From Down Under to Down South

Aussie Mike

From Down Under to Down South is a twice-weekly reflection from an Australian making a life in the American South. After moving from Australia to Tennessee in 2018, I began noticing the subtle cultural differences most people miss — the way politeness sounds different, the way goodbyes stretch longer, the way everyday moments quietly reveal what’s different. Some episodes explore those contrasts directly. Others are quiet stories from the week — conversations and small moments that say something bigger. It’s not outrage or culture wars. And it’s not a travel diary. It’s simply one Australian perspective on life between two countries. If you’ve ever lived overseas, loved two places at once, or found yourself caught between familiar and foreign — you’ll feel at home here. New episodes are released twice weekly as part of the broader From Down Under to Down South series across podcast and YouTube.

  1. 2d ago

    This Week in America — The More I Became Myself

    Send us Fan Mail This week in America, I reflect on a milestone I never expected to reach: 10,000 YouTube subscribers. But surprisingly, the number itself isn't what has been on my mind. Instead, I've been thinking about the stories people have been sharing. Stories about family, kindness, belonging, moving to new places, and the moments that shape who we become. Reading those stories has led me to a realization about this channel, my life, and why the videos that connect most deeply are often the ones where I simply sound the most like myself. In this episode, I talk about authenticity, curiosity, starting over in a new country, my career in banking, building a media brand from scratch, and the unexpected lesson that has emerged from all of it: the more I've become comfortable being myself, the more meaningful the connections have become. If you've ever felt pressure to become someone else in order to succeed, this conversation may resonate with you.  ☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/fromdownundertodownsouth   🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FromDownUndertoDownSouth   🌏 Website https://fromdownundertodownsouth.com    📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068568677919    🐦 X https://x.com/aussiemika74    📩 Business enquiries: michael@fromdownundertodownsouth.com    Thanks for listening. Hoo roo maties. Support the show Check out additional content on our YouTube page! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipgN51kc8swHyKeSx2tzw

  2. Jul 9

    This Week in America - The Part of Daytona I Didn't Expect

    Send us Fan Mail This week in America, a trip to Daytona Beach for Georgia’s final dance competition of the season turned into something I wasn’t expecting. What started as a week of dance nationals, beaches, airports and sightseeing became a reminder that the things we remember most about travel are often the people we meet along the way. From conversations with a Haitian taxi driver, a Jamaican maintenance worker and a Ukrainian family serving pavlova in Florida, to spending time with the dance families who have quietly become part of our lives, this trip left me reflecting on community, belonging and what eight years in America has really built for our family. I also share a simple evening on the Daytona boardwalk with Brianna, a steakhouse dinner overlooking the Atlantic, and one of those moments every parent experiences when they suddenly realise their children are growing up. Sometimes the best part of a trip isn't the destination at all. It's the people you remember when you get home. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/fromdownundertodownsouth   🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FromDownUndertoDownSouth   🌏 Website https://fromdownundertodownsouth.com    📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068568677919    🐦 X https://x.com/aussiemika74    📩 Business enquiries: michael@fromdownundertodownsouth.com    Thanks for listening. Hoo roo maties. Support the show Check out additional content on our YouTube page! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipgN51kc8swHyKeSx2tzw

  3. Jul 6

    The Moment You Realise You’re Speaking American

    Send us Fan Mail Living in America as an Australian changes the way you speak in ways you don’t expect. After 8 years in the USA, I’ve started noticing American phrases, cultural differences, and everyday habits slowly becoming part of my life without even realising it. It starts small. Saying “y’all” at work. Asking for a “to go box” instead of takeaway. Calling it a gas station instead of a servo. Even changing the way you say “water” just to be understood. In this episode, I talk about the strange moment you realise you’re speaking American… and how living between Australia and America slowly changes the way you sound, think, and communicate. This isn’t really about losing your Australian identity. It’s about what happens when you live between two cultures long enough that parts of both start blending together naturally. From American politeness and Southern culture… to raising kids between two countries… to accidentally translating yourself mid-conversation when talking to Australians back home… These are the small shifts nobody really warns you about when you move overseas. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/fromdownundertodownsouth  🌏 Website: https://fromdownundertodownsouth.com 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068568677919 🐦 X: https://x.com/aussiemika74 📩 Business enquiries: michael@fromdownundertodownsouth.com Thanks for listening. Hoo roo maties. Support the show Check out additional content on our YouTube page! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipgN51kc8swHyKeSx2tzw

