7 Things I MISS about America as an EXPAT in the UK // They Might Surprise You!

Just because I'm an American expat in the UK doesn't mean that there aren't things I don't miss about America...like, a lot of things, really!

From foods to architecture to people, here are the things I miss about America as an expat!

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[lexprontera]

"Well... it does have some coastline"... she said... about an island country 😄

[vivwindsor]

Britain is a small overcrowded island, think of it as like medium sized American state. In fact there are several states bigger than England. I've never been, but the USA seems to me more of a continent than a single contry.

As for parking, if you live on the outskirts of London, leave your car at home and use our far superior public transport, you certainly get around London a lot quicker, and not have to worry about parking.

[darylnorman]

I just thought I'd mention that you was correct the UK rarely uses vouchers each supermarket has a card for points the points give you money off your bill they send your money back offers digitally to your card

[James-xusc]

Regarding innovation... The UK, thanks mostly to our colonial past and the Industrial Revolution were hugely innovative and have given a lot to the world. Admittedly we may have slowed down in recent decades, but we still innovate. Britain was colonizing, instilling democracy and inventing trains while the US (in its current form) was still being founded.

[matr]

The parking thing is from an VERY american carbrained perspective, we dont want to create free parking for multiple reasons, mainly due to density and lack of physical space its a waste of valuable land (yes even in suburbs). US cites have massive sprawl due to this and it makes travel by other means (cycling, walking and PT) more difficult. Parking is also a big trip attractor for vehicle use, despite peoples anecdotal protests on this it doesnt generally create more economic activity, more importantly vehicle use is polluting. So yea you might get frustrated but your "free" parking model in the US has many negative externalities.

[zandvoort]

I recently went to Florida on holiday for a week. It was a terrible mistake, as I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life being disappointed with London/UK.

[sarahnewton]

I have to disagree on innovation! Not only the vaccine, but look at art, music, design and even business and start ups, the U.K. is probably the most innovative and forward thinking country in the world. There are many brilliant brilliant people and I think we have a quota per capita exceeding almost all nations, possibly even yours! The difference you are seeing is that we don’t possess the incessant need to talk about how great and innovative we are, at all times. We just put it in the name of the country - and left it there ;)

[RobG]

Someone is mistaking London life/or near London/ The English for life in the Uk, :)

[glynnwright]

A lot of your observations are, in my experience, accurate for Southern England, where I live as well. I spent my formative years in the North West; Northerners think and behave in a very similar manner to Californians:

They are friendly
They love entrepreneurs and free thinkers
They have a strong sense of social responsibility
They are, mostly, not hung up on status and class.

As a Northerner, I struggled with all the things that you have listed when I came to Southern England. I ended up hopping from job to job because I just didn't fit into the culture.Basically, I was unemployable in Southern England. That only ended when I started working for a Californian technology company; culturally they held the same values as Northern England, they were ambitious to achieve an outcome, not hung up on the route to the solution.

I was sent to Silicon Valley for a few months because the company had a serious technical problem that needed resolving. When I arrived at the appointed time for the first meeting I was told that my counterpart wouldn't be available for an hour because he was taking his ballet lesson. It was at that moment I realised that I was amongst like-minded people who were not governed by tradition.

Eventually I ended up creating my own US/UK business which is run like a Californian startup, which still raises eyebrows here in the South East. While the North has the strongest affinity with California, Bristol and the South West and several other areas of the UK have the same 'can do' approach to life.

There is a lot more space outside the South East, but the weather is more extreme in winter.

There is a huge diversity of landscapes in North America, not least in Canada, but air travel is a lot more expensive and generally less relaxed than in Europe.

My American daughter-in-law and her friends refer to Target as "Targé", so they can convince themselves that it is an exotic French shopping experience.

[alantheinquirer]

You want different countryside? In the UK, drive from the Cornish crags to the rolling hills of the Chilterns. From the crags of Beachy Head, the Needles of the Isle of Wight and cliffs of Dover ... to the marshes of Romney or the Norfolk Broads. The wild wolds of Yorkshire to the mountains of Wales. We've got different geographic conditions but they're smaller in area and easily overlooked.
Take in the 'classic' seaside resort of Brighton or Blackpool or the fishing ports of Newlyn. The 'olde world' charm of a home counties village or the bustle of London. America is spoiled because of it's size! But we tend to concentrate in isolated pockets.

[davidstanley]

You should live in Manchester for a bit and then you'll realise that everyone is friendly and everyone speaks to everyone.

[browneof]

As you should remember, most of the hospitals in Pittsburgh charge for parking, e.g. the UPMC hospitals and Allegheny General.

[jonathanbignall]

It's totally normal to miss things from the place where you grew up, my ex wife was Brazilian and as much as she loved the UK there were plenty of things she missed.

[rogerwitte]

Every ExPat from anywhere to anywhere with whom I have discussed the issue has struggled with homesickness at one time or another. That isn't to say that they regret their decision to move, but it does mean that living abroad requires some psychological strength. It isn't ever an easy ride but it may be rewarding.
Wendy's used to be here. When I was at university (circa 1980) the Dungeons & Dragons club used to like to go to Wendy's together. They pulled out in 2001.
I agree that American Culture is 'the American Dream' of self reliance and entrepreneurship is opposed to the British risk aversion and fixation with class and doffing one's cap but the reality (ie economic stats) are that Social Mobility in the US is much lower than in the UK and falling faster. If you a poor kid today wants to make good today, their best option is to be born somewhere like Sweden! The changes in relative social mobility between Europe and the US are recent, dating back to the 1980s or thereabouts so it is understandable that popular culture hasn't caught up.

[craigbosley]

go to a rural town or village here and you won't have a problem parking either, My wife is from NYC and we don't even bother driving into Manhattan, it's pointless you can walk faster and parking is a nightmare.

[EmilyCheetham]

When my brother got marries here in uk the prep started at around 7 or 8 am, the wedding itself was around 10 or 11 am. We went to the reception location around mid day and we statues up till the early hours of the morning. So it was a LONG day. Then the next morning all the family & friends had a cooked breakfast together in the hotel/castle we had the receipts on in. My brother had hired the venue for 24 hours.

[fookdatchit]

Your sense of humor can be brutal. So I subb'd. British expat living in Spain

[rugby]

i do not want any strangers outside talking to me, makes me cringe

[marinangelov]

They just opened up a Wendy’s in Reading last month.

[allanpickering]

I really don’t think you know very much about the country side of England I live in the Lake District and have been to America a lot both Florida and California And the west New York and there are some lovely places but I wouldn’t change my county Cumbria for anything. To see the views from the top of the high fells and the lakes below the grazing sheep and the spring lambs the song of a sky lark on a warm summer day yes the weather can be bad but makes the good days all the more lovely. But also there is the coast of the Irish Sea with some lovely beaches and harbours but. The Lake District is now a World Heritage site but the Yorkshire Dales is another beautiful area with some lovely villages and towns so you see the uk really is a beautiful place considering it’s size and population anyway best of look oh by the way my wife and I have been married fifty two years but I still sent her flowers on Valentine’s Day so we may not show it much us English but Love is always there..