I Lived In The UK For Six Months — Here’s What Shocked Me

Culture shocks I experienced as an American abroad

Big Ben and the iconic red double decker buses in London, England (Photo by Lucas Davies on Unsplash)

In January, I packed two suitcases and moved across the pond. So far, I love the United Kingdom. But, after six months living here, I still feel a bit of culture shock.

Here are the biggest things that have surprised me about the UK:

The Food Tastes 10x More Fresh

I have loved having fish and chips and walking along the beach (photo by Andrew Dunn via Wikimedia)

The first time I ate a burger in the UK, I turned to my British boyfriend and said, “You can taste the grass.” It was one of the best burgers I’d ever had. And it wasn’t even the fancy beef you get from an upmarket grocery store like Waitrose.

I’ve noticed a lot of food in the UK tastes fresher than in the States. There are specific laws here that restrict companies from using certain chemicals, processed ingredients, and additives. A lot of food eaten in the US wouldn’t even be allowed in Europe and the UK.

The only drawback is the food doesn’t stay fresh for long. You can’t just leave fresh fruit in your fridge for a few days (like I would do in the US) because it will go moldy.

Thanks to my experience living in the UK, I’m now way more aware of the chemicals we have in our “fresh produce” in the US.

The Healthcare Is Actually Affordable

The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland (photo by the author)

I was walking around the city of Edinburgh when I suddenly felt out of breath. Edinburgh is a hilly city, but this wasn’t the normal tiredness I got after climbing a steep hill. I felt extreme exhaustion, couldn’t catch my breath, and almost passed out.

Worried that it was something to do with my lungs, my boyfriend and I called 111, the healthcare advice line. After explaining the situation, they advised me to go to an emergency ward later that day to get evaluated by a local doctor.

As a tourist, I didn’t know what to expect when I visited the emergency room. But, the doctor was so kind to me and ran some tests to figure out what was wrong. At the end of the appointment, I went up to the front desk, thinking I had to give an insurance card. The woman just looked at me and said, “No, you’re all set.” I remember walking out in a daze, like it couldn’t possibly be that easy.

I am continuously shocked by how affordable healthcare is here in the UK. Free healthcare is available for every UK resident, but there can be a longer wait times for non-emergency issues. That’s why many people go private — and say it’s normally worth every cent.

It’s not a perfect system. For example, NHS doctors aren’t paid nearly enough for the hard work they do. But, still, the healthcare system feels so much better than what I’m used to in the US.

By comparison, the healthcare in the US is a mess. The average health insurance plan is hundreds of dollars per month. 100 million people in the US also have healthcare debt.

If you don’t have insurance, and something happens, you are thousands of dollars in debt. If you do have insurance, you’re usually paying hundreds of dollars per month, money that could otherwise be used for rent or food.

That doesn’t happen in the UK.

The British Have Better Work-Life Balance

Many peaceful afternoons spent on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland (photo by the author)

“What do you do for work?”

When I lived in the US, this was usually the first question I got asked whenever I met someone new (after my name). In the UK, however, no one has ever asked me that question.

Instead, I got questions like, “Where are you from?” or, because I’m a tourist, “How do you like the UK?”

It’s not because people in the UK don’t care about their work. It’s just that British people have a more balanced outlook on work and personal life. In the US, we often adopt our jobs as part of our identity. However, in the UK, your job doesn’t completely define who you are.

I’ve now gotten used to the fact that when I email someone on Friday, they won’t respond until the following Monday. Why? Because they’re taking the weekend off and spending time with family.

It’s been refreshing experiencing a different pace of life and work-life balance. The UK isn’t actually even in the top ten countries for work-life balance. But, I still feel a huge difference living here compared to the American culture around work.

British Politeness Is A Real Thing

Traveling on a train through Oxfordshire, England (photo by the author)

I was sitting on a train on my way to London, when a loudspeaker announcement came on.

“We want to apologize,” the person on the loudspeaker said, “for the delay in our arrival to Paddington Station. We hope it does not interfere with your day. We’ll be pulling into the station shortly, thank you.”

I checked my watch. The train was going to be arriving about seven minutes later than its scheduled time. I hadn’t even realized it was late at all.

I had heard people say the Brits are very polite, but it’s something else to experience firsthand. For example, they say “sorry” or “excuse me” when walking through a crowd. I’ve also been invited into someone’s home for tea and a slice of Victoria Sponge cake.

The British people also love to queue. The first time I went on the London Underground, everyone immediately stepped to the right to allow people on the left to pass through. It was so coordinated, I subconsciously did it too without realizing it. Now, it’s second nature for me.

The Cities Are Well-Connected And Walkable

A street in Oxford, England. Most people walk, ride the bus, or bike ride. (photo by the author)

I don’t own a car here, but that’s never been a problem.

The UK has an amazing rail network. Cities are well connected on train lines and there are local buses within lots of towns.

In the US, we have some public transportation, but it’s contained within the major cities. So, I often feel trapped when I don’t have a car. In the UK, however, I can live 90 minutes outside a major city like London, and still get where I want to go by bus or train.

Even when I was living in a small town in Scotland, I was always able to take a bus to get to a train station and connect to a bigger city like Edinburgh.

Plus, if you get a discount rail card and travel during off-peak times, traveling by train can be very affordable.

The Hot Weather Is Suffocating

Beach in St. Andrews, Scotland (photo by the author)

Everyone talks about the rainy weather in the UK, so I didn’t even think about the summer heat. If no one mentions the heat, it can’t be that bad right?

Wrong.

Most of the time, it’s so nice to have the sun out and feel the warm weather. But when there’s a heatwave, it’s overwhelming.

In the UK, a heatwave is when the temperature is above 25C (about 77F) for three consecutive days. My American brain didn’t think much of those temperatures at first. After all, it regularly hits well past that in my home state in the summer. But, I was wrong. It definitely feels like a heatwave.

One reason it feels hotter is the humidity. Another reason is because of the old houses and apartment buildings. Almost none of them have AC. After a hot day outside, coming inside often feels just as hot, if not worse. You can try opening the windows to let in air and have a fan going, but the nights are often unbearable. It’s hard to sleep.

I love the sunny weather, but when it’s hot, I actually crave the rain to cool things down.

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