I am a firm believer that everyone should travel to another country sometime in their life. Not everyone has the opportunity, but if you do, run with it. Each country I travel to, I try to take something away from the culture that I can hold onto. Australia was different than any trip I have been on because it's one of the most similar countries to the United States, so taking something away didn't seem as easy. That's when my mom gave me three things to look for in the Aussies.

1. Aussies are definitely not Americans, so what are some things they do differently than us?

Now it's hard for me to speak for all Americans because I have been to more cities and states internationally than I have in my own country, but I can speak for where I come from and observations through the media.

Go green. Not really because that's technically not what it is, but it's my closest comparison. Australia is so big on conserving the environment and nature. (I've heard that California is starting to become the same, but I can't speak for that). If I see a spider in my room at home, it's going to be killed. Now I know there are some activists that would be pins and needles for them to hear, but that's how it is. I think millions of Americans would agree with me.

For the Aussies, though, if you have the most dangerous, poisonous spider in your home, there are ways to remove it because you're supposed to let this poisonous spider live. That is so crazy to me. Aussies also conserve water a lot, whether it's through toilets, drinking water, or showers. Without going on and on, these are just a couple examples. Just about every environmentally friendly thing you could do, the Aussies do.

Sausage isn't really sausage. Bacon isn't really bacon. Bread isn't really bread. Yes, it's exactly what I said. Food is the same, yet so different. In Australia, sausage isn't ground or prepared the same way, making it different. You won't find crispy bacon like the U.S. has. Either it's very uncooked compared to American bacon or, to me, similar to a slice of ham. Aussies think that American bread is oddly sweet.

I think American bread is the opposite, but Aussie bread is really the opposite. They hardly have bread like we're used to...they love their grainy bread. Oh, and sugar isn't normal either. But don't fret because their food is so much better. McDonald's quality is phenomenal for fast food, coffee is tons and tons better, I actually like Australian chai, and no matter what level restaurant, when comparing it to the same U.S. level, the quality and presentation are totally different.

Would you like a biscuit? That's a strange question... let me rephrase. Would you like a cookie? The Aussie lingo is funky.

Here's a few:

Biscuit=cookie

Lift=elevator

Thong=flip flop

Uni=university

Ute=truck

Now there are so many other differences, but I don't want to keep you all day, so I'm just touching the bases.

2. How we can change the way we do or eat something:

This one is endless because we can always improve. Along with being environmentally friendly, the Aussies are relatively healthy eaters. I struggled to find really unhealthy food whenever I was in the mood for it. Healthy food is just a trend. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, grains, organic, etc. I'm sure this changes from person to person, but when a big piece of town or city is on board for something, it's contagious.

I've always lived in the city, and roadrage is a big problem. In Australia, it definitely depends on whether you're in a big city or not, but road rage is so much lower than in the states. Tailgating is less and horns aren't used as much either. This is actually a huge deal whenever you think about all of the emotions around roadrage. In Australia, I got the feeling of, "We're all in this together," when it came to traffic (at least outside of Sydney).

3. An aspect of life or Christianity we can adopt differently than we do now:

This one may depend on the people I was surrounded by during my time in Australia, but from a Christian viewpoint, I think we can adopt not to worry as much. There was so much talk of different ways that God had worked, and it all ended with, "You know, God's got you." We always think that we have it all figured out because it's only a natural part of our nature.

Do not limit God. He speaks to us in so many ways, and we need to acknowledge that so much more than we currently do. I was so blessed with the people I was surrounded by in Australia, but the country as a whole is pretty liberal. Sundays are being replaced by travel sports and games, so church is being placed on the back burner. I can't say it's different for the U.S., though.

In the states, beauty is so pressured. This is good and bad, but I'm talking about the bad, where it's too much. Sometimes we are overly concerned with how we look and how "on fleek" our wing or highlight is, but let's be real, we just wash it off every night.

Now I'm not saying doing your makeup is bad because trust me, I love experimenting new things, but in Australia, if you are so made up, it's a turn off. Let's take it back though because things are changing a little. The young Aussie girls are beginning to be more up to date with the trends, and the older women are not caring enough. In the U.S., we need to cut down on how materialistic we are.

Yes, the U.S. and Australian are both up to date with technology and a basic way of life, but there are so many differences that I couldn't have began to discuss without keeping you all day. While there's always something to learn from traveling to an international country, you also need to appreciate your heritage and where you come from. Just as the Aussies have characteristics distinct to them, so do you.