Things to take with me to US... suggestions?

Okay, so it's less than 2 weeks until I move over to the US on my student visa and I'm trying to make a list of British things to take with me that I can't get hold of easily in the states (i.e. food stuff, toiletries etc.).

So far I have:

Food
Chocolate (Cadbury's etc.)
Marmite
Tea bags
M&S chocolate biscuits

Toiletries
Garnier Foot Cocoon foot moisturiser (I haven't been able to find this on the US Garnier website)
Boots No7 makeup (which I believe is now available in Target, but since I work for Boots, I got it extra cheap here)
Imperial Leather Foamburst shower gel
Toni and Guy/Trevor Sorbie hair products

Is there anything else that anyone can think of that you've found here, but not in the US?

For example, I've been trying to find out if the Nivea Pearl deodorant is sold there... it's not mentioned on the US Nivea site and I find that the stick deodorants I've tried in the US give me an allergic reaction.

Squash, if you drink it.

Where are you going in the US, ksand24? I was always able to get Cadbury's, marmite and tea where I lived.

Where are you going in the US, ksand24? I was always able to get Cadbury's, marmite and tea where I lived.

I'll be in Albuquerque, NM.

I know you can buy Cadbury's there, but it's made by Hershey's and doesn't taste the same as the UK stuff. I haven't seen Marmite over there, but I've heard you can buy it from international stores... at twice the price. Same with the tea bags, but I was going to take some Lady Grey with me... £1.89 for 50/£3.19 for 100 from Tesco, or $11 (including shipping) for 20 tea bags ordering online from the US!

Whenever we visit my aunt in Arkansas, she always requests that we bring Marmite, Marmalade and PG Tips .

Ah, right. I was in New England and a lot of British is easily available in supermarkets there. I can see that New Mexico might be a bit different.

I know I've seen Lady Grey in supermarkets in the US, but I don't remember where. Twinings is very easy to find, though. PG Tips can be found sometimes as well. Stash, Bigelow, and Republic of Tea are American tea brands that are worth trying. But tea is so much cheaper in the UK that you might as well take some along.

My parents were thrilled to discover that World Market in Albuquerque has both plain and chocolate digestives--I think they said they were about $4. That would be a good place to look for other things as well.

Stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls tend to have British imports like tea, biscuits, and marmalade at reasonable prices, but the supply is unreliable.

Oh, and if you like marmalade or blackcurrant jam, take some along. You can get marmalade there, but most of it is pretty nasty and full of high-fructose corn syrup. Blackcurrant anything, forget it!

If you get desperate for anything, I'd be happy to arrange an exchange!

We are taking a 1150 PG tips bag (love wholesale!) in our shipping container and two boxes of 260 in the luggage.  The price is just crazy in the USA and they don't weigh much. My dad likes it too! 

Other things are Marmite (though I've seen it fairly cheap in the Atlanta area).  We are taking two jars just to tide DH over.

HP sauce as well.. I like it with my sausages.

I tend not to take shampoos and things like that just because I can usually find reasonable substitutes. You have to think you are going to the consumer capitalist 20 million types of everything USA....take stuff to get you by for a short time and give you a chance to try things. 

Oh we are taking Maille Hollandaise too.. but that's just my weird thing! 

Pretty much that's it for us.  Just think what will you hate not having and then go from there.

DH used to want a lot more UK items... now he just finds subs. 

He'd love to take bacon though!  Where my parents live we won't have back bacon ... though you can get Danish stuff in some nicer markets. 

Oh and bacon crisps!  He loves the meaty flavors.  They don't travel that well though! 

If we get desperate I order them online.

Rafi's curry packs!
Freeze them, then wrap them up good and proper for the journey.

Isn't there a Wild Oats or a Whole Foods market in ABQ?  There was a similar "natural" grocery store in El Paso, near Las Cruces, that sold many of the things you are likely to miss (Lady Grey, curry, assorted fancy teas and imported products).  I can't imagine that there isn't a source in ABQ, or possibly Santa Fe, as they are both larger cities and have a more, um, sophisticated population than the border zone.

I'm sure I have seen Toni & Guy products, too--they have a lot of the chain salons in the US, and I would imagine that they sell the shampoos and stuff, too.

Rafi's curry packs!
Freeze them, then wrap them up good and proper for the journey.

Oh those are nice!

