1. Fear of getting sued

Is it just me or is everyone unbelievably scared of getting sued? I had to fill out 7 different forms and pass an exam regarding the dangers of the sickle cell trait, of which the chances of me having are 1 in 10,000, before I could even attend a soccer practice.

2. The accent

I never thought I would experience this sensation but I can literally hear how different my accent sounds. Out of my own mouth. People that have lived overseas will understand.

3. Being lost in translation

English is my primary language, but it is not uncommon for me to have to repeat myself four times for the person I’ve just met to understand me. I felt awkward doing it the first few occasions but now it’s pretty normal. Sometimes I have to ‘Americanise’ the accent to be understood.

4. The snacks

It is hard to deny that the US can sometimes be a little too involved in foreign affairs… But your one redeeming feature is that you have amazing snacks. Honestly, you could have a whole store dedicated to the salty and sugary treats. In New Zealand we barely have an aisle.

5. Showering with other guys

Slightly misleading subheading, I know. It was kind of to attract attention but it’s also true. After my first practice, I was sitting in the locker room, taking of my shin pads. Much to my surprise, I look up to see three of my teammates butt naked. Two of which are participating in some very revealing stretches, and one heading to the shower. It took me two weeks to get amongst this bizarre sporting tradition, but I enjoy it.

6. The quality of pizza

Domino's pizza in America is a completely different experience to Domino's in New Zealand. Never before have I dipped a piece of garlic crusted pizza in ranch sauce, but I don’t think I can ever eat pizza without ranch sauce again.