Expat Life & Travel
Welcome to Bright Lights of America, an expat and travel blog for Australians moving to, and living in, the US. You’ll find a wealth of information on everything from planning your move, to visas, financial and tax issues, settling into expat life, and deciding where to live.
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Hi, I’m Katherine
An Australian expat who loves living in San Francisco and helping other Aussies make their dreams of moving to the US come true. I’ve been travelling since I was a teenager, with and without my family and friends.
My first expat jaunt was to London, which I used as a base to travel Europe and to explore my own backyard. London is the perfect place to spark a life-long love of wanderlust.
Bright Lights of America began its life in 2015 when I moved to the US on my own to pursue a career opportunity. Since then it’s grown into a resource for expats who want to find the easiest ways round the bureaucracy and culture shock that sometimes comes with life in the US.
Latest Posts

The best things to do in Cambria
Cambria is a common pit stop on the road between San Francisco to LA, but it shouldn't just be a place that you stop for petrol or to stretch your legs. There are some beautiful, fun and quirky things...Read More

The life of an Aussie nomad
Living the life of an Aussie nomad seems to be pretty high on the bucket list for lots of young'uns these days. And some of the older generation too, not to discriminate there. But there's a genuine l...Read More

California’s Hearst Castle pictures (and tales)
Hearst Castle pictures are closely guarded by its media department, and you're only able to publish them with their permission. So I feel lucky to be able to share our two-day visit to California's sp...Read More

US tax for expats (ask the experts)
Never underestimate the unbridled joy involved in navigating the US tax system. It seems like a foregone conclusion, if you were to judge solely on the sheer number of US tax-related threads started b...Read More

Travelling for Christmas (a festive guide)
When you're travelling for Christmas, or just living in a new country, Christmas can feel a little foreign (pun intended). You might be in a completely different hemisphere than you're used to. Which ...Read More

Setting up a company in the US (for Aussies)
The Australian market is a small one in the grand scheme of things. Aussies know that if they really want to make it big, setting up a company in the US is the way to go. But where do you begin with w...Read More

14 Fantastic East Coast vacation spots
When you're thinking about an US East Coast vacation, your mind automatically goes to New York. Or maybe you think of the sun and beaches of Florida for inspiration. But there are so many other great ...Read More

Top 28 things to do in Toronto in winter
If the thought of travelling to a reputationally-freezing place during the winter months sends a shiver down your spine, put on a jacket and prepare to have your mind changed. There are so many great ...Read More

A year long US road trip
What happens when you pack up your life, including three children in Australia, and take them on a year long US road trip? I'd like to say magic. But I'm thinking that it'd be more like 365 days worth...Read More

17 Mile Drive Monterey in pictures (with maps)
California's 17 Mile Drive, Monterey has a reputation for a reason. It stretches for miles (17 of them, as the name suggests) of beautiful coastline, glimpses of wildlife, nature and gorgeous houses. ...Read More

16 questions Americans ask Australian expats
It's no secret that I've lived in the US for a good while now (just over three years). And for the most part, the questions about Australia have slowed to a trickle. But every now and then I'll meet s...Read More

13 Midwest travel hotspots
If you're planning a trans American road trip or just thinking about Midwest travel in general, you've found the right blog post. If I'm being honest, I contacted some fantastic fellow bloggers for th...Read More

Visit Candytopia San Francisco
As renowned sweet maker Willy Wonka tells his tour group in the beloved children's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it....Read More

Aussies Round the World: From Victoria to three different continents
Moving overseas is almost easy nowadays - from the bunch of expat groups and businesses ready to give you advice, to organisations ready to help with the visa process. But that's mostly if you're usin...Read More

Americanised Australian food (and drink)
Americans have a special talent for making cuisines from other country their own. Usually by employing the use of a deep fryer and various condiments. It's all about catering to the American tastebud,...Read More

Fall camping: Portola Redwoods State Park
Squeezing the most out of summer sometimes means bleeding into Fall (Autumn to everyone else in the world). In order to crowbar in a few more camping trips before the weather really goes south, it's a...Read More

An expat’s guide to preparing for natural disasters
When it comes to preparing for natural disasters, expats can be excused for feeling lost. They might not have grown up in a country or city prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tropical storms, w...Read More

30 Travel tips from (almost) 20 years of travelling
Doing maths in the morning is never a signal that the day will go well (for me). But when it means working out exactly how long I've been hopping on planes to the other side of the world, there's a sl...Read More

