Responding to Your ASSUMPTIONS about British Life // American Expat Tells All! 

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If you've got mould in your house there's a problem with heat and ventilation. I've never suffered mould, although without correct ventilation condensation on windows can be commonplace. It's a sign you've not got a decent airflow through your house if it's damp or mouldy. London is extremely expensive, go north and costs significantly reduce, and friendliness and helpfulness increases.

As per a few other comments - if you have mould then you are getting something wrong. I've never known anyone to have actual mould in their house. Our house was built 180 years ago with a cellar which drops 20 feet underground - guess what - no mould. Keep your house well ventilated and well heated and you should never have problems with mould or damp.

It's really not the case the most UK houses are damp and mouldy.

I've watched a few of these USA V UK vlogs and one thing that stands out. Americans are always shocked that other Countries are often better in many ways and USA isn't the best at anything.

One thing about taxes in the UK when it comes to income tax: people often see that it comes out to about 25% on the lowest bracket with the national insurance included, but they forget that the first £12,000 you earn every year is completely tax free. Until you earn over £12,000, you won't spend a penny in taxes, which lowers that 25% a lot, especially when you're not earning much, because the 25% will only ever apply on money earned after the frst £12,000. When it comes to the NHS, if we take into account a low wage employee, say they're earning about £18,000 per year (I know that's not exactly minimum but minimum wage is increasing all the time). The first £12,000 of that annual wage is tax free, so you're paying tax on £6,000 per year. 25% income + NI means £1,500 tax per year. Healthcare accounts for approximately 20% of government spending, so for the NHS, as a very rough estimate, you'd be paying £300 per year for full coverage. People make out that we pay a lot for our healthcare, but it's really very affordable.

Its not that we're a country of introverts. We just mind our own business and expect others to do the same.

Mould - if your house is mouldy there is a problem with your ventilation or heating system, I have never lived in a mouldy house (I have lived in early and mid 1900’s and now 2010s new build houses) in the U.K. Yes, we do get rain in the U.K. but actually we also get a lot of dry weather and warm/sunny weather in the Spring/Summer months. I live in the North East so I am very used to months of colder, wetter, darker days in the Autumn/Winter but I also enjoy gorgeous sunny bright Spring/Summer.

How strange. 99% of us dont live in damp mouldy houses! Why on earth would you compare rural Kentucky with London for house prices - compare New York with London - thats valid.

Nearly every case of mould is because of poor house management, most often caused by poor air circulation and or poor heating. 58 years old and never had mould in any property I’ve lived in.

Definitely got a problem in your house. I have lived in the UK for 75 years in several different towns and never had a mould issue. Get a builder in to sort out your damp course and ventilation.

Your mould issue is because you're not opening you're windows, allow a little bit of fresh air to circulate in your home as often as is possible and practical. There are thousands of villages (and elsewhere) where it is perfectly safe AND pleasurable to cycle along with a national cycling network with NO cars whatsoever.

Look you're spoiling it for me. Dont tell them that we're not as classy as they think. If i meet an American girl i want her to have visions of prince charming not addidas tracksuit bottoms and bottles of cheap cider

Cycling is massively popular in the countryside .

Omg. You shouldn't have mould in your house in the UK!! Where are you living??!!! Most British houses are NOT damp and mouldy unless you are renting and have a really bad landlord! Cycling in villages is absolutely fine and safe. Country lanes are pretty tricky for cyclists yes. I agree about having to make a bit of effort to make friends. Brits are generally very warm and friendly but we arent very forward, so we are relieved when someone else makes the first move.

The biggest difference I observe between the UK and USA for a family is that in most British towns everything is within walking distance for a mother with young children. For those things that are not immediately on hand, they are accessible by train or a short car ride. My US family in Myrtle Beach live in a gated community and they even need a golf cart to get to the community recreation centre. In our town in Southern England the great majority of places and services, such as schools and clinics are a ten minute walk along well maintained sidewalks. For my family in SC absolutely everything they want to do involves a 20 minute car ride and there are no sidewalks. UK towns are also generally very relaxed places, when I pick up my grandchildren from preschool in SC it is like a military operation, nothing like the young mothers here who congregate outside the school and just chat away for ten minutes before the children are released from class en masse. I miss British farmers markets in South Carolina, they don't really exist. At home in Sussex we eat a wide range of meat and vegetables that are not readily available in Sc, like game birds, lamb and venison which are inexpensive and all come from local farms. I know that there are farmers markets in the USA, but none that I could find in SC. We grow most of our soft fruit and vegetables on an allotment, not to save money (even though the rents are very low) but because they taste much better than commercially grown varieties. We produce way more than we need and give 80% away to neighbours. The American members of our family, for the most part, think the concept of allotments is downright weird.

