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I really missed taking showers in a spacious, "regular, American-size" shower stall when I was in the UK. Tiny bathtubs don't work well when trying to wash long hair.
And in the winter, people really bundle up. They wore sweaters (jumpers) inside all the time when it was cold outside, but I was ALWAYS hot and uncomfortable.
After Costa Rica: The ability to flush toilet paper. The fact that I didn't have people all up in my 'biz 18/7. Travel bug returned about two weeks later.
After Spain / Morocco: After Morocco, the Western toilets. After Spain, I guess home. Travel bug returned same week or next.
After Mexico: The fact that I didn't have people all up in my 'biz 18/7. The ability to flush toilet paper.
Overall, US is generally more law abiding. Whenever I visit other countries there seems to be no traffic rules or rules about who is first in line. It's like survival of the fittest in a lot of places. Comparatively most of the US is very orderly.
Whenever I return to the US (SoCal) from Europe I am relieved to have my groceries bagged for me at the supermarket, instead of doing a Lucy-and-Vivian-at-the-conveyor-belt imitation just to get my groceries put into very expensive plastic bags before the next customer's groceries get piled up on top of mine...
I am relieved that there are paper towels in public toilets instead of soggy "self-cleaning" loops of cloth towels.
I'm relieved that hardly anybody smokes in public.
I love to be able to say Hi to strangers and get a smile in return, instead of a suspicious frown.
I appreciate being able to ask for the location of an item at the supermarket and actually get an answer, and not an "If you don't see it, then we don't have it!"
I'll always know I'm back in the USA when I see some cheery, obese, black, American airport worker after a long flight from the other side of the world in Chicago O'Hare with an accent so thick that even the British are like "WTF?"
Well after spending some time in Oaxaca Mexico when I got home I appreciated the absence of trucks full of soldiers with rottweilers and automatic weapons everywhere.
After visiting friends in Australia and touring the eastern coast on our own (total of 42 days), when I arrived back in America, what I missed most was Australia. I would live in Australia, if I could become an Australian citizen.
Don't get me wrong, I love America, but IMO, Australia is a better country to live in.
My sister moved there and hasn't looked back. After doing some research of my own, I agree with you. It is an attractive place to go and live.
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