Top 10 cheap things to do in Las Vegas
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"]
[et_pb_row admin_label="row"]
[et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]Las Vegas, where money just begs to be frittered away needlessly. Can y...Read More

10 Things to avoid on a plane or in an airport
I went home to Sydney last week for a few days, which meant a big chunk of flying in a small amount of time. It gave me the chance to experience some pretty awful behaviour on the part of some travell...Read More
Expat Life

The life of an Aussie nomad
Living the life of an Aussie nomad seems to be pretty high on the bucket list for lots of young'uns these days. And some of the older generation too, not to discriminate there. But there's a genuine l...Read More

US tax for expats (ask the experts)
Never underestimate the unbridled joy involved in navigating the US tax system. It seems like a foregone conclusion, if you were to judge solely on the sheer number of US tax-related threads started b...Read More

Travelling for Christmas (a festive guide)
When you're travelling for Christmas, or just living in a new country, Christmas can feel a little foreign (pun intended). You might be in a completely different hemisphere than you're used to. Which ...Read More

Setting up a company in the US (for Aussies)
The Australian market is a small one in the grand scheme of things. Aussies know that if they really want to make it big, setting up a company in the US is the way to go. But where do you begin with w...Read More

A year long US road trip
What happens when you pack up your life, including three children in Australia, and take them on a year long US road trip? I'd like to say magic. But I'm thinking that it'd be more like 365 days worth...Read More

16 questions Americans ask Australian expats
It's no secret that I've lived in the US for a good while now (just over three years). And for the most part, the questions about Australia have slowed to a trickle. But every now and then I'll meet s...Read More

Aussies Round the World: From Victoria to three different continents
Moving overseas is almost easy nowadays - from the bunch of expat groups and businesses ready to give you advice, to organisations ready to help with the visa process. But that's mostly if you're usin...Read More

Americanised Australian food (and drink)
Americans have a special talent for making cuisines from other country their own. Usually by employing the use of a deep fryer and various condiments. It's all about catering to the American tastebud,...Read More

An expat’s guide to preparing for natural disasters
When it comes to preparing for natural disasters, expats can be excused for feeling lost. They might not have grown up in a country or city prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tropical storms, w...Read More

30 Travel tips from (almost) 20 years of travelling
Doing maths in the morning is never a signal that the day will go well (for me). But when it means working out exactly how long I've been hopping on planes to the other side of the world, there's a sl...Read More

10 Things to avoid on a plane or in an airport
I went home to Sydney last week for a few days, which meant a big chunk of flying in a small amount of time. It gave me the chance to experience some pretty awful behaviour on the part of some travell...Read More

My Health Record for Australian expats
While the Australian government truly begins the job of convincing people that its online health record plan will ultimately benefit them, Australian expats might be left scratching their heads. Will ...Read More

Top 20 places to relocate in the US
Anyone looking to relocate in the US, or move here at all, wants the best chance of success. So you'll want to pick a city, town or suburb that offers the best chance of success. But how do you guage ...Read More

How to watch Australian World Cup games from the US
Confession time: I am a World Cup fan and the 2018 World Cup tournament will be the first where I won't be setting alarms for 1.40AM to watch my favourite teams take to the field. Instead I'm in the ...Read More

A Guide to bringing pets to Australia
Bringing pets to Australia is a much more nuanced and prolonged process than taking them out of the same country. Australia's stringent quarantine laws are well-known throughout the world. And they ca...Read More

A Guide to bringing family pets into the US
If there's one thing that might break your expat child's heart (or yours), it's leaving a cherished pet behind. But what should you consider before starting the process of bringing family pets into th...Read More

How the 2018 Australian budget impacts expats
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[et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]If you're not up-to-date on election cycles, all you had to do was list...Read More

Expat Engagement: Marrying an American Citizen
There's a ring on my left hand that wasn't there a couple of weeks ago and it's sparkling at me as I sit at my laptop (eating Cheetos). I'm trying to figure what to say about finally being engaged to ...Read More

More ‘only in America’ moments
Every time I think that I've scraped the very bottom of the 'Only in America' barrel, I come across more delightfully US-centric things that leave me laughing or shaking my head.
I'd promise that t...Read More

