The best of Okla

Life In Oklahoma, USA

My stay in Norman Oklahoma is now over, just a few days short of 9 months since I arrived in the USA on March 3, I drove out of Norman back on the road for Colorado, and it was sad to leave. There are too many amazing things about the place to mention them all, it was great for Paul to come & visit in my last week so I had someone from home to show all the cool stuff. Like Moe's, tex-mex food and makers of the best burritos in the world! I swear I should open one up back home on Orchid Ave in Surfers Paradise by the nightclubs and make millions. Paul got some sense of the vibe of a college town, but he didn't see OU college sports, the football, the tailgating parties and the crimson frenzy of the crowd. I miss going for my runs on warm summer evenings through my neighbourhood and parks; bright orange flashes from lightning bugs and the sound of crickets made the place feel surreal. The old neighbourhoods and streets lined with enormous trees and lush grass and American flags flying from the front porches of the huge houses. And in spring, I'd come out of work at lunchtime, spin in a circle to see storm upon storm after storms building in every direction, between patches of blue sky, white billowing clouds, dark grey rains and distant giant storms. The threat of severe weather was more exciting than fearsome, lightning was crazy and the thunder crackled in the air instead of booming like back home, the supercells of tornado alley are an awesome thing. My favourite of all; afternoons on the lake after work. Blazing in 95 degree heat, kickin back in Todd's Ski Nautique with a beer and music pumping with friends, watching Nate wakeboard, attempting back rolls and stacking spectacularly every time. The sunsets there go on forever because the land is so flat. And yeah I'll miss that apartment complex where the college girls all hang out by the pool, studying, sunbaking or playing water volleyball.

Almost everytime I meet someone, I get the same question in the same ludicrous tone... why Oklahoma, how on earth did you end up in Oklahoma? There's actually loads of fun stuff there if you look for it. I was especially fortunate to have met such fantastic people who had similar interests and introduced me to so much new stuff. For a single guy to go alone to another country and not know anyone and have such a great time, the real credit goes to all of my friends in Oklahoma, you know who you are.

Life takes such a different pace in that part of the world, with different priorities, it's not uncommon to find people who go to college, get married, and then start their careers. I can see the appeal; a wife, a house, a truck, a yard and a dog, the American dream. The living is so affordable, all of my friends were in their mid to late 20's, most had a house, a car or cars, a motorbike, or a boat, some were getting married.

I absolutely love the place. Never met such friendly people. Thinking of just how random were the circumstances that led to my stay in Norman, when I could have ended up anywhere in the US, makes me feel incredibly fortunate that the chance I took paid off. It was a great place to live for the most exciting 9 months of my life so far, and I've made friends for life too. But I'll always call the Gold Coast home, with the sun, the surf and the beaches.