Between the mass COVID deaths, rioting in the streets, and a new president … there has been a lot for George Copelin to write home about.
If matters couldn't get worse, last week's fatal building collapse in Miami happened just 20 minutes from the Mr Copelin's hometown.
It's all of these things that have made him even more sure of his move to Australia.
Mr Copelin has lived in Mount Burr, a 360-person town on South Australia's Limestone Coast, for three years.
The United States has been a common talking point in the general store he runs with his Australian wife Rosie.
"People have an opinion about a country they really don't know anything about other than what they see on television," Mr Copelin said.
"That's not representative of what it's really like, to grow up there, to live there, to go through the things that a lot of people go through.
Having grown up as a black man in some of the toughest streets of Miami, he has also seen the darker side of America that people are quick to refer to.
"I've experienced it myself … I've been put in handcuffs for no reason," Mr Copelin said.
While safe from racial violence in Mount Burr, he cannot help but think of his family. Especially a young grandson in New York he hasn't met due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Independence Day tomorrow, Mr Copelin is preparing a Fourth of July barbecue to celebrate.
While he may not align with a lot of the patriotism the day embodies, there are some things he does appreciate about his homeland.
"America is a country of contradiction," Mr Copelin said.
Watching the pandemic at its worst from afar
Up in Detroit, Kary Pearson's hometown, the past 18 months have been scary.
"One of my friends lost three friends to COVID within a week," Ms Pearson said.
When she talks about the response to the pandemic here, her friends are amazed by "how well" Australia has done.
"The vaccinations are free in the US but the tests cost you so a lot of people didn't get tested," Ms Pearson said.
When it came to restrictions, she said there was a lot of backlash.
"[People would] rather potentially get sick and spread the disease to somebody than wear a mask.
"The thing is I'm not really even shocked … because that's very American, the 'you're out for yourself' type of thinking.
Australia's views on America
If Black Lives Matter and America's response to the pandemic weren't enough of a conversation starter, the US election sparked special interest.
Mount Gambier's Vicki Taylor is used to it.
"As soon as anyone hears my accent they immediately hop into those topics ... [often] just to see what my reaction is.
The emphasis on American politics didn't stop when she moved to Australia in 2017.
"It was really heartbreaking watching everyone [in Australia] watch America almost with a bowl of popcorn. That's basically all it was," Ms Taylor, originally from Wallace in North Carolina, said.
Passionate comments from Australians leading up to the election would affect Kary Pearson in a similar way.
Glad to be in Australia, especially now
Kary Pearson and Vicki Taylor may be from opposite ends of America but they both say it would take some convincing to get them to move back there.
Australia's health benefits have been a life-changer for both of them.
When Ms Taylor was pregnant with her first child in North Carolina, she was only able to take four weeks off work.
Prior to moving Down Under, Ms Taylor had the American drive to work her way up the ladder to earn a more liveable wage.
"Coming here really made me change my perspective on that."
She says she's "infinitely healthier" here.
"Even with private health insurance, you can't afford the deductibles.
"So there's that mentality of 'should I really go to the ER? Is it worth the cost?' I've had a hard time shaking that."
Just miss the food
When it comes to things the trio miss about America, they all dream about the food.
Coming from Miami, George Copelin's tastebuds hanker for Haitian, Cuban and Nicaraguan food and southern cooking.
"But I've discovered polenta here now so my wife makes cornbread, she's learnt how to make that.
"It's not authentic, it's not genuine, but it's close enough for me."
Cornbread, barbecues ribs, mac and cheese and apple pies will feature at a special event at Mr Copelin's General Store this weekend.
Growing up, Independence Day was always a fun time.
"It was all about food, about family, getting together and just celebrating actually being American. Even with all the bad things," Mr Copelin said.
Future of America
When it comes to the future of America, all struggle to see the "United States" President Joe Biden spoke of in his acceptance speech.
An America not defined by red or blue states but "the United States of America".
"There's just so many contradictions because on one hand you've got the Great Plains … the romanticised idyllic sense of America but there's so many things that are wrong," Ms Pearson said.
"I [still] think it's a good goal to strive for ... we can't just give up and say 'we'll always be divided'."
