I moved to Australia from Texas. Not enough people are talking about the huge downside of living abroad

An American expat living in Australia has named the number one thing she’s struggling with since moving – and many agree. 

Tara relocated from Texas to the Central Coast of New South Wales in 2020 to start a family with her Australian husband.

Now, almost five years later, the 34-year-old mum explained how living worlds away from her US family has taken an emotional toll on her.

‘I feel like nobody really talks about the downsides to living abroad,’ Tara, a scientist who works in a medical laboratory, said in a TikTok video. 

‘I’m going to be a little vulnerable here. It really sucks to be so far away from your family.

‘My son will be turning one in just a couple of weeks and none of my family members will be able to make it to his birthday party.’

Tara said none of her family members even saw her during her pregnancy but were there when she gave birth.  

‘I feel like I have so much gratitude for the life that I live here,’ she continued. 

‘It’s amazing and beautiful and I don’t regret moving but it’s so hard to be away from loved ones.

‘Not to say that I’m not creating community here or absolutely adore my husband’s family – it’s just hard when there’s a part of yourself, a part of your heart, that’s in a different country.’

Tara said it hits harder when she thinks about her young family members growing up on the other side of the world, and not being able to foster a close relationship with them.

‘It’s not just my life that they’re missing out on, I have nieces and nephews. I have two sisters who are my best friends and I feel like I’m missing out on their lives and their children’s lives,’ she said.

‘I feel like that’s what I get for falling in love with someone from a different country but no matter what country we live in, we’re missing somebody, somebody’s missing us.’

While it’s not always difficult, the tradeoff for all the good aspects of life in Australia is to be caught between two worlds.

‘There’s a quote that reminds me of the situation that goes “You will never be completely home again because a part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That’s the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place”.’

Tara, who goes by TexaninAustralia on social media, has been making a name for herself online with her culture shock videos.

The bubbly American has won fans thanks to her honest take on ups and downs living abroad and her reasonable videos on otherwise controversial topics. 

Most recently she observed a ‘creepy’ difference between the two countries when performing the popular nursery rhyme Itsy Bitsy Spider to her son.

The American was using her thumb and index finger to act out the tiny spider crawling up the drain pipe.

Her Australian husband was using his thumb and pinky.

‘Obviously that makes so much sense as an Australian who lives with huntsman spiders,’ she laughed. 

‘That’s the size of the spiders that are here.’