Life as an Expat — and the Things We Will Always Miss!
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I am a Danish national, but I have lived in the USA since I was 20 years old. I came to the US to go to University... and became "one of the ones" who got married and stayed on.
"Home," my auntie's house in Denmark, summer
Earlier today, Mrs. Denmarkguy and I made a brief stop at a small market in the quaint town of Poulsbo, Washington... know to many as "Little Norway." Truth be known, pretty much all the Scandinavian cultures are pretty well represented there.
Just to set the record straight, I'm not a flag-waving Danish freak who's always pining for the "Old Country;" I like where I live now pretty well, and my desire to go to Denmark is limited to a family vacation every couple of years.
However, I got to thinking about how — even though I have spent more time in the US than in Denmark — there are certain things I suppose I will always miss, and the majority of these seem related to food. I suppose it could be that our taste buds are simply adjusted to a certain "flavor profile" during our formative years, and we just never quite grow out of it.
The beach near where I grew up
And the things we miss are often a bit strange.
For example, during the summers I miss Danish new potatoes. Even though we grow our own potatoes here — and they are quite good — they don't taste quite the same. It might just be the composition of the soil, for all I know. The same goes for strawberries; actually strawberry jam, which is one of my favorite things to have on toast in the morning. I know that US made strawberry jam has more sugar and more pectin (making it more jelly-like), but the flavor is different, too.
At the market, however, I was looking for fish... something very Scandinavian: Pickled Herring. I don't blame you for wrinkling your nose right now... it's an acquired taste that you might also have if you live in the Netherlands. And, of course, the slightly sour, grainy dark bread to go with it. Success was had!
A water taxi stand. Yes, that's a thing...
Or, and beer. Don't forget the beer. Every country seems to have its own "microflavoring" patterns in their beer. There's a lot of great beer around the world... but sometimes only a very specific "familiar" flavor will do. And it's not necessarily even great beer, it's more of a familiarity thing.
So, do I miss anything that's not food and drink related?
Well... all-pedestrian town/city centers or streets, in even quite small cities. That, and high -functioning public transportation, not just in large cities.
But on the whole? As I said, I'm pretty happy with where I am!
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
How about YOU? Have you ever lived anywhere as an expat? Do you currently live somewhere other than the country where you were born? Were there/are there specific things you missed? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20211101 23:05 PDT
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