12 Reasons moving abroad alone is a worthwhile adventure
The prospect of moving abroad alone is enough to make you really consider every single thing that could possibly go wrong. It's a leap of faith and if you think you went through making the decision wi...Read More
Travel Tips & Itineraries

The best things to do in Cambria
Cambria is a common pit stop on the road between San Francisco to LA, but it shouldn't just be a place that you stop for petrol or to stretch your legs. There are some beautiful, fun and quirky things...Read More

California’s Hearst Castle pictures (and tales)
Hearst Castle pictures are closely guarded by its media department, and you're only able to publish them with their permission. So I feel lucky to be able to share our two-day visit to California's sp...Read More

Travelling for Christmas (a festive guide)
When you're travelling for Christmas, or just living in a new country, Christmas can feel a little foreign (pun intended). You might be in a completely different hemisphere than you're used to. Which ...Read More

14 Fantastic East Coast vacation spots
When you're thinking about an US East Coast vacation, your mind automatically goes to New York. Or maybe you think of the sun and beaches of Florida for inspiration. But there are so many other great ...Read More

Top 28 things to do in Toronto in winter
If the thought of travelling to a reputationally-freezing place during the winter months sends a shiver down your spine, put on a jacket and prepare to have your mind changed. There are so many great ...Read More

A year long US road trip
What happens when you pack up your life, including three children in Australia, and take them on a year long US road trip? I'd like to say magic. But I'm thinking that it'd be more like 365 days worth...Read More

17 Mile Drive Monterey in pictures (with maps)
California's 17 Mile Drive, Monterey has a reputation for a reason. It stretches for miles (17 of them, as the name suggests) of beautiful coastline, glimpses of wildlife, nature and gorgeous houses. ...Read More

13 Midwest travel hotspots
If you're planning a trans American road trip or just thinking about Midwest travel in general, you've found the right blog post. If I'm being honest, I contacted some fantastic fellow bloggers for th...Read More

Visit Candytopia San Francisco
As renowned sweet maker Willy Wonka tells his tour group in the beloved children's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it....Read More

Fall camping: Portola Redwoods State Park
Squeezing the most out of summer sometimes means bleeding into Fall (Autumn to everyone else in the world). In order to crowbar in a few more camping trips before the weather really goes south, it's a...Read More

30 Travel tips from (almost) 20 years of travelling
Doing maths in the morning is never a signal that the day will go well (for me). But when it means working out exactly how long I've been hopping on planes to the other side of the world, there's a sl...Read More

Top 10 cheap things to do in Las Vegas
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"]
[et_pb_row admin_label="row"]
[et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]Las Vegas, where money just begs to be frittered away needlessly. Can y...Read More

A Relaxed guide to Napa winetasting
There's no disputing that Napa and Sonoma are home to a veritable glut of wineries. There are many places to choose from that you can make the mistake of trying to pack in as many as you can into a da...Read More

A San Francisco ghost tour
Whether you're a believer or not, a San Francisco ghost tour is a great way to see a different part of the city and learn a bit of history at the same time. Of course, you usually need to take it all...Read More

Top 55 things to do in Maui
After two delightfully sun-drenched trips to Maui, I feel like I'm qualified to give a proper list of the 50 things to do in Maui. Even after both of my visits to the Hawaiian island, there's still so...Read More

How to watch Australian World Cup games from the US
Confession time: I am a World Cup fan and the 2018 World Cup tournament will be the first where I won't be setting alarms for 1.40AM to watch my favourite teams take to the field. Instead I'm in the ...Read More

Visit Niagara Falls from Toronto (in winter)
If Niagara Falls is on your bucket list (and even if it isn't) planning to visit Niagara Falls from Toronto as a day trip is a great way to see one of the world's most photographed sites.
There are...Read More

The one place I’ll never travel to again
Ask a travel-enthusiast to name the one city, country or town they'd never travel to again and most of them will have a ready answer. Mine took a while to dig out of the corner of memory where I'd bur...Read More

Cowboys, Ghosts & Canyons: A Day trip from Las Vegas
When I think of Las Vegas, the neon lights of slot machines (pokies to us Aussies), giant casinos and over-the-top glitz and glamour come to mind. But if you've reached your tipping point, you might w...Read More

Sunrise at Haleakala, Maui: reservation tips, what to bring and what to expect
Seeing the sunrise at Haleakala volcano is one of the most sought-after experiences on the Hawaiian island of Maui for a reason. It's not something that you'll forget in a hurry, not only because it i...Read More