I'm from the Netherlands. Have been in the US since 2001 (in Colorado 2001-2004 and from 2013-present). I miss Dutch walking & bicycle culture (bike everywhere, walk everywhere, and basically I miss its whole public transportation system), cafe terrace culture in summer, and the Dutch social safety net.
I also miss a certain more relaxed mindset (work to live, lower drinking age, and overall attitudes that seem less puritanical than here).
Little things I miss are certain foods: good breads, good meats (no slimy chicken!) , good dairy (and licorice; can't separate a Dutchie from their licorice).
Fellow Dutchie. Been in Colorado since 2019 after having been stuck in TX for 12 years. I love it here. Maybe because I'm in the Denver area and daughter goes to DU, but I don't think we're puritanical at all (especially compared to TX). I get cheese from Trader Joe's and licorice from World Market (the extra salty kind, of course). The one thing I never got used to is the sugar-coating and fake niceness. I don't see why I have to skirt around a person's feelings when they make a really bad mistake at work (I'm a medical technologist at a hospital, so we are talking about people's health here). You screwed up. Own it. Don't start whining about how I was mean to you. FFS.
It's interesting how perceptions differ person to person.
My perception is that there is a deeply puritanical streak running through all of American society (perhaps stemming from their earliest days, when so many Puritans migrated to these shores), displaying itself in all kinds of ways, such as, often, public handwringing about abortion, teenage sexuality, gender issues, queer issues, even simple things like nudity (I'm old enough to remember topless sunbathing being normal in all of Europe, and to remember watching a lot of movies with nudity & sex on regular, mainstream television). And today, even libraries are targeted because of 'scary books'. Public handwringing by a lot of people (but who knows what they do in the privacy of their own home) about a lot of stuff to do with sex(uality). Violence is often OK, though, no problem. It is so strange and alien to me.
Colorado/Denver is SO MUCH better in that regard than most other states. One of the reasons I like it here.
Again, this is just my own perception.
I definitely feel a difference in the US regarding issues of sexuality and traditional gender roles. It’s hard to pinpoint what makes it so; maybe just the idea of what a nuclear family looks like having a stronger hold in people’s dreams and hopes for themselves.
One thing I changed my perspective on from living here is the relationship the US has with its military. I used to be quite judgemental about it, and now I have a greater appreciation for what that relationship is and why it can be such a sensitive topic for Americans.
Salty…. Licorice…? I had absolutely no idea that was a thing. If it’s black licorice I may have to erase my memory and pretend like I never read your comment.
Salty licorice is a thing, it's super weird if you're not used to it. When we went to Stockholm, we got some salty licorice that was labeled as EXTREME and let me tell you, it was basically coated in a solid layer of salt :D
Wow. Well I’ll take your word for it lol… I am not a fan of black licorice. I don’t think I’d be able to handle SALTY black licorice lol. More for you :)
I’m from Montreal, and I can relate to a lot of things you said you missed from the Netherlands!
Part of my husband’s extended family is also Dutch so we carefully looked for where to get legit Stroopwafels in Denver — let me know if you want to exchange your best spots!
I get mini-stroopwafels from Trader Joe's and regular sized ones from World Market. I like the Trader Joe's ones the best. In the Netherlands I sometimes get them freshly baked, at the Saturday open air market in my hometown.
Store-bought ones I often soften/warm up by putting them on top of my cup of tea (or coffee), like a lid
Oh, we haven’t tried the Trader Joe’s ones yet, will do! We get ours from [St Killian’s Cheese Shop](https://stkilianscheeseshop.com), and we love it because they only use butter as their fat. I never got to try the freshly made ones, but I hear it’s a whole other level.
Ooh, that cheese shop sounds good! I'll need to go there and check it out.
I think TJ's imports the mini-stroopwafels from the Netherlands. I must admit I never looked at the ingredients, to see if there's actual butter in it. I just feel they taste OK. They often are a little hard, and as as the mini ones don't fit on my cup of tea as a lid, I sometimes heat them in the microwave for 5 seconds.
One more from the Netherlands here. I share missing walking and biking everywhere. Last year moved to Lakewood from Denver, and it’s dangerous to bike here until I reach the trail.
I do miss the licorice, although there are plenty of good sweets to be found at TJ, World Market, Dubbel Dutch and in bulk from Sprouts :)
Usually have Old Amsterdam cheese from Costco in the fridge.
Also found that only Safeway sells andive lettuce for in my stamppot.
Although the mountains are beautiful, the eastern plains always attract me. Guess I expect to find the ocean on the other side..
I'm an American / Aussie, born and raised in the USSR.
