10 Things That Surprised and shocked Me After Moving from the UK to America

Also published on Medium: https://medium.com

I moved to America in 2013 to get married (that’s a whole different story in itself). I arranged to fly over in August and, somehow, I kind of never left.

My first confusing experience happened at customs. The officer asked where I was travelling to, so I told him the name of my little country town. He looked at me for a moment and then said, “Don’t they do cow-tipping there?”

I blinked at him. “I’m sorry… they do what now?”

He turned to the officer next to him, repeated the question, and the two of them started laughing. Then he looked back at me, smiled politely, and said, “Yeah… they do cow-tipping there. Enjoy your stay.”

So now here I am wondering what in the world cow-tipping is, and whether I’ve just made the right life decision or walked straight into the strangest country on earth.

From the moment I arrived, I was amazed by the differences, both culturally and physically and let me tell you, what a difference it was.

In the space of what felt like five minutes, my life had completely changed, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I had let myself in for. For the first few years I was constantly confused, and to be honest, there are still things that leave me scratching my head. But it has gotten easier, and somewhere along the way I seem to have become a fully-fledged English American redneck.

The very first thing that hit me when I arrived in America was the heat. My goodness, it was intense. At that particular moment I was practically dressed for winter (if you know UK weather, you’ll understand my plight). Within minutes I felt like I had walked straight into an oven. I was shedding layers, searching for a breeze, and wondering how on earth people survived summers like this when they were walking around with leather jackets.

And that was just my first five minutes on American soil. I had absolutely no idea what else was waiting for me.

1. The American Diner

After we left the airport, I was starting to get a little hungry, so my future husband, who we’ll call “Cow-Tipping Ben” for the sake of this story, decided that breakfast at lunchtime sounded like a great idea. Oh-kay.

We went to Waffle House. Before coming to America, I had heard of it, but seeing one in person felt a little surreal. We walked inside and it was exactly like the diners you see on television. (I was a bit sheltered.) I was thrilled to be eating at my first American restaurant, a Waffle House, no less.

Then the waitress asked me how I wanted my eggs.

I thought the answer was simple: cooked.

Apparently not.

I was suddenly being asked fifteen different questions about eggs, whether I wanted steak, and how I wanted my hash browns: scattered? covered? smothered? I looked at Ben and quietly asked, “What did she just say?”

It was definitely an experience.

What eventually arrived looked like the most enormous breakfast I had ever seen. Eggs, hash browns, meat, waffles, it was more food than most Brits would consider normal before noon. I have to admit though, it was the best first American meal I could have asked for, and I’m fairly certain I gained about fifteen pounds on the spot.

Back in the UK, our breakfasts are usually much simpler. A “big” breakfast might include eggs, sausage, bacon, and beans on toast (yes, that’s a real thing), usually accompanied by a proper cup of tea... in a mug, of course.

Pancakes in the UK are typically considered dessert rather than breakfast, so seeing them served alongside everything else felt slightly outrageous. Of course I still ate them, I mean who wouldn’t? They were delicious.

Compared to Waffle House, British breakfasts suddenly felt very mild.

2. Customer Service

One thing I noticed about customer service, especially in restaurants: and I’m sure many Brits would agree, is how often American servers and staff check on you.

In the UK, restaurant service is usually much more relaxed and sometimes a little lazy. Staff will bring your food and then leave you alone unless you signal them. If you need something, you typically catch their eye or wave them over, often looking like you’re trying out the latest dance craze while waving your arms around the room. Eventually your arms start getting tired and some people just shout “Hey.”

In the US, it’s the complete opposite.

Servers will often come back multiple times and ask things like, “How is everything tasting?” “Can I get you anything else?” or “Do you need a refill?”

And the big surprise for many Brits is the free refills. In the UK, restaurants would probably be pulling their hair out at the thought of giving you a second drink for free.

At first, the attention can feel a little overwhelming, not because it’s bad service, but because it’s so different from what we’re used to. I remember asking Ben, “Do they have to check on us every five minutes?” He explained that it’s partly because servers rely on tips, which isn’t something we typically do in the UK.

Back home, if a server comes back three times during a meal, you start wondering if you’re doing something wrong or using the wrong fork. In America it’s completely normal, and before long your drink has been refilled twice without you even asking.

Another thing that surprised me was how often people introduce themselves. Whether it’s a restaurant server or someone working in a store, Americans tend to be friendly and chatty right away. At first, it felt strange because that’s not something we usually do in the UK. But after living here for a while, I’ve grown to really appreciate it.

When I visit home now, I sometimes catch myself thinking, “Wow… everyone seems so quiet.”

It’s not rudeness though, it’s just a cultural difference. But I have to admit, the friendliness here is something I’ve grown very fond of.

