Moved From the US to England 5 Years Ago; What Surprised Me

I’ve found that some perishables can go stale very quickly here. Part of the reason is that a lot of the preservatives we add to produce in the US aren’t allowed in the UK.

Although a chicken breast or parsley would have lasted me at least a week in the US, these same goods expire within three to four days in the UK.

This has made grocery shopping a new kind of challenge, but my meals taste a lot fresher.

One thing that was nearly impossible to find for my first three years living in the UK? A non-aerosol deodorant.

I came across a couple of sticks (also called roll-ons) in stores here, but the formulas were all gel-based. Now, whenever I’m back in the US, I stock up on my favorite non-gel, roll-on deodorants.

I came to the UK knowing that some words would take on new meanings: Underwear would become “pants,” for instance, and pants would become “trousers.”

Still, I didn’t expect casual small talk to look so different. It’s not uncommon to hear “You all right?” or “You OK?” while patronizing a supermarket or café.

As I quickly learned, people asking these questions aren’t worried that I was having a bad day. They’re basically asking, “What’s up?”

I don’t have the strongest sarcasm detector, which made adjusting to the British sense of humor a challenge.

It took me a solid two years to get used to the self-deprecating, dry jokes here. As a sensitive soul used to America’s brand of straightforward humor, I even had to ask those around me to dial down the jabs.

Outside major cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester, it’s unusual to find shops open after 5 p.m. — or 6 p.m., if you’re lucky. Even grocery stores typically close by 8 on weekdays.

On Sundays, most local shops and eateries shut down even earlier. Pubs typically serve Sunday roast dinner between 12 and 4 p.m., and the average town center is fully quiet by 4 p.m.

This was an adjustment for me. Growing up in Oregon, grocery stores were typically open until 9 p.m., and some near my college in Southern California didn’t even close until 1 a.m.

In most of the US, having a car is a necessity.

Meanwhile, in the UK, many of the town centers I’ve lived around — and explored — are designed to be more walkable, with roads limited to pedestrian, bus, and cyclist access only.

The UK’s walking culture has also impacted my social life and leisure activities. Although I lived near some beautiful greenery in the US, I often had to drive to visit a walkable nature trail.

Here in southwest England, though, I’ve found many nature pathways in both bigger cities and smaller towns. Now, walks are a major part of our weekends and social lives.

One of the biggest drawbacks of living and working in the UK is the pay is generally lower.

For example, according to data from the Office for National Statistics, the median household income in the UK in 2023 was £34,500.

Meanwhile, the same year, census data showed that the median household income in the US was just over $80,000, about £59,200.

On the plus side, full-time employees receive a minimum of 28 paid days off a year here in the UK, whereas US workers aren’t guaranteed any.

We also have a universal healthcare system in the UK, which helps bridge the pay gap in some ways.

Even though I live in a fairly remote town in the countryside, accessing the major cities is still easy. Many of the UK’s buses and trains run almost every hour.

Whenever I’m in London, I find the nation’s capital easier to navigate than many US cities. The city’s tube system is intuitive and fast, with tubes departing roughly every five minutes.

On the other hand, many trains I’d used to travel between US cities felt slower and more outdated. When I was in college, even getting around a major city like Los Angeles felt next to impossible without a car.

Although trains to London are frequent and fast, they can also be really expensive.

A weekday round-trip ticket can cost up to £150 from where I live, nearly triple the price of a budget flight to Spain, Croatia, or Greece.

On the flip side, though, the accessibility of mainland Europe is one of the best parts of living here — and makes planning those extra PTO days I’ve banked much more fun.