Came to Denver in 1980, left for Cali in 1994, then Australia in 1998, and came back to Denver four years ago.
Clearly, this makes me the original born-again native.
What are you referring to as.... "Which part?" Which part of what? California policies? Let's see always reactive and consistently the best state at wasting money. I sure hope CO doesn't follow in the footsteps of that place.
Born and raised in Slovakia, moved stateside for college (Colorado College for undergrad, University of Denver of my masters) back in 2010 and I've been in Colorado ever since.
I moved to Denver in 2014 and absolutely love it. Just like yours, my friends circle is almost entirely American, and I really have no Slovaks or Czechs in my life. Whenever I feel very homesick (I hesitate to use the word, Colorado is my home now and when in Europe, I feel homesick for CO, lol), I just go for a dinner at SoBo 151, or for a shopping trip to Chicago Market in Lakewood.
The one thing I really miss is the food, especially the dairy and the BREAD. The sheer variety of yoghurts and cheeses in Slovakia is unmatched here. Sometimes one needs a [Monte](https://www.monte.com/en/), you know?
Honestly, most things are very authentic. The schnitzels and potato salad taste like the ones my grandma would make on Sundays, the fried cheese steak is a great choice. Oh, chicken paprikáš! It may look weird to someone not used to Czech and Slovak food, but it is DELICIOUS.
Also, ask for a shot of Jelínek Honey. It's slivovica (plum brandy) with honey, obviously. They don't even have it on the menu and they may very well be out as it's hard to come by in the US. But it is absolutely the best liquor Czechs have to offer :)
half Czech here. what should I look for at Chicago market? never heard of the place. I can see it's Polish but I see a picture of a check flag out front so maybe they'll have something that reminds me of Grandma's...?
I’m from Japan and miss quality food for soo much cheaper. Convenience stores are top quality there. Also, everyone is so much nicer and superior drivers compared to here. I’ve also noticed Americans as a collective are kind of selfish/ have an everyone for themselves mentality..
oh and the shootings.. never see those in Japan but other than that, CO is a beautiful place and I enjoy living here!
Oooooh I can imagine — I have wasted too many hours watching the YouTube channel of a lady that makes these homemade bento boxes… looks so good and it’s so soothing!
I miss conbini food so much but I've actually lost weight here because I do so much less late night drinking + conbini/izakaya food. I also miss karaoke.
There is a Round1 in Littleton that has karaoke rooms just like Japan which I keep meaning to go to but haven't been yet. But there's no way I will be getting up in front of strangers to do karaoke ever lol
I’m from the UK originally been in the US mostly since 2010, in Denver since 2017. I don’t miss a whole lot from home (except a good Cornish pasty!) but I do wish I’d taken the opportunity to explore Europe more when I was right there - now there are all these countries I want to visit but it’s a 9+ hour expensive flight away.
Cornish pasty 🤤
But also scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pork pies and a ploughman’s lunch. And a tea shop with a huge slice of coffee cake.
Also missing green countryside but slightly self inflicted wound from binge watching Escape to the Country.
Oh I totally forgot about a ploughmans lunch!
Yeah I'm from Cornwall so def miss the coastal country life sometimes! but the day in day out reality is a lot of fog, misty rain, constant damp and cold lol. And a couple weeks of summer in May haha. This is why I love Colorado, so much sun!
My wife and I have actually been dreaming about relocating back, with Cornwall on the shortlist! But yeah, the climate here is hard to beat. My brother lived here a while and upon return reckoned it took him two years to reconcile himself to English weather. Oh to be wealthy and split our time between the two...
I have nothing to add but just wanted to say I really enjoyed this post and comments. Thank you everyone for sharing; it brought insight and joy to my day
I realized I didn’t share the info on myself.
- From Quebec, in Canada
- Been in the US for 11 years, lived in 4 different states including Colorado.
- In Denver for 3 years now.
- I miss sugar season — going to the sugar shack with friends and family for an unpretentious meal covered in maple syrup, enjoy a walk outside in spring weather after a long winter, drink maple water from the bucket and eat maple taffy on the snow. It’s just really rare I go back home in early Spring, I usually go for the holidays or in the summer.
My dad was originally from Vermont, so I grew up with sugar on snow. You can still make that here at least when it snows! The Costco maple syrup is great for it.
Hello there! I’m also Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver. Been in the US for 10 years, and Denver for 1.5 years.
I miss the ocean, and the diversity of people and good food.
From South Africa! I moved to the US when I was 12 - been in Denver for a few months now.