3. Portion Sizes

This is another thing that completely blew my mind when I came to America: the portion sizes.

The breakfast I had at Waffle House alone was probably enough to feed an entire family. I still don’t understand how that much food fits on one plate, and having pancakes served as a side dish with breakfast is definitely not something we do in the UK. When the extra plate arrived, I’m fairly certain my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

I quickly learned why to-go boxes are such a common thing here. During my first year I have to admit I gained a few extra pounds of what I politely call “American padding,” Ben calls this a “winter coat”. The portion sizes compared to the UK are enormous.

I would stare at the plate like it was holding a small horse. In the UK, the portions are often half the size of what you get here. In America, it sometimes feels like you could eat yourself into a food coma.

This was also the first time I heard the phrase “meat drunk.” Considering the size of some American steaks, it suddenly made a lot of sense. A US steak can easily fill an entire plate, whereas a typical UK portion might barely cover a quarter of it.

Fries are another great example. A large portion in the UK would probably equal a small in the United States, and American burgers? Those are a two-handed operation, while most UK burgers can be managed with one.

Even the drink sizes are impressive. You might order a small coffee in America, only to be handed a cup the size of a bucket. Back home, a “small” is usually closer to a tea cup.

Overall, American portions can easily feed you for the rest of the day. In the UK, on the other hand, you might still be wondering if there’s dessert.

4. Wildlife

When you think of wildlife in the UK, you probably picture birds, animals at the zoo, or the occasional wild creature roaming somewhere far away in the countryside. But wildlife in the United States is a completely different experience.

The first creature I was properly introduced to was the horsefly.

Now don’t get me wrong, we have flies in the UK. But what on earth is a horsefly? Why is it so big? What possible purpose does a fly the size of a small country serve?

The first time I saw one, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Ben looked at me and asked what was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” I said panicked. “What the hell is that?”

Ben calmly explained that it was a horsefly and then added, very casually, “Just don’t let it bite you.”

At that point I was convinced this thing could probably take my head off in a single bite.

I refused to get out of the truck. These things were flying around like a swarm, and I had absolutely no intention of stepping outside until they were gone. Unfortunately, that would have meant sitting there for the rest of the summer.

I was ducking, dodging, and practically diving out of the way every time one came near me. At that moment I seriously considered becoming a hermit every summer.

That wasn’t the only wildlife surprise waiting for me.

Soon after, I was introduced to raccoons, which at first glance look adorable until you realize they are perfectly willing to fight you for your trash bag. Then there were opossums, which I initially thought were cute as well… right up until one hissed at me.

And that was before I even discovered bobcats, coyotes, and deer.

The first time I saw a deer in the United States, I was completely awestruck. We do have deer in the UK, but they’re far less common and considered a protected species. Here, they seem perfectly comfortable wandering close to people.

Even now, I’m still amazed by how calm and docile they can be.

5. Language differences & talking to strangers

This is always a fun one to talk about because technically we’re speaking the same language, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it sometimes.

Words, phrases, and everyday expressions can mean completely different things. When I first arrived, I honestly had no idea what some people were saying to me. I’m fairly certain I laughed in places where I shouldn’t have and confused a few people with my own word choices because some things mean something entirely different here.

Talking to all these new people was actually a lot of fun. If someone didn’t understand what I meant, I would end up describing the object instead and then explaining why we call it something different in the UK. One thing I noticed very quickly was how easy it is to talk to strangers in America. People are often friendly and curious, especially when they hear a different accent.

Another cultural surprise was hearing people say sir and ma’am so often. At first, it felt very formal, but I quickly realized it’s just a normal sign of politeness here. It’s actually something I’ve grown very fond of. Even now I still smile when someone calls me ma’am, it’s strangely endearing.

Over time I discovered there were quite a few words that could lead to some very funny misunderstandings.

• Pants & Trousers; In the UK, pants mean underwear. In America it means trousers. So, when someone asked me, “What kind of pants are those?” I was looking at them wide-eyed thinking, Mind your own business!

• Rubber & Eraser; In the UK, a rubber is something you use to erase pencil marks. In America… it means something completely different. I draw a lot, so when I asked Ben if he had a rubber, his reaction sent me into a fit of laughter once I realized what I had actually said.

• Chips & Crisps; In America, a bag of chips is what we would call crisps in the UK. If you ask for chips in Britain, you’ll get what Americans call fries. When I first asked for crisps here, people looked at me like I had invented a new word.

• Bonnet & Boot; In the UK, the bonnet and boot refer to parts of a car. In America those are the hood and trunk. A bonnet here is a hat, and a boot is something you wear on your foot.