I hang washing out to dry throughout the year - surprisingly, it comes in dry enough to just air off in the tumble dryer. Maybe drying your clothes indoors all the time is contributing to condensation, which results in mould, especially around the windows.

Plus our food is fresher and doesn't have as many preservatives

We have had droughts in the UK that have gone on for months. You should change UK to London for a lot of your comments.

You need to get your house looked at my house has no mould and the last 5 houses I’ve lived in didn’t have mould

When I was a kid (many years ago) I remember my mother hanging out the bed sheets on the line in the winter. When she got them in I had to help her because they had got stiff and solid!

Opposite to you live in Florida but from the UK. Have lived in a few countries and find the US gets all tied up with taxes. UK and Europe as well accept that if you benefit from living in a society that you should contribute to that society. In the US it is about me and mine on the whole forgetting another key point of while I pay less tax living in the US my additional monthly costs actually means I pay more to get a less than average experience. For example I am married with a couple of kids so healthcare has to be catered for. This costs just over $700 a month and does not come close to providing the same level of services that I would have in the UK. I have seen time after time here that any serious illness leads to debt unless you are financially independent. So I have come to the conclusion that taxes and supplementary costs are actually far higher in the US than not only the UK but Europe as well and consider in Germany I was paying 49% tax !

And yes like a lot of us ppl in the UK say to Americans and any1 else not from the UK, London is NOT a representation OF the UK...... It has been said many times now do not judge the UK based of London and if your book says that in the title which looked like it did erm should be changed to London and not UK. We wouldn't judge the entire of the US based of life in NYC pmsl as it would not be nice haha

The average Brit is to Downton Abbey as The average Yank is to The West Wing

If you're in London like you are then this rain thing is a trope. London is one of the driest capital cities in Europe and has fewer rainy days and less rainfall than, say, Paris.

With the humour thing, I think one of the other big differences is in pacing - US humour seems to be a lot more quickfire, whereas a UK sitcom will take it's time to ensure a proper setup (often with smaller laughs along the way) to have a much bigger payoff at the end of an episode.. I guess this might in part be due to there being fewer ad breaks on UK TV too (with no commercial ads at all on the BBC & even in-network stuff limited to between programmes) which can disrupt the pacing. Part of the tax thing is that we also have PAYE (Pay As You Earn) which will be handled by the employer, so the whole "time to do my taxes" thing is simply not something many of us have to think about.

If you want a fairer comparison for house prices compare rural Kentucky with rural mid Wales, not with London, which is a lunatic asylum where prices are concerned.

I have lived in the UK for 73 years and never lived in a damp house. Never seen mold either. And my parents were very simple working class people. They never had central heating until after I left home aged 16 (and no it wasn't connected!). Damp and mold comes from bad ventilation not necessarily from the ambient weather.. Yes if you come from some dry State in the USA the UK will seem 'damp'. Its an island that gets it weather from the Atlantic Gulf Stream (second hand US airflow). Its why it is such a lush, green and beautiful place to live.

Cycling in the countryside is something I love, you just need to be aware on country roads as it can get a bit hairy when cars are flying past!

I'd argue that Americans see humour very differently to us. It's quite true that we do use sarcasm, although it can be disapproved of, because it can be deemed to be unkind or just plain unpleasant. Far more common is irony, which is an entirely different thing, and observations about the hopelessness of things, and puns, play-on-words, and wit (although not too much of it if you don't want to be termed a 'show-off' or a 'clever-clogs'). Humour can be very subtle in Britain.

I live in a cottage built in 1675 and we have never had mould. I once lived in a new build that had poor ventilation and we got some mould and condensation around the double glazing. But in my lovely old house - none at all. If you have mould then you have an issue with drains/guttering and ventilation probably.

I often get into discussions (or frequently HEATED discussions) with Americans about how their taxes are far less than the taxes I pay. But they never see that the comparision can't just be "US Taxes vs My Taxes" the comparison has to be "US Federal Taxes PLUS Health insurance, PLUS Health copays, PLUS Prescription medicines PLUS State taxes PLUS City taxes PLUS Property taxes PLUS Sales taxes vs MY taxes PLUS Sales tax' . Invariably when you do it alike that, we end up WELL in front.

My argument with americans is that they think the only place to be is london ? If this blog makes americans think twice about coming thats great. Im sure if push came to shove most brits would much prefer the uk then america. Am i wrong ?

Its an Island! We get clean winds from the Atlantic, as for damp in houses it must be the way you live, as we don't get extreme weather as in the U.S airing your home helps.

