The girls are back from Bali and straight into their first ever NFL game, and they have a LOT of thoughts about the way Americans do things.

Steph and Holly unpack Melbourne's NFL takeover, from the entertainment that makes our sport look like a school assembly, to the moment one person threw a paper plane from the top tier and 100,000 people immediately followed. It turns into a bigger conversation about tall poppy syndrome, why Aussies physically cannot hype themselves up, and whether we've been getting Americans completely wrong this whole time.

Then Steph shares what might be the most confronting aftercare story ever told on this podcast, involving a guy, a guitar, a Jack Johnson song, and her still being fully naked.

Then it's back to business with your Letters, Confessions, Sealed Sections and Horror Stories, including a girl who faked an allergy three years ago and is now in too deep, a bridesmaid who went rogue at the altar, a woman still getting her hair done by her ex's mum, a period cup incident at work that we need to talk about, and a hotel safe in Thailand that opened itself at 3am.

Another completely chaotic week in the neighbourhood.

KEY TALKING POINTS

Americans Do It Differently
The girls break down the NFL experience in Melbourne, the entertainment, the crowd, the merch, and why it made everything we do feel a bit flat.

Tall Poppy Syndrome, Explained
A conversation with a friend who played college basketball in the States completely reframes the Aussie habit of playing everything down.

The Paper Plane Situation
One person launched a cardboard cutout from the top of the stadium and within minutes the whole game had stopped mattering.

He Pulled Out a Guitar While I Was Still Naked
Holly's story about the guy who serenaded her post-hookup with a song he had never sung in front of anyone before.

The Aftercare Misread
A Neighbour wants to know how to leave after casual sex without making someone feel disposable, and whether aftercare is even expected when it's not serious.

The Godparent Demotion
 A Neighbour was promised godmother status by her sister years ago, then found out very casually that the sister-in-law got it instead.

The Fake Birthday Allergy
Three years ago she panicked and said she was allergic rather than admit she hated her boyfriend's mum's dessert. The woman now rings her from Woolies to check labels.

The Wedding Speech Cut
A bride edited every funny story out of her best friend's speech. The best friend read the original version anyway.

The Ex's Mum Is My Hairdresser
 Five years with the best hairdresser she's ever had, eight months since a very messy breakup with the woman's son. Is a good blonde worth it?

The Period Cup at Work
A bathroom disaster, a dropped cup, and a genuinely useful conversation about how these things are actually meant to work.

The Hotel Safe
Four nights in Thailand, a safe that kept opening on its own, and the one tiny thing that went missing that made it so much worse.