• Biscuits & Scones; In the UK, biscuits are what Americans call cookies. In America, biscuits are something entirely different, closer to what we would call a scone. When I first heard that Americans eat biscuits for breakfast, it sent me into a fit of giggles. Scones are typically served with jam and clotted cream and of course, tea.

Which brings me to Tea.

As a Brit, I feel obligated to say this; tea is supposed to be hot. Cold tea has never been something I could quite get used to (I’m sorry), and when I discovered that some people heat their tea in the microwave… I think the look of horror on my face said it all.

Naturally, I insisted that we buy a kettle immediately. It became a non-negotiable item in our house.

There are many more examples I could talk about all day, but these are just a few that still make me laugh. One thing I’ve really enjoyed is how curious people can be about the differences. When someone hears my accent, they’ll often point at something and ask, “What do you call that?”

And honestly, I’ve had a lot of fun answering.

6. Weather

One thing I heard a lot of over here is about Indiana weather. It’s not the same if you don’t have all four seasons in one day and this blew my mind when I actually saw it for the first time.

One day at work, way back when the day started off with rain (lots of it), then it turned colder and began to snow. After a few hours it was bright and sunny, although still cold but by the afternoon we were in t-shirts. This was the first time I experienced what people called “Indiana weather”.

All four seasons in one day. This is definitely not something the UK get at all. We have four seasons, but they are separated like normal seasons should be. To this day, I’ve only ever seen it a few times in the thirteen years I’ve been here and it still confuses me, I think it’s totally weird.

The number of tornados that are here in America is honestly a little scary. We do not have any in the UK and if we do it’s extremely rare. We have had hurricanes before but the difference between the two countries can be freighting.

Snow is another big thing over here, we maybe get a couple days or weeks at the most and even then, it’s a few inches. Snow here is a whole other world. Up to twelve inches in some places, as much as I do love the snow, that’s a lot even for us Brits.

We have rain, wind and more rain. The UK weather can be very depressing and the rumors I've heard, “It rains all the time in the UK”, well... it’s mostly true, we do get a lot, so when it rains here it feels like I’m back home and it doesn’t bother me.

In the UK we have two types of rain. Dry rain and wet rain. Dry rain is where it rains but as soon as it hits the ground it’s usually dry straight away and you pretty much stay dry. Wet rain is the type of rain that seems to saturate you to the core and even your bones can feel it.

The heat is probably the biggest difference between us in regards to weather. In the UK, 25°C is considered a heatwave and the entire country collectively loses its mind. In America, that’s about 77°F, which people casually describe as “a nice cool day.”

Another thing that caught me off guard was how different temperatures feel here. When I first arrived, I was dressed for what I thought was a warm day, which, by UK standards, meant layers and something close to winter clothing.

It turned out to be about 80°F (around 27°C), and I was absolutely melting while Americans casually walked around in jeans and leather jackets. Back home, anything over 25°C is considered a heatwave and people immediately start searching for the nearest fan or ice cream. Meanwhile, I was standing there wondering how anyone could possibly be comfortable wearing a jacket… and questioning whether I had accidentally moved to the surface of the sun.

7. The Flag Everywhere

Another thing that surprised me was how often you see the American flag.

It’s everywhere, on houses, businesses, schools, trucks, front porches, and sometimes even clothing. In the UK we do fly the Union Jack, but usually only on certain occasions or official buildings.

Here it feels like part of everyday life. The first time I drove through town and saw flags on nearly every porch, I remember asking, “Is it a special day, why all the flags?” and I’m thinking I arrived on some kind of national holiday… but apparently, it was just Tuesday.

I now have a Union Jack and the England flag at our house so I can show mine off proudly alongside the American flag.

8. Small Town Community

I live in a very small town, in the UK it’s small enough that I would probably call it a village, and I absolutely love it.

It’s the kind of place where everybody knows everybody and everything. Sometimes that isn’t always a good thing, but the people here are incredibly friendly and always willing to help each other. The sense of community is amazing.

We even have a local Facebook group where people can ask for help if they need it. Whether it’s ploughing snow, fixing storm damage, helping with food, transportation, or clothing for their kids, the community almost always comes together without hesitation.

One of my favorite things about living here is a long-running joke about a building called the “dance barn.”

A while back there was construction happening across the road from this place everyone calls the dance barn, and people kept posting in the group asking:

“Does anyone know what’s being built across from the dance barn?”

Or

“Hey, what’s going up across the road from the dance barn?”

It slowly became a town-wide joke and legend. The construction finished quite some time ago, it’s actually a church hall but there’s no sign telling you that. So every now and then someone still asks what’s being built across from the dance barn, and everyone jumps in with jokes.

Now whenever something new is being built anywhere in town, someone inevitably asks if it’s across from the dance barn.

