Things I Love about England and Things I miss about the USA

Since I have been here for over a year and feel pretty well acclimated, I figured it was time for comparison blog.

Things I like about the UK (in no specific order)

*Round Abouts- For those of you who don't know a round about is a type of driving intersection. It is a driving circle with at least 3 exit points and each car is required to enter and exit the circle while yielding to the cars already in the circle. There is a etiquette that comes with driving in these with certain blinkers being used when exiting and entering the round about. It took me a while to get used to them, but now that I have, I have to say that I really like them. It is a way better system than stop lights, or the terrible 4 way stop signs we have in the US. The huge round abouts (with 5 plus exits) can get a tricky and hectic, and there are also round abouts with stop lights, which are weird. But for the most part, I really like them and wish the US would convert:)

This is an example of a round about and the way you drive on it

*I like that all, or most, of the buildings are built of brick or stone. Almost any building here is built with solid and lasting materials. It makes them look really nice and honestly, it is why people here can live in really old homes. Its because everything here seems to be built better. I have not seen a building yet built with paneling or whatever all the cheap new homes in the US are made of. 

* Everything here seems to have culture or history. Yes, England has been around way longer than the US, but seriously every single little town you drive through had some major historical event attached to it. And I am not talking about "the worlds largest hay bail". There are castles or ruins or something cool to see everywhere. The little villages 

*The windows. So this may seem small, mot most the windows here in the UK are really nice, with pull down screens. I love them! It is so awesome on a nice day to keep the windows open. I guess because there is no AC anywhere, people always have there windows open and I truly do love fresh air all the time!

* Being able to shop on Amazon and Amazon UK! I know this is because we are military and have the luxury of having a US and an UK address, but I do love it! If you know me, you know I am addicted to Amazon. I order almost everything on Amazon and now I can check out Amazon UK too! They often have very different things and are often very different in costs. Every once in a while I will find something so awesome on Amazon UK, that is impossible to find in the states! Its like double the shopping lol.

* Television. I like being able to watch shows from all over the world practically. With satellite here I can watch all the shows I used to love to watch in Australia. Plus every once in a while there are some really fun British shows, plus American shows too and when the Olympics were on BBC like 10 channels, all with no commercial breaks at all! We got to see all sorts of cool events that they never show back home.

* Travel is so easy here, to get from one county to another I mean. I know so many friends back home that have never even been to another county, or some another state! Well, since everything is so small here, travel to multiple countries is simple and every does it lol. It is really cool having the opportunity to see so many places that most Americans never will.

Things I miss about the US (besides obviously being close to my friends and family)

* Plugs in the bathroom. Ok, so this kind of weird, but for some reason the British refuse to have outlets in the bathrooms. They have a small plug for men's razors but that is it. It won't fit a regular outlet. It just make is really difficult for doing your hair or anything really. I am not sure why this is this way, but anywhere I have been, you can not find an outlet in the bathroom.

*Staying on the bathroom theme. All the bathroom mirrors are really high up. Like it probably starts where my chin is. Again, making putting on makeup or even brushing your teeth a little odd.

* I miss drive throughs. They do have drive throughs here, but they are not that common. Apparently, the British are not big on driving and eating at the same time lol. They have a few McDonalds here and there and you will see a fast food place, but not with a drive through. I have to say, that this kind of sucks. Especially with a baby and just wanting to get something fast with out having to get him out of his car seat and him sunning around. I am looking forward to have drive throughs again!

* Stores staying open. So mostly all the shopping stores here close about 5:30. A few grocery stores stay open until about 8 or so, but really you are out of luck if you needed to pick up an outfit after work. The Brits really seem to enjoy the night life, so night time is for going out I guess. But I really do miss being able to go to Walmart or Target at anytime and get almost anything!  

* Simple roads and interstates. So I am still not a driving pro here and alot of the time find the roads just so confusing. They do have high ways and things like that, but it's not the same you'd find in the US. Most of the time, to get from point A to point B takes a lot of turns down tiny roads. (this might be different if we lived in a larger city) But a lot of the villages and town are layed out so weird. I know it is because theses things have been here forever, before modern surveying,  but honestly, I just dream of things being layed out east to west and neighborhoods not being filled with tiny winding roads.

* Television- This sort of needs to go in both columns. I dearly miss my old TV shows and getting to watch them at the same time as every one else. Most of the shows here get a delayed playing. Some are just a few episodes behind the States and some are seasons behind. Yes, we have a sling box so we can watch TV from the US, but I have to watch it on my computer and sometimes the internet

really sucks. And we don't get any US Sports channels, which makes Jeff sad lol.

* Parking! So parking lots are a thing of luxury over here. You would not believe how few there are. Back in the US, you would expect a restaurant to have it's own parking lot right? Well, here not a chance. You can find in larger cities some parking garages or maybe a parking lot for a grocery store, but that is it. You would not believe how many people seriously just park on or in the street. On a two lane road with no shoulder. You will often see cars parked right there in the street, and if you are behind it you have to go into the other lane to get by. It is crazy, the parking situation here and it is something I miss so much about the states!

Yes, this is a really a 2 lane road that you are supposed to drive down, both ways. This happens ALL the time!

I am sure there are more pros and cons but for now, these are the major ones! Enjoy!