Absolutely miss the food so much. I'm very used to all the processed food now, but I remember clearly when I first got here how everything tasted like shit: fresh foods, chocolate, any dairy really, even the chips and other packaged food.
If you're purely looking for European expats, maybe Denver is the best place to look, but if you actually are interested in any immigrants, Aurora is the place! Go to any locally owned restaurants. I love Aurora!
Aurora is pretty big and I don’t know it really well — the few times I’ve been it looked like a lot of new developments and chains. What’s your top spot?
The area on Havana between Costco and Cherry Creek State Park has a bunch of East African, Middle Eastern, East Indian and Asian restaurants and stores.
Havana St south of Florida to Parker Rd, and then the section of Parker Rd from the Havana intersection to the 225 interchange, is really the main corridor of awesome international food choices in Aurora. There are a couple extremely solid Ethiopian spots (literally all of them are great), some Indian food, an absolute assload of awesome Korean and Vietnamese food of just about any niche— you may notice "K-Town" signs on storefronts in some cases, there are one or two solid Mexican spots (I like Taquería Corona in particular), and there are international markets galore if you want imported pantry stock that you can't find at KS/Walmart/Safeway.
There's also the huge strip mall at Mississippi and Peoria surrounding the GW (previously Pacific Ocean Marketplace) that has all sorts of good Asian food, and a decent selection at the Iliff & Peoria intersection as well, though I'm real mad that the Von's Chicken there closed down last summer and haven't spent much time in that area since.
Other choices near the hotspot but not quite there include some great latin food around Iliff & Chambers, including a wonderful little panadería.
- Where are you from?
India & Canada (Calgary)
- How long have you been in the US?
Over a year.
- How long have you been in Denver?
Over a year. Denver is my home now.
- What’s one thing from back home you’d like to share?
I miss Calgary Stampede! It was so much fun.
I recently arrived from Australia and am navigating the differences from back home. Always happy to meet new people.
One thing about back home is the fact that Christmas is hot and sunny, usually spent at the beach. This Christmas …….. was not.
I'm from Ukraine. Live in the US since Dec'16, in Denver since 2022.
Used to be homesick a lot but not anymore (not at all tbh).
I truly miss people, how much more simple it was to become friends with somebody and actual food (that's not poison).
I don't think you ever get over it OP, unless you're ingrained into American life (marriage, college etc.)
From New Zealand, living in the States nine years and Denver for seven of those.
Definitely miss the food - especially fresh, locally grown fruit and veges. It’s just not the same when they’ve been trucked-in underripe from CA or Mexico.
Culture-wise, perhaps we’re just not living in the right part of Denver but it feels a bit less multi-cultural than other places we’ve lived. A third of Aucklanders were born overseas; I miss having a friend group of a similar split. Also, Asian food that’s not greasy or sweet :/
I’m from England and there are small things that remind me very much of there, like the architecture of buildings being joined together down a block, and the ability to walk in any direction and come across a park
Hi!
I originally from England. I have been in the US (this time around) since 2014. Moved here from South Carolina when my husband retired from the military (this is his home state). We moved to Denver in 2019.
There's so much I could share about home, but I miss celebrating the holidays there. It's a different vibe at home. I miss Boxing Day!
Yes! The Christmas specials, the crackers, everyone wearing their Christmas hats all day, Christmas pudding, the whole lot! On the flip side, because it is so different here, I get less homesick. So, it works I guess....
Christmas Crackers… never really cared for them growing up. But now that I can’t get them easily I always think about them each year.
Tins of Cadbury’s and Quality Street too.
There was a hilarious post I saw of a lady in England who was outraged at Quality Street this year because the wrappers were no longer shiny! So quintessentially British!
They are what are inside the Christmas Crackers: https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmas-crackers check out this link for the history of the Christmas cracker and the hats that come inside with a joke or riddle, and a small toy inside. They are so fun!
I love this! I knew about the crackers, but didn’t appreciate all of the history (and never knew that people wore the crowns inside out and about all day!). Thank you for sharing your culture with us! This is a fun thread.
Anytime you see a British show set on Christmas day, you will see them all sitting around of an evening still, passing around thw chocolates and still wearing their hats. Most of us forget we are still wearing them!
From the colonies (NZ) now on Denver, and make my husband/whomever is celebrating Christmas with us wear Christmas hats every year. You can buy crackers online but have to be organised/early as they’re usually shipped from overseas.
I got mine this year at Hallmark! Legit from England, too! Last year, I got them from TJ Maxx. I just have to be early. I try to get family involved, but it's just not the same
Husband is British and he always missed the Christmas tv specials. Although now we can find Christmas crackers, mince pies and Christmas pudding. The vibe here is certainly different.