The joy people get from sharing a simple community joke like that is wonderful to see. Everyone joins in, and the comments are always full of laughter rather than negativity.

The UK has plenty of community spirit as well, but I’ve noticed that smaller towns in America seem especially good at coming together to help someone when they need it.

And honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about living here.

9. Distance and Driving

Another fun difference to talk about is the distance between places and driving on the “wrong” side of the road.

Americans will tell you that the UK drives on the wrong side of the road and the car. Brits will tell you that Americans drive on the wrong side of the road and the car. Either way, someone is clearly wrong.

When I had my first driving lesson, I walked straight to the passenger side of the car. In the UK that would be the driver’s side, so it felt completely natural to me. I did this more than once and Ben laughed every single time. It was once we got onto the road that things became more interesting.

Disclaimer: I should point out that this was a quiet back road with almost no traffic. No one was harmed in the making of me becoming a driver in America.

Ben drove us up the road, then we switched seats so I could drive back. I started driving and confidently said, “See? This isn’t so bad.”

Ben was very quiet.

I could feel him staring at me, so I glanced over and saw a slightly petrified look on his face.

“Yeah honey,” he said slowly, “you’re doing great, but… uh… you’re on the wrong side of the road.”

Oops.

I had, naturally, drove on the left side of the road exactly where I would be driving in the UK, when I should have been on the right.

That was my first real experience driving on the right (or wrong, depending on who you ask) side of the road.

I’m happy to report that I am now fully trained and safely drive on the correct side of the road and the car. Although I did briefly consider getting a job at the post office just so I could sit on the side of the vehicle that still feels natural.

Another thing that took some getting used to was the distance between places.

In the UK, driving an hour somewhere feels like a proper trip and you might even pack snacks for the journey. In America, people will casually say something is “just down the road” and it turns out to be a two-hour drive.

The sheer size of the country really changes your idea of what counts as far away. What Americans consider a quick drive would probably feel like a full day out back home.

10. Myths of the UK some Americans Believe

Some Americans believe there are quite a few funny myths about life in the UK.

The UK signals When Its Tea-Time.

A while ago several people sent me a video on TikTok where a British person was telling Americans that every day at 4 p.m. a siren goes off across the country, something similar to an air-raid alarm. According to the video, this was the signal for “teatime,” and everyone in Britain would stop whatever they were doing and make a cup of tea.

Apparently, some Americans believed this to be true or asked me if it was

Sadly, I have to report that this is not true. There is no national tea siren. If there were, I imagine half the country would panic and the other half would wonder why they hadn’t been invited for biscuits. Tea is very important in the UK, but sadly there is no official alarm telling us when to drink it, although I must admit, it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.

Another misconception is that we all know the king or queen.

I can assure you they don’t. But it’s not uncommon to meet someone who has met the King or former Queen, she was known for her yearly large garden parties and being invited is considered a great honor. The Royal Family is as remote as you would expect it to be.

Are the English upset that America threw 342 chests of tea in the ocean?

No, we are not upset at all. Some people from the UK have a good chuckle at the irony of tea being a symbol of rebellion and they still hold a “grudge” over the tea tantrum. Some say the real upset was losing a good supply of Earl Grey and reenactments poke fun at the dramatic tea loss. Today, tea is still a beloved beverage in both countries, and this shows a reconciliation.

British Humor is Not Funny

British humor is often described as dry, sarcastic, and full of irony, and therefore hard to understand for foreigners. However, once you get used to it, you'll find it witty and deeply entertaining. Popular British comedies like "Monty Python," "Fawlty Towers," “Shameless,” and "The Office" have achieved international recognition and influenced writers and producers all around the world, proving that British humor has a universal appeal.

It’s All One Country

Another misconception about the UK is it’s all one country. Many people believe it’s one nation and London is the capital. It’s confusing if you’re not from the UK, but there are actually four countries within the United Kingdom.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Apart from Ireland the other three are linked to England. They have their own borders, culture and their own identity, they are definitely not the same country.

Looking back now, moving to America has been one of the most confusing, surprising, and entertaining experiences of my life. From cow-tipping jokes at customs to learning how to order eggs at Waffle House, I’ve had to adjust to a lot of differences along the way. The weather is hotter, the food portions are bigger, the wildlife is slightly more terrifying, and apparently tea does not require a national alarm system.

But over time those differences are exactly what made me fall in love with living here. The people are friendly, the communities are welcoming, and there’s always something new that makes me laugh or wonder what on earth is going on. I may still confuse people by asking for crisps or looking for the kettle, but after all these years I think it’s safe to say I’ve become a little bit American… even if I do occasionally miss a proper cup of tea.