indian, and pizza all nearby.  But the illusion quickly dissipates when I stop to take note of my surroundings: the cars driving on the wrong side of the street, the palm trees intermingled with the less-exotic varieties, my neighbors’ tell-tale accent.  It’s the little things that remind me I’m not at home.  McDonald’s is Mackers.  Burger King is Hungry Jack’s.  Vegemite is the toast-topping of choice.  People take “morning tea”, rather than a coffee break.  Oh – and then there’s the spiders and lizards; they definitely remind me I’m not at home.  So, although Aussie life has proven vastly different from my expectations, it’s been (and continues to be) an incredible learning experience, a break from my norm.  And, if I think about it, isn’t that what I was searching for?