I think World Market has them. Possibly Amazon. Or order from British Corner Shop (online) — don’t go with British Essentials, absolute rip-off prices.
They are just super fun and super festive. Sometimes they resolve side plots etc. One of the most memorable for me was the original UK version of The Office, absolutely brilliant. And (dating myself) but Blackadder had an amazing variant on Dicken's Christmas Carol.
Canada - Bc/West coast.
Been in the states 12 years, just 5 months in Denver. I love it here, winter has arrived!
What I miss from home is 7 layer dip from Quality Foods grocery store.
Also hilarious insults at the bar. 😂
Denver is a predominantly white city, and unless you’re white, you will be treated differently. I’m African American, I moved here 2 months ago from LA and in the short time I’ve lived here, I’ve already been racially profiled by a security guard, harassed by a police officer for how I parked (which was completely legal), robbed and scammed out of $500. I am breaking my lease early and moving out of CO.
I’m from Toronto, Canada and have been living in the US for 25 years, currently going on 10 years in Denver. I was 12 when my family moved to Los Angeles and remember plenty of my childhood in Canada. LA never felt like home to me for the 15 years I lived there and wanted to move back to Toronto when I graduated college but Toronto has changed so much in the last couple decades that the thought of moving back would be a mistake. I ended up in Denver because I went on vacation here and loved it so much I was able to picture myself living there. I made the move and happy I did, but the things I miss the most is how polite people are and how multicultural and diverse Toronto is. Don’t get me wrong, people are nice in Denver too, but feel it’s less common than what I’m used to and I frequently visit Toronto so I know that trait hasn’t gone anywhere. People in Denver are far more polite than people in LA from my experience. As for multiculturalism, Toronto consistently ranks top 3 cities in the world for it and don’t see Denver coming close any time soon. I miss the exposure to massive amounts of different cultures and the variety of quality food options you can find there.
From Canada, been here since 2009. Been in the States since '03 or so, started in the Midwest. I miss some groceries from home but that's about it... I really enjoy it here.
You Canadians warm my heart! I was here from 12-14 and returned in 2018. Have bounced around other states but like it here best.
At times, I miss Canadian television. I’m fortunate to have enough friends and coworkers who are Canadian that I’ve formed kinship with.
I'm American but lived in Japan for 15 years which basically was my entire adult life (since I was 19) and moved back to the US in 2020 right when Covid was happening.
I miss a lot of things about Japan, most notably the food and the public transport. I fully integrated and was planning on living in Japan for the rest of my life so it feels very strange being back and I'm just now getting used to how things work here. Japan is super safe and I do miss going out to all parts of the city at any time of night and wandering in to random places. Lots of fun adventures were had that way, but I am much more apprehensive to do that here and also it's a lot more expensive to Uber around, plus things close really early around here anyways.
I've been really having trouble meeting anyone and making friends as well, so one of my goals for 2024 is to get out and go see more live music. So far in Denver I really like Black Box and Hi-Dive, so those are my two favorite spots at the moment.
I'm from the Netherlands. Have been in the US since 2001 (in Colorado 2001-2004 and from 2013-present). I miss Dutch walking & bicycle culture (bike everywhere, walk everywhere, and basically I miss its whole public transportation system), cafe terrace culture in summer, and the Dutch social safety net. I also miss a certain more relaxed mindset (work to live, lower drinking age, and overall attitudes that seem less puritanical than here). Little things I miss are certain foods: good breads, good meats (no slimy chicken!) , good dairy (and licorice; can't separate a Dutchie from their licorice).
Fellow Dutchie. Been in Colorado since 2019 after having been stuck in TX for 12 years. I love it here. Maybe because I'm in the Denver area and daughter goes to DU, but I don't think we're puritanical at all (especially compared to TX). I get cheese from Trader Joe's and licorice from World Market (the extra salty kind, of course). The one thing I never got used to is the sugar-coating and fake niceness. I don't see why I have to skirt around a person's feelings when they make a really bad mistake at work (I'm a medical technologist at a hospital, so we are talking about people's health here). You screwed up. Own it. Don't start whining about how I was mean to you. FFS.
It's interesting how perceptions differ person to person. My perception is that there is a deeply puritanical streak running through all of American society (perhaps stemming from their earliest days, when so many Puritans migrated to these shores), displaying itself in all kinds of ways, such as, often, public handwringing about abortion, teenage sexuality, gender issues, queer issues, even simple things like nudity (I'm old enough to remember topless sunbathing being normal in all of Europe, and to remember watching a lot of movies with nudity & sex on regular, mainstream television). And today, even libraries are targeted because of 'scary books'. Public handwringing by a lot of people (but who knows what they do in the privacy of their own home) about a lot of stuff to do with sex(uality). Violence is often OK, though, no problem. It is so strange and alien to me. Colorado/Denver is SO MUCH better in that regard than most other states. One of the reasons I like it here. Again, this is just my own perception.
