What I Want from the US
My husband is on his first US trip since we returned from our family trip back in January, 2020. At that time, we thought he was going to be back in the States about a month later. Little did we know it would be over two years before he would return and how the world would’ve changed. Between our move in 2018 and the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Jon travelled back and forth about about five times a year, and I always had a whole shopping list of things for him to bring back. Over the course of the pandemic I’ve found substitutes and workarounds for a lot of things. Plus I’ve found a lot of great sites that ship to New Zealand, quite a few for free. If he had continued making his regular trips back, I don’t think I ever would’ve done the legwork to find substitutes. (So there is that bit of silver lining for covid.) There are still a number of things that I’m looking forward to him bringing back, either because the shipping is really expensive to get things here or because they’re just not accessible in New Zealand. Here is what I want from this US trip:
Ivory bar soap - There is nothing better, and fortunately I packed 62 bars in our container which have miraculously lasted through the pandemic. We’re running low, however, and unfortunately, to get ten bars shipped here, It would cost US$52 which I just can’t bring myself to pay.
Etsy items - There are a handful of Etsy stores in New Zealand and some other similar sites like Chooice and Felt, but the selection of handmade and handcrafted items is extremely limited. I’ve always had good luck finding unique things for the kids - especially costumes and dress up clothes. While technically I could get them shipped here, I’ve found Etsy shipping to be exorbitant and frequently hundreds of dollars over what it should be.
California King Sheets - Beds are different sizes here, so sheets for our American bed need to come from the US. Once upon a time I got Brooklinen to send sheets nearly overnight for free, but since then they’ve started charging for shipping and I’ve discovered the Brooklinen sheets don’t last that long.
American Girl Items - When I was a little girl, I saved my allowance and spent it all on Samantha and all of her accessories. (And when I say all, I mean ALL.) A few pieces went missing when my parents moved when I was in college, but I still have almost the entire collection which I plan on gifting to my soon-to-be-seven-year-old for her birthday. We’ve been reading the original Samantha books for a long time, and she is fully invested in the magic that is Samantha Parkington at this point. American Girl has changed quite a bit from when I was a girl, but there are some new Samantha stories and clothes that I want to get, and those aren’t available in New Zealand. (Kiwis have Our Generation Dolls which appear to be more or less the same thing, though the quality isn’t as good as the OG American Girls.)
Arm & Hammer toothpaste - Confession: I have ordered my favorite toothpaste from Amazon during the pandemic, but I have a hard time paying the crazy shipping for toothpaste. It’s not quite as bad as the shipping for soap, but it is still high. We’re definitely stocking up on more tubes on this US trip because I find Kiwi toothpaste to be oddly bitter.
A New Zealand Online Shopping Spree - Hear me out. There are a lot of stores in the US that ship to New Zealand and I order from regularly. However, I only order items that I’m very confident will fit. Usually this means items that I’ve tried on here but can get for substantially less overseas. However, as I’m searching online at American stores, I often see other stuff that’s really cute that I would order if I was in the US and could return for free because there was no risk. I don’t end up ordering those items because it is expensive and onerous to send back if things don’t work out. But with a return trip just around the corner, I ordered a number of items to try on and see if they work. About half did, and I sent Jon back with the other half to return.
If you’re an expat, what items do you always get when making a visit “home?” What am I forgetting?
