I grew up in America, but I moved to the UK in 2016 after marrying a Brit. I left the USA on election night on a red eye flight, thinking I’d land to the news that Hilary Clinton was the new president. We all know how that went. In any case, the UK has been my home now for 8 years this November, and while it certainly has plenty wrong with it, there are a lot of things I love about being here.
1. The NHS
Source: Unsplash Ask any American, and this is likely the first thing they’ll bring up when talking about what’s so great about the UK. Sure, the Tories have drastically underfunded the service for more than a decade and most of it is on its knees, but the fact that it’s still intact is something of a miracle to those of us who grew up in the States. Knowing that if I got cancer or needed surgery, it wouldn’t bankrupt me and I wouldn’t receive a bill for $500,00o (or, let’s be honest, way more!) is more of a relief than people who’ve never had to face that will ever realize.
2. Hilarious names for foods, streets, etc.
Source: Unsplash I saw a meme on Instagram the other day making fun of the silly names Brits make up for food, and it really made me laugh because it’s true. Same goes for the name of random towns/villages all over England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Crackpot, Bell End, Great Snoring, Crapstone… the list literally goes on and on. Obviously, these have historical precedent and likely didn’t carry the connotations they have today back when they were named, but it still makes me laugh.
3. Greggs
Source: Jennifer Still I live in the North East of England, so there’s basically a Greggs on every corner (or so it feels like). Americans have no idea what they’re missing out on when it comes to sausage rolls and corned beef pasties. I don’t eat them often, as I do value my heart’s ability to keep chugging freely, but they’re great for an occasional treat. Whenever I travel anywhere, it’s always slightly comforting to get back within a mile (er, a square kilometre?) of a Greggs. I don’t, however, love it enough to think that Primark collab was in any way necessary.
4. How close everything is
Source: Unsplash I’m perfectly situated in England so that I’m about 25 miles away from the sea, city, and countryside in various directions. England is much smaller than America, and while I have the feeling that’s something many Brits dislike about the country, I really like it. A two-ish hour train ride gets me to London or Edinburgh, and there’s some beautiful scenery (and some not-so-beautiful scenery) along the way. Now, if only the rail service could be reformed… we just might be onto something here.
5. The insane number of bank holidays
Source: Unsplash Americans have an all work, no play attitude as a whole. If you’re not hustling, you’re a lazy layabout who will never amount to nothing — or so rampant capitalism would have you believe. That exists here, of course, but Brits have something called “bank holidays” where you randomly have days off throughout the year because a royal is having a birthday or because, I dunno, it’s May. Sometimes I don’t get why it’s a thing, but I’m glad it is!
6. Paid vacation
Source: Unsplash Another thing American jobs don’t guarantee? Any time off for vacation (even if that “vacation” = “tanning in your garden for the 10 minutes the sun actually shows its face before it inevitably starts raining again”) in America is seen as a luxury, not a right. Sure, I know zero-hours contracts exist here (and they’re totally messed up!), but for the most part, if you’re hired on as an employee at a reputable company, you’ll know you’re earning about 2 days a month of holiday time to use later. What’s even more impressive is that you have no qualms about using every last day of it.
7. Not as much Bible-thumping
Source: Unsplash Now, I’m someone who supports religious freedom regardless of which one you follow. However, I don’t support using your personal beliefs to tell me or anyone else how we should live our lives, and I certainly don’t support legislating on the basis of faith. Separation of Church and State, anyone? Nevertheless, the right wing, hyperconservative, Trump lovers in the US think doing just that is a great idea. That’s not to say that there aren’t elements of that creeping further and further into British politics, but the UK certainly doesn’t have something as heinous as Project 2025 (and I sincerely hope it never does).
8. Marks & Spencer
Source: Mtaylor848/CC-BY-SA4.0 Sure, you go in for two things and walk out £60 down in your bank account, but you have to love M&S. Their products are consistently high quality, whether it’s clothes or food, and their prices, while higher than your own brands, aren’t too unreasonable given how good they are. Their cheddar sourdough loaf is pure heaven, and you can’t beat those Indian share boxes for a Friday night tea. It’s a shame to see so many closing on the high street, and also pretty shocking considering they’re all usually rammed whenever I go, but ah well.
9. The things you get away with on TV over here
Source: Unsplash Given how totally screwed up America is, you would think saying a few curse words on TV or having a bit of nudity would be no big deal, but that’s not the case at all. Our non-cable (read: Freeview) stations are incredibly puritanical. Meanwhile, once the watershed is over, you can show a completely au natural man with his wares on full display speaking the kinds of filth that would make anyone blush (I’m picturing Keith Lemon here, for some reason) and no one bats an eye.
10. How miserable the soap operas are
Source: BBC Hear me out here! I grew up with a mother and grandmother who adored American soaps like “The Young & The Restless” and “Guiding Light,” full of impossibly rich and beautiful men and women living fabulous lives. British soaps, in stark contrast, seem to be in a competition to find out who can be the most miserable and downtrodden. Everyone’s broke, ugly (save for your token hot girl on each), and having a pretty bad go of it in life. While it’s certainly not comfort TV by any stretch, I’ve developed a deep fondness for Eastenders, Corrie, and Emmerdale — not enough to watch them regularly, but enough to pop them on before Masterchef or something else I want to watch after they’re done.
11. The dry sense of humor
Source: Unsplash Brits have been praised for their often acerbic wit for decades by people outside the UK, so this isn’t something revolutionary. However, it is something that appeals to me. The humor can be sarcastic and biting, and that makes it a lot more enjoyable (at least to me). That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate slapstick (and obviously Brits have that, too), but I’m more into “After Life” than “Mr. Bean.”
12. The lack of fakeness
Source: Unsplash In America, businesses pride themselves on “customer service,” which often includes a fake plastered smile and idle conversation about how you are and effusive enthusiasm about their mediocre jobs. Trust me, I know because I’ve had such a job in my time. In the UK, this isn’t quite so pervasive. For the most part, while employees are willing to help when approached, they mostly just want to get the job done and get you out of there. That doesn’t make them unfriendly. In fact, it makes them way more pleasant in my eyes. It’s refreshing!
13. Contactless everything
Source: Unsplash Admittedly, it’s been nearly a decade since I’ve lived in the US, so this has (hopefully) changed a bit since I left, especially after the pandemic. However, the last time I was back in the US in 2019, contactless payments were still somewhat of a rarity. Chip and pin is fine, but it feels nearly archaic at this point, so I’m pretty glad that all I need to do is tap and go here.