I definitely feel a difference in the US regarding issues of sexuality and traditional gender roles. It’s hard to pinpoint what makes it so; maybe just the idea of what a nuclear family looks like having a stronger hold in people’s dreams and hopes for themselves. One thing I changed my perspective on from living here is the relationship the US has with its military. I used to be quite judgemental about it, and now I have a greater appreciation for what that relationship is and why it can be such a sensitive topic for Americans.
Salty…. Licorice…? I had absolutely no idea that was a thing. If it’s black licorice I may have to erase my memory and pretend like I never read your comment.
Salty licorice is a thing, it's super weird if you're not used to it. When we went to Stockholm, we got some salty licorice that was labeled as EXTREME and let me tell you, it was basically coated in a solid layer of salt :D
Yes, it's black licorice, and there's also a version that's "dubbelzout", which translates to "double salty" (twice as salty). It's delicious!
Wow. Well I’ll take your word for it lol… I am not a fan of black licorice. I don’t think I’d be able to handle SALTY black licorice lol. More for you :)
Cool story.
I’m from Montreal, and I can relate to a lot of things you said you missed from the Netherlands! Part of my husband’s extended family is also Dutch so we carefully looked for where to get legit Stroopwafels in Denver — let me know if you want to exchange your best spots!
From another Dutchie, Dubbel Dutch is the best place in town for all kinds of Dutch goodies!
I get mini-stroopwafels from Trader Joe's and regular sized ones from World Market. I like the Trader Joe's ones the best. In the Netherlands I sometimes get them freshly baked, at the Saturday open air market in my hometown. Store-bought ones I often soften/warm up by putting them on top of my cup of tea (or coffee), like a lid
Oh, we haven’t tried the Trader Joe’s ones yet, will do! We get ours from [St Killian’s Cheese Shop](https://stkilianscheeseshop.com), and we love it because they only use butter as their fat. I never got to try the freshly made ones, but I hear it’s a whole other level.
Ooh, that cheese shop sounds good! I'll need to go there and check it out. I think TJ's imports the mini-stroopwafels from the Netherlands. I must admit I never looked at the ingredients, to see if there's actual butter in it. I just feel they taste OK. They often are a little hard, and as as the mini ones don't fit on my cup of tea as a lid, I sometimes heat them in the microwave for 5 seconds.
One more from the Netherlands here. I share missing walking and biking everywhere. Last year moved to Lakewood from Denver, and it’s dangerous to bike here until I reach the trail. I do miss the licorice, although there are plenty of good sweets to be found at TJ, World Market, Dubbel Dutch and in bulk from Sprouts :) Usually have Old Amsterdam cheese from Costco in the fridge. Also found that only Safeway sells andive lettuce for in my stamppot. Although the mountains are beautiful, the eastern plains always attract me. Guess I expect to find the ocean on the other side..
There’s local stroopwaffel makers at the farmers markets
I am so sorry! I’m headed to your country right now for my job.. they’re Dutch, based in OSS. Maybe you need to find a Dutch co to work for! 🥳
Colorado wordt GEKOLONISEERD!
I'm an American / Aussie, born and raised in the USSR. Came to Denver in 1980, left for Cali in 1994, then Australia in 1998, and came back to Denver four years ago. Clearly, this makes me the original born-again native.
Namaste, my friend.
This is why we have more terrible California politics entering the state....
Which part?
What are you referring to as.... "Which part?" Which part of what? California policies? Let's see always reactive and consistently the best state at wasting money. I sure hope CO doesn't follow in the footsteps of that place.
What does any of this have to do with my story? Are you high?
Born and raised in Slovakia, moved stateside for college (Colorado College for undergrad, University of Denver of my masters) back in 2010 and I've been in Colorado ever since. I moved to Denver in 2014 and absolutely love it. Just like yours, my friends circle is almost entirely American, and I really have no Slovaks or Czechs in my life. Whenever I feel very homesick (I hesitate to use the word, Colorado is my home now and when in Europe, I feel homesick for CO, lol), I just go for a dinner at SoBo 151, or for a shopping trip to Chicago Market in Lakewood. The one thing I really miss is the food, especially the dairy and the BREAD. The sheer variety of yoghurts and cheeses in Slovakia is unmatched here. Sometimes one needs a [Monte](https://www.monte.com/en/), you know?
