Being far away from the Motherland makes me realise all the things we take for granted in what is described as the lucky country. It goes without saying that I miss family and friends the most, but I wanted to list those small things that I miss most on a day to day level that we don't really think about until we don't have them, and of course, some of my favourites things that I long for.
So here is my top 20 list of things I miss.
1. Silence. Melbourne, or it's suburbs, is far more quiet than Istanbul.
2. Lack of traffic. There is no such thing as a traffic jam in Melbourne. If you think there is, you haven't been here yet.
3. Easy to find organic produce and health food and a huge range of organic/free range foods and products. I could create a list within this list.
4. Proper coffee. Italian lattes, with soy milk.
5. Cruising in my own wheels with the music up.
6. Being able to park your car in your own driveway and not have to drive around in the late hours to find a space next to a bus shelter 50 metres from your front door.
7. The ease at which you can move around the city; by car, tram, train, bus, by bike in a specified bicycle lane, or on foot without risking braking your ankle on the poorly constructed footpath.
8. Minimal overcrowding in most places.
9. People know how to form a queue and stay in it. Here, people don't hesitate to jump a line no matter who or where you are and think nothing of it.
10. Lack of red tape/bureaucracy/corruption in day to day living.
11. The air.
12. The cost of a membership to a gym being so affordable and not considered a luxury.
13. Political stability and a fairly stable dollar (ok, maybe not right now).
14. Multiculturalism and diversity.
15. Respect for the environment.
16. The Tofu shop.
17. Little Collins Street.
18. The price of petrol.
19. Recycling everything.
20. BBQ's in your own backyard.
