A video of an American woman recounting her Australian husband's joke about the "life-changing" aspect of their relationship has gone viral on TikTok. The clip, shared by Tara Lappan (@texaninaustralia), a 34-year-old Texan now living in Australia, has garnered almost 600,000 views since it was posted on December 29. "I'm a scientific officer in Australia—sometimes known as a medical laboratory scientist," Lappan told Newsweek. In the video, she recounts a conversation with her husband, Alex, who jokingly commented that meeting him was "life-changing" for her. Lappan initially agreed, thinking he was referring to their relationship's profound impact. She says in the clip: "We met, and I was so in love with you that I decided to leave everything I'd ever known and move halfway across the world for you, and now we're married and we have a kid." However, her husband said that he meant it in terms of the way she now boils water. She told Newsweek: "He turned it around on me and joked, 'No, I didn't mean it in that way. I meant you would still be boiling water in the microwave instead of using a kettle,' and it was so funny to me, I decided to post a story about it."
Tara Lappan, 34-year-old Texan in Australia.
A screenshot from a viral TikTok video of Tara Lappan. The 34-year-old Texan told her husband's joke about why her move to Australia was "life-changing." @texaninaustralia on TikTok
Despite the funny stereotype implied about Americans and kettles in the viral clip, "the United States is experiencing a surge in demand for electric kettles due to the growing popularity of tea-drinking culture," according to Statista, the global data firm. In 2025, the revenue generated in the electric kettles market in the U.S. amounts to $317.5 million, and the market is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 4.28 percent from 2025 to 2029, per Statista.

'My Life Changed Forever'

Lappan and her husband met during a group travel tour through Scandinavia in August 2019. "We did long distance for almost a year before I moved to Australia at the height of the [COVID-19] pandemic," she told Newsweek. The couple faced significant challenges, including global travel restrictions, which forced them to alter their original plans of Alex moving to Texas. Instead, Lappan moved to Australia in September 2020. "I had no other contacts in Australia, no job lined up, no family, and I had only visited Australia twice before. I moved there specifically for him and I have no regrets. My life changed forever, use of kettles included," Lappan said. She added that the most challenging adjustment was the language. "I couldn't understand my husband's friends at first. There's a lot of slang, and Australians shorten a lot of words. I absolutely love it, but it was difficult to understand at first. Everything else has surprisingly been an easy adjustment," the poster said.

'Crime Against Your Soul'

Viewers on TikTok were amused by the relatable and funny anecdote in the viral video. User maleneofficial commented, "that's mind-blowing," while john jones17 added: "boiling water in a microwave is no way to live." Brent Millman said that "your husband and I could be best mates, that's gold." Renee Pope-Munro posted: "No but genuinely, that shows how much he cares because microwaving water for tea is a crime against your soul." Other users agreed with her husband's stance on kettles. Flea_bagg_ commented: "He's got a point tho." Matthew Picus posted: "I must be the only American who boils water in the kettle." FlamingAimee wrote: "Why most Americans don't have an electric kettle is a mystery I'll never understand. I'm one of the few who has one." Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.