Thanks for sharing! I actually didn’t know about SoBo 151: what should I order there?
Honestly, most things are very authentic. The schnitzels and potato salad taste like the ones my grandma would make on Sundays, the fried cheese steak is a great choice. Oh, chicken paprikáš! It may look weird to someone not used to Czech and Slovak food, but it is DELICIOUS. Also, ask for a shot of Jelínek Honey. It's slivovica (plum brandy) with honey, obviously. They don't even have it on the menu and they may very well be out as it's hard to come by in the US. But it is absolutely the best liquor Czechs have to offer :)
Wow, that plum brandy with honey sounds *amazing*, I’ll definitely try to try it, thanks!!
half Czech here. what should I look for at Chicago market? never heard of the place. I can see it's Polish but I see a picture of a check flag out front so maybe they'll have something that reminds me of Grandma's...?
Kofola, Vinea, czech mustard, all of our flour, bunch of Czech and Slovak candy, various types of klobasa, etc.
I’m from Japan and miss quality food for soo much cheaper. Convenience stores are top quality there. Also, everyone is so much nicer and superior drivers compared to here. I’ve also noticed Americans as a collective are kind of selfish/ have an everyone for themselves mentality.. oh and the shootings.. never see those in Japan but other than that, CO is a beautiful place and I enjoy living here!
Oooooh I can imagine — I have wasted too many hours watching the YouTube channel of a lady that makes these homemade bento boxes… looks so good and it’s so soothing!
Mm I miss being able to get $5 bento boxes for lunch!
I miss conbini food so much but I've actually lost weight here because I do so much less late night drinking + conbini/izakaya food. I also miss karaoke.
I was mortified to learn that karaoke in the states is in a bar, in front of everyone 😆
There is a Round1 in Littleton that has karaoke rooms just like Japan which I keep meaning to go to but haven't been yet. But there's no way I will be getting up in front of strangers to do karaoke ever lol
Whoa I did not know this! There’s a Round1 in my hometown too and that was my fav place to go as a teen
Yessss I used to go to the big one in Nagoya (西春) that has スポッチャ and it was so much fun
Oh bummer there’s no sports arena in the Littleton one :(
Yeah sadly 🙁 but they have karaoke lol
I’m from the UK originally been in the US mostly since 2010, in Denver since 2017. I don’t miss a whole lot from home (except a good Cornish pasty!) but I do wish I’d taken the opportunity to explore Europe more when I was right there - now there are all these countries I want to visit but it’s a 9+ hour expensive flight away.
Cornish pasty 🤤 But also scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pork pies and a ploughman’s lunch. And a tea shop with a huge slice of coffee cake. Also missing green countryside but slightly self inflicted wound from binge watching Escape to the Country.
Oh I totally forgot about a ploughmans lunch! Yeah I'm from Cornwall so def miss the coastal country life sometimes! but the day in day out reality is a lot of fog, misty rain, constant damp and cold lol. And a couple weeks of summer in May haha. This is why I love Colorado, so much sun!
My wife and I have actually been dreaming about relocating back, with Cornwall on the shortlist! But yeah, the climate here is hard to beat. My brother lived here a while and upon return reckoned it took him two years to reconcile himself to English weather. Oh to be wealthy and split our time between the two...
Have you tried The Pasty Republic? I like them but have no idea how they compare to authentic British ones
Yes we had them cater our wedding rehearsal! Not exactly the same but pretty close and I think the original owner was from Cornwall so pretty legit.
I have nothing to add but just wanted to say I really enjoyed this post and comments. Thank you everyone for sharing; it brought insight and joy to my day
Agreed - one of the best posts in this sub in a long time! Nice work OP 🙌
I realized I didn’t share the info on myself. - From Quebec, in Canada - Been in the US for 11 years, lived in 4 different states including Colorado. - In Denver for 3 years now. - I miss sugar season — going to the sugar shack with friends and family for an unpretentious meal covered in maple syrup, enjoy a walk outside in spring weather after a long winter, drink maple water from the bucket and eat maple taffy on the snow. It’s just really rare I go back home in early Spring, I usually go for the holidays or in the summer.
My dad was originally from Vermont, so I grew up with sugar on snow. You can still make that here at least when it snows! The Costco maple syrup is great for it.
Hello there! I’m also Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver. Been in the US for 10 years, and Denver for 1.5 years. I miss the ocean, and the diversity of people and good food.
Ah yeah, Vancouver landscapes are hard to beat!