Whole Foods do large selections of all things UK and Indian too.  The Atlanta one used to stock lots of goodies.  Though you'd pay over a $1 for a candy bar! Still helped DH adjust.  Funny thing is that here he really never eats them... 

Isn't there a Wild Oats or a Whole Foods market in ABQ?  There was a similar "natural" grocery store in El Paso, near Las Cruces, that sold many of the things you are likely to miss (Lady Grey, curry, assorted fancy teas and imported products).  I can't imagine that there isn't a source in ABQ, or possibly Santa Fe, as they are both larger cities and have a more, um, sophisticated population than the border zone.

Thanks for your help . I spent 10 months in Albquerque a couple of years ago and didn't see any of those things... although that might have had something to do with the fact that I was on foot and could only get to the WalMart on San Mateo and the Smiths on Yale for food/toiletries. I won't have a car for the first few months this time either, so it's going to be harder for me to get to different stores and areas around the city.

I'm sure I have seen Toni & Guy products, too--they have a lot of the chain salons in the US, and I would imagine that they sell the shampoos and stuff, too.

I've just bought a Toni and Guy minatures gift bag in the sales, which I'll use as travel-sized hair products when I go, but I'm planning on buying different shampoos in the US when they run out anyway ..

Moving to Albuquerque? May I suggest you take a good sense of security!  There is a lot of crime in that city - just be aware and alert.  Are you going to UNM?  My daughter went there for 1 year 99-2000 and had a lot of things happen to her there.  Definately use their security program if you are taking evening/night classes. Security will walk with you around campus to keep you safe. Also do as they suggest and travel in groups around campus.  I'm not trying to scare you just forewarn you.  When I went to the parents seminar before she started classes, they really warned us parents about warning our students about the crime and safety issues there.  They call the area just outside the campus "the war zone".  Lots of drugs, robberies, knives, guns, etc.  There are a lot of clubs around there too and girls were having a lot of problems with "date rape drugs" being slipped into their drinks.  So just be aware of your surroundings and lock all your personal belongings up even in your dorm/apartment. 
If you have ever seen any of the "Cops" shows - you will see most of them are filmed in ABQ.  Good luck and happy studies. 
You will find some of your british goodies at some of the stores mentioned throughout this posting, but you can also find some new goodies to enjoy.  The motto of NM is "red or green" and that is the question you will be asked as you order any food.   They are referring to the chilies.  I mostly asked for green and on the side - they you can add what you want.   

Thanks for the advice, debinator .

I am attending UNM, although I have already lived in Albuquerque before (I was an international exchange student there in 2003/04... and I missed it so much I had to go back for my PhD), so I know of the crime and safety issues there (my British/Australian friends and I were rather amused at the idea of the night time 'escort service', since the phrase brought up more than one meaning in our minds ). To be honest, although I didn't always feel safe there, nothing bad happened to me personally... and I was riding the buses up and down Central Avenue regularly (although never alone). One of our friends (male) did use the security escort service a couple of times (he lived on his own off campus), but more often than not we would walk him home and them walk back to campus in a group.

I know that the city can be dangerous and it's better to be safe than sorry, but it sounds like the university was being over-cautious with the warnings to parents. Not once in 9 months did I feel unsafe on the campus itself, I never heard the surrounding area being called 'the war zone' ('trendy' Nob Hill was promoted much more) and the majority of the crime that did make the news occurred at least a mile or 2 from the university buildings.

Btw, I'm a green chile fan too - I've been craving NM green chiles for almost 4 years now  .

Blackcurrant jam and turkish delight. Oh and jelly babies!

I absolutely adore them, but the closest I've found to turkish delight, ever, is like a fruit jelly. Tasty, though not the same. Similarly you can find blackcurrant jams and jellies, but it's never what I'm looking for - I will -scour- grocery stores, and go to the little British food shops around here, for Tiptree's Blackcurrant Jelly, but alas. I think it's not to be.

I've seen Jelly Babies, occasionally. But they're some strange brand that's vacuum sealed (?!) and super expensive. I'm afraid to try them.

Btw, I'm a green chile fan too - I've been craving NM green chiles for almost 4 years now  .

Green chile rules!

I grew up in NM, and I've never thought of Albuquerque as a particularly dangerous city. It certainly doesn't have that reputation in the rest of the state. El Paso, on the other hand...

Every university I've ever been involved with has had a nighttime security service.