From Down Under to Down South
From Down Under to Down South is a twice-weekly reflection from an Australian making a life in the American South.
After moving from Australia to Tennessee in 2018, I began noticing the subtle cultural differences most people miss — the way politeness sounds different, the way goodbyes stretch longer, the way everyday moments quietly reveal what’s different.
Some episodes explore those contrasts directly. Others are quiet stories from the week — conversations and small moments that say something bigger.
It’s not outrage or culture wars. And it’s not a travel diary. It’s simply one Australian perspective on life between two countries.
If you’ve ever lived overseas, loved two places at once, or found yourself caught between familiar and foreign — you’ll feel at home here.
New episodes are released twice weekly as part of the broader From Down Under to Down South series across podcast and YouTube.
Episodes
73 episodes
10 Small Things Americans Do That Still Surprise Me
As an Australian living in America, I’ve come to realise it’s not the big cultural differences that stay with you… it’s the small, everyday habits.In this episode, I talk through some of the little things Americans do that still catch me...
This Week in America — Kentucky Weekend: Dance, Derby & Buc-ee’s
This week in America — a Kentucky weekend that started with a dance competition and quietly turned into something more. From Louisville traffic during Derby season to bourbon conversations at a hotel bar, a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museu...
What America Get Right
After living in the United States for a number of years, there are still plenty of things that surprise me about daily life here. Some are confusing. Some take getting used to. But there are also things America does genuinely well — things that...
This Week in America — Representing Australia at a Tennessee School Night
What does everyday life in America actually feel like? In this episode, I share a week that started with representing Australia at a school international night in Tennessee… and unfolded into a series of small moments that say a lot about livin...
What Happens After “Thank You” in America
After living in America for eight years, there’s one small phrase I’ve come to appreciate more than I expected.“You’re welcome.”It’s such a simple response. But the way different cultures handle gratitude says a lot about rhythm, ...
This Week in America — The Business of Everyday Life
This week in America, I started noticing how everyday life works a little differently.Living in the United States as an Australian, it’s often the small things that stand out — like how many everyday tasks become services. From lawn care...
When You Live Between Two Countries
Living overseas stretches you.It expands your perspective. It changes you.But it’s not free.In this episode, I reflect on what it really means to live between two countries — Australia and America — and how moving across the w...
This Week in America - When Things That Felt Strange Start to Feel Normal
What feels “normal” when you live in another country… isn’t always what you expect.In this week’s episode of This Week in America, I found myself in two very different situations — standing beneath a Saturn V rocket that took pe...
Why American Goodbyes Feel So Different
Why do American goodbyes feel so different to Australian ones?After years of living in the United States, there’s still one small social moment that catches me off guard — the way conversations end. In Australia, goodbyes tend to wind do...
This Week in America - When Tornado Season Suddenly Feels Real
This Week in America: Tornado SeasonThe first time you hear a tornado siren in the American South… you don’t forget it.For many people living in Australia, tornadoes feel like something distant — dramatic footage from the n...
The American Version of Polite
After eight years living in the United States, one thing still quietly fascinates me — not how polite Americans are, but what they’re polite about.From apologising for existing… To holding doors from impossible distances…&nb...
This Week in America - When Spring in America Feels Different
This Week in America: Spring ArrivingSpring doesn’t arrive all at once in Tennessee.It shows up through small signals.A classroom full of curious first graders listening to an Australian story about wombats. Cars cov...
Things Americans Think Are Normal (That Still Confuse Me After 8 Years)
After eight years of living in the United States, I’ve realised that some everyday American habits feel completely normal… until you step back and look at them from the outside.From root beer and sugary breakfasts, to tipping culture, gi...
This Week in America - The Moment School Started to Feel Like HR
This week I received an email from Georgia’s school about attendance.Apparently she has reached five “unexcused absences”, which means I now need to have a meeting with the principal and the school counsellor. The interesting part is tha...
Australia's REAL Monsters | Why Bigfoot Doesn't Compare
Think American folklore is scary?From the Bunyip to the Min Min lights, the Australian bush carries stories that make Bigfoot feel almost… friendly.As an Aussie living in the United States, I hear a lot about the Mothman and the J...
This Week in America - When Your Accent Starts to Change Without You Noticing
Living overseas long enough changes the way you hear things.Sometimes it’s obvious. Sometimes it’s just a single word that quietly reveals where you started.In this episode of This Week in America, I reflect on accents, t...
I Want To Move Back To Australia… But The Housing Crisis Has Me Scared
I’m an Aussie living in the United States… and lately, I’ve found myself quietly unsettled by the idea of moving home.Every time I see headlines about Australia’s housing crisis — and hear stories from people trying to rent or buy — I ca...
This Week in America - What No One Tells You About Living Between Two Countries
When you move countries as an adult, you expect the obvious changes — new places, new systems, new routines.What you don’t always expect is how that decision echoes through your children’s lives years later.In this episode of ...
Aussie in America: 6 Meats That Will Get You FINED in the USA
Some of the foods Americans once ate — and some you still technically can’t — surprised me more than I expected.As an Aussie living in the United States, I’ve learned that what’s considered “normal” on one side of the world can be comple...
This Week in America - When Observations Become Political
This week I learned something about identity — not from a headline or an election, but from a hospital bill.After a British channel reacted to one of my older videos about healthcare costs in the United States, the tone in my comment sec...
Boomer Bosses in Australia & the US: Old Normal, Fired Today
There was a time when certain workplace behaviours barely raised an eyebrow.Smoking at your desk.Long “liquid” lunches.Calling the women in the office “the girls.”Bosses who ruled more like monarchs than managers.In bo...
This Week in America - When Competition Becomes the Show
This week I’ve been reflecting on dance competitions — not the steps or the scores, but the atmosphere around them.Georgia recently competed interstate again, dancing a lyrical solo and four group routines. She’s been on the floor since ...
Work Culture Clash: Top 10 Aussie vs American Office Shocks
Moving from Australia to the United States changed the way I think about work — more than I expected.What feels ordinary in one country can feel confronting in another.In this episode, I reflect on the biggest workplace difference...
This Week in America - Crossing State Lines
This week we drove to Atlanta for Georgia’s dance competition — which meant crossing a state line.In Australia, that used to feel like a major event. Flights. Planning. Real distance.In America, it can mean a couple of hours on an...
When Boomer Sayings Start to Sound Outdated to Kids
Boomer sayings really were a language of their own.Living between Australia and the United States, I’ve noticed something quietly funny: Boomers in both countries confused their kids — just in completely different dialects.From “b...