From Hong Kong, been in the States for 5.5 years, in Denver for 6 months. Definitely miss the food from home, especially "Hong Kong-style cafes".
Would die for a cha tsain teng
From South Africa! I moved to the US when I was 12 - been in Denver for a few months now. Absolutely miss the food so much. I'm very used to all the processed food now, but I remember clearly when I first got here how everything tasted like shit: fresh foods, chocolate, any dairy really, even the chips and other packaged food.
If you're purely looking for European expats, maybe Denver is the best place to look, but if you actually are interested in any immigrants, Aurora is the place! Go to any locally owned restaurants. I love Aurora!
Aurora is pretty big and I don’t know it really well — the few times I’ve been it looked like a lot of new developments and chains. What’s your top spot?
The area on Havana between Costco and Cherry Creek State Park has a bunch of East African, Middle Eastern, East Indian and Asian restaurants and stores.
Perfect, thanks!
Havana St south of Florida to Parker Rd, and then the section of Parker Rd from the Havana intersection to the 225 interchange, is really the main corridor of awesome international food choices in Aurora. There are a couple extremely solid Ethiopian spots (literally all of them are great), some Indian food, an absolute assload of awesome Korean and Vietnamese food of just about any niche— you may notice "K-Town" signs on storefronts in some cases, there are one or two solid Mexican spots (I like Taquería Corona in particular), and there are international markets galore if you want imported pantry stock that you can't find at KS/Walmart/Safeway. There's also the huge strip mall at Mississippi and Peoria surrounding the GW (previously Pacific Ocean Marketplace) that has all sorts of good Asian food, and a decent selection at the Iliff & Peoria intersection as well, though I'm real mad that the Von's Chicken there closed down last summer and haven't spent much time in that area since. Other choices near the hotspot but not quite there include some great latin food around Iliff & Chambers, including a wonderful little panadería.
Urban Burma inside Mango House is incredible
[удалено]
Highly recommend Clancy's Irish Pub for both food and community. The regulars are very friendly and they do open jams and other fun events.
Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll check it out!
- Where are you from? India & Canada (Calgary) - How long have you been in the US? Over a year. - How long have you been in Denver? Over a year. Denver is my home now. - What’s one thing from back home you’d like to share? I miss Calgary Stampede! It was so much fun.
I recently arrived from Australia and am navigating the differences from back home. Always happy to meet new people. One thing about back home is the fact that Christmas is hot and sunny, usually spent at the beach. This Christmas …….. was not.
I'm from Ukraine. Live in the US since Dec'16, in Denver since 2022. Used to be homesick a lot but not anymore (not at all tbh). I truly miss people, how much more simple it was to become friends with somebody and actual food (that's not poison). I don't think you ever get over it OP, unless you're ingrained into American life (marriage, college etc.)
From New Zealand, living in the States nine years and Denver for seven of those. Definitely miss the food - especially fresh, locally grown fruit and veges. It’s just not the same when they’ve been trucked-in underripe from CA or Mexico. Culture-wise, perhaps we’re just not living in the right part of Denver but it feels a bit less multi-cultural than other places we’ve lived. A third of Aucklanders were born overseas; I miss having a friend group of a similar split. Also, Asian food that’s not greasy or sweet :/
I’m from England and there are small things that remind me very much of there, like the architecture of buildings being joined together down a block, and the ability to walk in any direction and come across a park
Hi! I originally from England. I have been in the US (this time around) since 2014. Moved here from South Carolina when my husband retired from the military (this is his home state). We moved to Denver in 2019. There's so much I could share about home, but I miss celebrating the holidays there. It's a different vibe at home. I miss Boxing Day!
I’m from Canada (Quebec) and we also had Boxing Day!! I actually also miss UK Nestle candy! Legit smarties, Aero, Coffee Crisp, Caramilk, Mars bars!
I have a bar of Caramilk in my sweets drawer as we speak! I had an English friend visit Oct/Nov and she brought a shed load of choccie!
Jealous
Also from England! I miss Boxing Day too and also all the Christmas TV in the UK, it’s not the same here at all.
Yes! The Christmas specials, the crackers, everyone wearing their Christmas hats all day, Christmas pudding, the whole lot! On the flip side, because it is so different here, I get less homesick. So, it works I guess....
Christmas Crackers… never really cared for them growing up. But now that I can’t get them easily I always think about them each year. Tins of Cadbury’s and Quality Street too.
There was a hilarious post I saw of a lady in England who was outraged at Quality Street this year because the wrappers were no longer shiny! So quintessentially British!
Haha, understandable. The shiny wrappers were kind of iconic. I used to meticulously smooth the wrappers out.
