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.
From Down Under to Down South
This Week in America - Crossing State Lines
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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 eight-lane highway.
From enormous roads and midnight traffic to the ritual of stopping at Buc-ee’s (twice), this episode reflects on what “scale” feels like in the United States — and how it shapes even the small moments.
We also found ourselves watching Georgia perform via livestream… from the car park of the same building. A very American kind of full house.
Along the way, I noticed something else: when I’m calm, I blend in here. When I’m emotional, my Australian accent steps forward — and sometimes so does the reminder that I’m not from here.
This week isn’t really about highways or petrol stations. It’s about belonging. Ritual. And the quiet spaces between feeling inside and outside at the same time.
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Thanks for listening. Hoo roo maties.
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