Q: "The age old... What do you miss from America?," submitted by @nankramer & @homelifebydenise
A: Aside from the obvious answer, which is family, most of these are lifestyle questions such as clothes, services, or products.
I routinely get asked this question. To the point that I had to stop and wonder, what is the core fear behind this recurring inquiry?
Some of the most common emotional fears are failure, rejection, making the wrong decision, responsibility, fear of commitment, challenge, and missing out.
This question can fall into many of those categories, and indeed, I have experienced them here.
Being a bit dichotomous at times when I make a decision, I invest myself wholeheartedly in the strategy. At the beginning of my journey, there were a few everyday products that I'd search out. The French counterparts were often much higher quality, with fewer or no chemicals, additives, and toxins.
I really can find anything I want and need here - and more. This country is a wealth of incredible artists, artisans, locally made products, services, and the social programs are mindboggling - I am still discovering all this country provides to its citizens.
There were a few baking items that I asked for at first. Tbh, there's nothing like a Nestlé chocolate chip in my cookie recipe! And for what I can't find, I make, such as my homemade vanilla extract.
Shipping items here is a lost cause - packages have been lost, delayed by months, import fees and taxes cost more than the products themselves, and tracking down packages can be a nightmare.
From the business perspective, I miss the ease of operating a biz that the US provides. The bureaucracy here is sometimes overwhelming, and I do not joke when I say it's a part-time job to wade through the personal AND professional paperwork. But THAT could be a whole separate post for another day! 😅