Yes, in the UK some badly ventilated houses have mould. In the same way in the US some houses have termites or cockroaches if they're not kept up well. In both cases it's not every house, or even most houses, and if you do have it there are usually ways to get rid of it. As a reverse example, I was really surprised when I lived in Florida that you could smell how rich your neighborhood was. Everyone had lawns, which are not native to Florida and therefore needed sprinklers. The rich houses used tap water, the poorer neighborhoods used pond or river water, and you could smell the difference! You see, it's all just what you're used to.

Expenses in rural Kentucky (I'm from there and still live there) make it really difficult to even fathom how living in cities bigger than Lexington or Louisville is even feasible. Also, it's really area specific how easy it is to make friends. I'm very introverted but lemme tell you, folks in Glasgow will turn around just start talking to complete strangers. You might not know their name, but it's like everyone around you is a friend.

Just a note on prescriptions, it's £9 per item so if you are on regular medication of more than one item you can save a lot of money by buying a prepayment certificate, 3 months cost £30 and 12 months costs £108.

If a stranger is shouting abuse at you, it is abuse, but if you know them and it sounds abusive but non-threatening chances are it's banter. The trick is are you comfortable with this person? The more comfortable you are the more likely banter will occur - it's not meant to offend or hurt feelings. A Brit that's is not sharing banter is either unsure of you, considers you a stranger or an enemy, banter is a sign of friendship.

The assumption in the UK is that the newcomer makes the effort. If you don't you will probably be ignored. Brits naturally take their time in getting to know each other. It can take a few years to commit to a close friendship.

Most British rain is like drizzly mountain rain, meaning it's fine to go out in and you won't get soaked through. London's climate is very similar to Paris and Amsterdam. Not rainy, not foggy. Nothing like as sweltering in summer as most places in America, with dark but mild winters. It's not even December yet but already it's dark around 4pm in London. But in June and July it gets light around 4am with actual sunrise happening around 5am. Which I would really miss if I moved south of here.

Only recently found your videos. A couple of observations. Weather in the United Kingdom is very variable, because we are an island surrounded by seas/ocean just off Europe land mass. Overall it is wetter on the west side of the country. That rain is what keeps so much of this country green and lovely. Retail prices always show the price you will pay, while I believe in USA states that have a sales tax that is added to the price shown. Those people working and paying tax contribute to services like the National Health Service, the roads network, etc. With health care most of it is freely available to everyone. We have historical buildings that have been around before the original 13 States even existed.

The weather issue, rain, dampness, is very dependant on where you live in the UK. If you're further North, then yes, it's wetter generally than the South. But not damp, and if you're suffering from mould in your house, then that's an issue with the house, probably bad windows, ventilation, and old style loft insulation (glass fibre etc.) which has issues, best to get that checked. I've never had issues with mould in a house, but I know it happens in cheap or old housing. Although, we have a 600 year old house, and dampness is not ever a problem.

I've lived in a couple of damp and mouldy properties, an hour north of London. Do you know what they had in common? Bad landlords who didn't take care of their properties. Unfortunately, that's all too common nowadays.

Speaking of the price difference: living and working in big east coast cities in the USA, such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York, my cost of living in the UK as a single person at 30 is about 39% lower- because I’ve been living in Peterborough. In London, it would be pretty close, but the NHS is a major win for me. Also the public transport is beautiful in comparison.

To make friends, don't wait for people to contact you. Join in some activities, hobbies or sports which are good ways to meet people and make friends. You are more likely to find friends among people with shared interests. The more local these are, the easier it will be to keep in touch.

Small villages are set out perfectly for cycling - they just aren’t set out for cars as well ;)

Ok! watched all your videos and you now have a new subscriber from scotland! I like your honesty it's refreshing!

We stop for tea every hour 🤣🤣🤣

I found this very interesting, but comparing taxes and cost of living would make more sense if you compared salaries/income for various jobs, too. Just like here in the US, the amount of money you make influences what you consider expensive or what you think you can afford.

If you have mould in your house you have a heating/ventilation/condensation problem. I suggest you open the windows and let some fresh air in

My great grandmother used to make afternoon tea (with open sandwiches, victoria sponge and scones) every Sunday afternoon - and any members of her extended family who were free would pop by. Great grandma died when I was a teenager, and my great aunt Rose took over as hostess until her death. After that the family teas became monthly with rotating host (untl lockdown began).

I am from the lake district, one of the rainiest parts of the UK and never had or knew of mould issues, however most people use heating - this is key to preventing mould. and maybe open the windows occasionally.