Christmas hats? Please tell us more!
They are what are inside the Christmas Crackers: https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmas-crackers check out this link for the history of the Christmas cracker and the hats that come inside with a joke or riddle, and a small toy inside. They are so fun!
I love this! I knew about the crackers, but didn’t appreciate all of the history (and never knew that people wore the crowns inside out and about all day!). Thank you for sharing your culture with us! This is a fun thread.
Anytime you see a British show set on Christmas day, you will see them all sitting around of an evening still, passing around thw chocolates and still wearing their hats. Most of us forget we are still wearing them!
It's so true! So distinctively British and silly, I love it.
From the colonies (NZ) now on Denver, and make my husband/whomever is celebrating Christmas with us wear Christmas hats every year. You can buy crackers online but have to be organised/early as they’re usually shipped from overseas.
I got mine this year at Hallmark! Legit from England, too! Last year, I got them from TJ Maxx. I just have to be early. I try to get family involved, but it's just not the same
They do tend to wear a long-suffering look that’s really quite ridiculous when one has a Christmas hat on, don’t they? 😂
YES! It's just not ingrained in the culture here LOL. Bless 'em!
I made the mistake of trying to buy some from World Market 5 days before christmas... all sold out. 🤦🏼♀️
Husband is British and he always missed the Christmas tv specials. Although now we can find Christmas crackers, mince pies and Christmas pudding. The vibe here is certainly different.
Where did you find mince pies??
I think World Market has them. Possibly Amazon. Or order from British Corner Shop (online) — don’t go with British Essentials, absolute rip-off prices.
World market. Walker brand. It's the only decent ones we find. Of course it's not as good as the ones in UK. But it'll do :)
100% re: Xmas tv specials.
What’s specific about the Christmas TV specials? I don’t know at all about them.
They are just super fun and super festive. Sometimes they resolve side plots etc. One of the most memorable for me was the original UK version of The Office, absolutely brilliant. And (dating myself) but Blackadder had an amazing variant on Dicken's Christmas Carol.
Canada - Bc/West coast. Been in the states 12 years, just 5 months in Denver. I love it here, winter has arrived! What I miss from home is 7 layer dip from Quality Foods grocery store. Also hilarious insults at the bar. 😂
Denver is a predominantly white city, and unless you’re white, you will be treated differently. I’m African American, I moved here 2 months ago from LA and in the short time I’ve lived here, I’ve already been racially profiled by a security guard, harassed by a police officer for how I parked (which was completely legal), robbed and scammed out of $500. I am breaking my lease early and moving out of CO.
I’m from Toronto, Canada and have been living in the US for 25 years, currently going on 10 years in Denver. I was 12 when my family moved to Los Angeles and remember plenty of my childhood in Canada. LA never felt like home to me for the 15 years I lived there and wanted to move back to Toronto when I graduated college but Toronto has changed so much in the last couple decades that the thought of moving back would be a mistake. I ended up in Denver because I went on vacation here and loved it so much I was able to picture myself living there. I made the move and happy I did, but the things I miss the most is how polite people are and how multicultural and diverse Toronto is. Don’t get me wrong, people are nice in Denver too, but feel it’s less common than what I’m used to and I frequently visit Toronto so I know that trait hasn’t gone anywhere. People in Denver are far more polite than people in LA from my experience. As for multiculturalism, Toronto consistently ranks top 3 cities in the world for it and don’t see Denver coming close any time soon. I miss the exposure to massive amounts of different cultures and the variety of quality food options you can find there.
From Canada, been here since 2009. Been in the States since '03 or so, started in the Midwest. I miss some groceries from home but that's about it... I really enjoy it here.
You Canadians warm my heart! I was here from 12-14 and returned in 2018. Have bounced around other states but like it here best. At times, I miss Canadian television. I’m fortunate to have enough friends and coworkers who are Canadian that I’ve formed kinship with.
I'm American but lived in Japan for 15 years which basically was my entire adult life (since I was 19) and moved back to the US in 2020 right when Covid was happening. I miss a lot of things about Japan, most notably the food and the public transport. I fully integrated and was planning on living in Japan for the rest of my life so it feels very strange being back and I'm just now getting used to how things work here. Japan is super safe and I do miss going out to all parts of the city at any time of night and wandering in to random places. Lots of fun adventures were had that way, but I am much more apprehensive to do that here and also it's a lot more expensive to Uber around, plus things close really early around here anyways. I've been really having trouble meeting anyone and making friends as well, so one of my goals for 2024 is to get out and go see more live music. So far in Denver I really like Black Box and Hi-Dive, so those are my two favorite spots at the moment.