  4. Jun 25

    This Week in America – Two Songs From Home

    Send us Fan Mail This week in America, I started a new job at a self-storage facility just ten minutes from home — or, as I've discovered, exactly two songs away. What I thought would be a story about starting a new job quickly became a story about people. In my first week, I met a woman from Augusta who shared stories about life during Masters week, the owners of a local Chick-fil-A who reminded me why American friendliness still surprises me, a trucking company owner from Kentucky who travels the country watching his granddaughter dance, and a Vietnamese immigrant who understood exactly what it feels like to build a life far from home. Along the way, I learned some unexpected things about the storage industry, why some people end up living in storage units, and how these buildings often hold far more than furniture and cardboard boxes. Sometimes they hold entire chapters of people's lives. As an Australian living in Tennessee, this week reminded me of something I've noticed again and again about America: some of the most interesting stories are found in ordinary conversations with ordinary people. In this episode: • Starting an hourly job for the first time in over 20 years • What Augusta is really like outside Masters week • Why Chick-fil-A owners are exactly what you'd expect • Meeting a trucking company owner with 2,000 trucks • A conversation with a Vietnamese immigrant in Tennessee • The surprising reality of the self-storage industry • Why some people end up living in storage units • Missing family while returning to work full-time • The stories hidden behind everyday encounters If you've ever moved countries, started over, changed careers, or simply enjoyed hearing people's stories, I think you'll enjoy this one. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/fromdownundertodownsouth   🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FromDownUndertoDownSouth   🌏 Website https://fromdownundertodownsouth.com    📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068568677919    🐦 X https://x.com/aussiemika74    📩 Business enquiries: michael@fromdownundertodownsouth.com    Thanks for listening. Hoo roo maties. Support the show Check out additional content on our YouTube page! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipgN51kc8swHyKeSx2tzw

  5. Jun 22

    The Moment You Realize You Sound Rude in America

    Send us Fan Mail Why do Australians sound rude in America? Why do cultural differences between Australia and the US change how we come across without us realising? This episode explores the moment you realise you sound rude in America — and why it happens. After living in the United States for several years, I’ve started to notice something subtle. It’s not that Australians are trying to be rude — it’s that the way we speak is often more direct, more to the point… and that can land differently here. Back home, saying what you mean is normal. It’s efficient. It’s honest. But in America, there’s often a bit more softening around it — more layers, more cushioning, more space before you get to the point. And you don’t really notice it at first. It shows up in small moments. A conversation that feels slightly off. A reaction you didn’t expect. Or that quiet realisation that what you said didn’t land the way you meant it. This episode looks at those everyday shifts — how tone, phrasing, and communication style can change how you’re perceived, and what it’s like learning to navigate that over time. If you’d prefer to watch the full video version, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/YGwN-HkRdDI ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/fromdownundertodownsouth  🌏 Website: https://fromdownundertodownsouth.com 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FromDownUndertoDownSouth 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068568677919 🐦 X: https://x.com/aussiemika74 📩 Business enquiries: michael@fromdownundertodownsouth.com Thanks for listening. Hoo roo maties. Support the show Check out additional content on our YouTube page! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjipgN51kc8swHyKeSx2tzw

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

From Down Under to Down South is a twice-weekly reflection from an Australian making a life in the American South. After moving from Australia to Tennessee in 2018, I began noticing the subtle cultural differences most people miss — the way politeness sounds different, the way goodbyes stretch longer, the way everyday moments quietly reveal what’s different. Some episodes explore those contrasts directly. Others are quiet stories from the week — conversations and small moments that say something bigger. It’s not outrage or culture wars. And it’s not a travel diary. It’s simply one Australian perspective on life between two countries. If you’ve ever lived overseas, loved two places at once, or found yourself caught between familiar and foreign — you’ll feel at home here. New episodes are released twice weekly as part of the broader From Down Under to Down South series across podcast and YouTube.