The things I always buy when I go to the US

Living abroad is funny. Even though Denmark has everything I need, and most things I want, there are certain things that I can not wait to buy every time I go to the US. I think this is true of expats no matter where you’re from or where you’re living – you will always miss and value random things from your home country (maybe things you didn’t expect!).

Usually when we go to the US, I bring an empty suitcase (or two…), and it’s completely filled when we come back. The picture above is from a pre-Covid trip to the US and I’m almost a little embarrassed about how much I brought back (yes, that is a tortilla press…). Is it a little excessive? Probably. Worth it? Definitely.

Clothes

I have really tried to embrace Danish fashion and the brands that are available here in the EU, but I can’t resist shopping at my favorite clothing stores when I’m home (looking at you, Madewell and Nordstrom). Old habits die hard.

Food

Obviously for this category, I am limited to nonperishable food items that are legal to transport internationally. But that still leaves PLENTY of options to put in my basket (and suitcase).

Trader Joe’s is a must-visit. I always buy a new jar of their Everything but the Bagel seasoning, and a selection of snacks. My favorites are their Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and Oven-Baked Cheese Bites. I usually buy some of their “seasonal offerings” as well, like pumpkin bread mix in the fall!

The other absolute essential for me is boxed mac & cheese. I love me some homemade mac and cheese, too, but the boxed stuff is nostalgic and easy to transport. Specifically, I buy at least 2 boxes of Annie’s white cheddar shells, and then usually a couple boxes of another kind (depends on my mood). Don’t you dare judge me. (You can buy boxed mac & cheese in the “American” section of some stores here, but… it’s not Annie’s…)

Similarly, I have been known to buy peanut butter in the US. When I came to Denmark to study abroad in 2013, peanut butter was hard to come by. Thankfully that’s not the case anymore–most grocery stores have at least one kind–but sometimes… I want Jif. There are times that call for the processed, sugary stuff that probably contains ingredients that are illegal in the EU (speculation, I don’t know). Again, don’t judge me!! I also love the Whole Foods brand, so it’s one or the other, but a big jar of American PB is definitely coming back across the Atlantic with me.

I’ve also noticed that certain spices are hard to find in Denmark, like mustard powder?? So random, but I’ve never found it here, so I have bought a small jar on occasion in the US. I’ll also buy pumpkin pie spice if it’s that time of year.

Last, gluten-free flour. This is another thing that you can get in Denmark, but… hear me out. I love to bake, but my husband can’t eat gluten. So usually this means I find or create gluten-free recipes so that we can both enjoy them. Unfortunately, most gluten-free flour mixes can’t just be used in place of all-purpose flour in recipes that aren’t intended to be gluten-free. Enter: King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour. My mom discovered this and it is a game-changer. You can actually sub it 1:1 in most recipes and it works perfectly. As far as I know, there is not a GF flour mix in Denmark that works like that (but if you are in Denmark and know of one, please tell me!!) I only wish I could bring more than 3 pounds of this stuff back with me every time, but alas, weight limits exist.

Books

So yes, I can definitely buy English-language books in Denmark. There are bookstores with pretty sizable English sections, and I have ordered many books from saxo.dk, Amazon UK (pre-Brexit), and Book Depository (also pre-Brexit). But the feeling of walking into a bookstore in the US and being surrounded by thousands of books–ALL IN ENGLISH–is honestly so exciting. Endless possibilities! Books I never would have even thought to look for online! All in my first language! I never appreciated bookstores this much until I was away from the US for a few months. So now I always go to at least one bookstore whenever I’m home, and always end up buying a few books to bring back to Denmark.

Skincare

This is another area where I have tried to convert to products that are readily available in Denmark for my own convenience… but there are a few products and brands that I just love too much to neglect. I always buy Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (which–as I’m going to link it– I see is now available on Danish Sephora!! That was not the case before. Game changer!), Thayer’s Witch Hazel toner, Native deodorant, and Drunk Elephant products (I looooove their BabyFacial but sadly, it’s not pregnancy safe).

Over-the-counter medicine

There are Facebook groups dedicated to Americans in Denmark, and whenever the discussion of “what to bring from the US” comes up, OTC meds are ALWAYS mentioned. In Denmark the selection is much smaller, so a lot of Americans miss the options available in the US. This isn’t the highest priority for me — I’ve never used OTC medicine much — but occasionally I’ll grab some Nyquil or something while I’m in the US. Last time I was home was when I found out I was pregnant, so I also bought prenatal vitamins there and took those until I ran out. (Interestingly, I haven’t seen prenatal multivitamins here! They might exist, but my doctor advised me on which specific supplements to take–folic acid, vitamin D, and iron–and I bought them individually when I ran out of my prenatals.)

And um, that’s about enough for guarantee hitting the weight limit for checked baggage on the way back!!

If you’re an expat, or have ever lived outside of your home country, what are the things you miss(ed) while you’re away??