The pressing problem for Blackmore was making a quick adjustment to the American lifestyle, which felt like it was run by a stopwatch. For this easygoing Australian, Americans seemed like perpetual-motion machines. “Americans are very time-oriented,” Blackmore says. “Everything is done according to a schedule. They are always busy, which made me feel guilty about wanting to just sit around and occasionally watch television. Australians, on the other hand, value their leisure time. The pace there is a lot slower because we do not feel the need to always be busy. It is not that Australians are lazy; it is just that they have a different concept of how time should be spent. Back home, I used to spend a lot more time just talking to my friends.”