I would describe the British sense of humour as more sardonic than sarcastic. We use a lot of irony and facete and almost always deliberately set ourselves up for a witty put-down (assuming that the object of our humour will be witty enough to take the opportunity). What we find funniest is ourselves and we delight in self-deprecation or allowing others to do it for us. Because of this our sitcoms tend to be more situational with the characters playing second fiddle to the situation.

To a lot us Brits there is no such thing as bad weather , just inappropriate clothing 🙂 . House prices .... have a look on the Rightmove website and see what you can purchase in beautiful northern countryside in comparison to the cost of a 2 bed apartment in London , you will be pleasantly shocked . Cycling in the countryside.... there are many dedicated cycle trails through stunning scenery around the country , many where you can hire a cycle for a day . Have a look at the National Parks ... Peak District , Lake District, Snowdonia , Dartmouth, Pembrokeshire , North York Moors , North Yorkshire , Exmoor , Northumberland , Brecon Beacons , The Broads , Loch Lomond and The Trossachs , Cairngorms , New Forest and The South Downs ... 🙂 . Northern Ireland is also stunning .

House prices are high because building space in a small country like England is not easy to come by

The cost of living can't really be compared between the UK and US because we can't even compare it properly between one place in the UK to another place in the UK. My partners son lives in Loughborough and pays £800 rent per month but has access to good public transportation, is not far from the big city lights of Leicester, where I live out in the wilds of rural North Lincolnshire where we have less population in the whole county than his town. My mortgage is only £250 per month. This area is good if you love living in a rural area where your amongst the farmland and you don't mind being cut off in winter when the snowfall blocks the narrow country roads and there is very little crime of any sort around here. But if you want the bright lights of city life, then it costs a lot more and your going to get more crime but there's plenty of nightlife. Basically, you pay your money and take your choice. I couldn't live in a city. I'm a country boy born and bred. I've lived virtually all my life either living in thd countryside or living a couple of minutes drive from the countryside in a small town. I like the sound of going out my front door and hearing the birds in my garden hedge and the lack of any traffic noise with the few vehicles that pass by the house. But if I want anything, then I have to use my own car and drive everywhere.

Wow, you’ve had some bad luck with mould! As a native of the UK, I can say that this has not been an issue for me. Maybe it’s to do with where you live, mould can become a problem when your property is located near to the coast.

As a Brit living in the US, I would say most Brits don't like when you compare Britain to America (especially Florida/the weather, etc). I live in Minnesota, it's cold in the winter but I do not go around complaining all the time, because hey, it's MN, what do you expect, Minnesotans know, they don't need to be reminded all the time. Equal to Brits, don't keep comparing and you'll make some lovely friends.

The Gulf Stream means that the temperature in the UK is quite a lot higher than many other places at the same latitude. However, the price we pay is that the warm air collects a lot of water vapour as it passes over the Atlantic and this falls as rain or drizzle when it reaches land.

We don't as an average person pay "much higher taxes" than an American. People really need to learn the difference between higher tax bands & how much is actually paid. 1st of all, 12.5k is tax free (America doesn't have this) and you only pay tax on earnings past that allowance. For example, the average earnings in the UK is £31,000 which works out at $43,000. In the UK, you pay 20% on £18,500 which works out at £3,700 per annum. In the US, you would pay 10% on the 1st $9,800, 12% on the $31,000 between $9,800 & $40,000 & 22% on the other $3,000 which is for a total of around $5,260 compared to the £3,700 we pay. Now yes, we also have NI, but on a 31k wage, that works out at £2,570 but that is still only a combined taxation of £6,200. Whilst that is more than the &5,300 federal tax, it is not "much higher" & the average American also has to pay separate State taxes as well (not to mention health costs/insurance). Also, the 20% VAT is not applied to all goods & some are 5% or none at all. America has their own version of this (sales tax) but it is not included in the ticket price & different states have different sales tax rates. Overall, the average Brit pays less than the average American.

Brit drivers hate the Lycra lout cyclists.

House prices around London are horrendous Treat London as a tourist area and live in the North.

You're correct; British villages are NOT laid out for cycling! This is because most, if not all, of them were laid out hundreds of years before bicycles were invented!

Regarding being damp all the time - that's why the gardens are so lovely.

Love your honest and frank views on living here. About the damp, yes it is damp outside a lot during the seasons but if you open your windows you can let fresh air circulate and this will make a big difference. Alternatively, you could of course buy a low energy de-himidifier. These work great at preventing damp when it's too cold to leave windows open. Also, where I live in the Midlands, we have had drier seasons over the past couple of years. So much so that summer now lasts from July 1 to the 11th! ... Only joking, summer still only lasts for one weekend. As for cost of living, I've grown up with it here so don't notice it as much. I think that the major difference in cost is value for money. I used to go to Pittsburgh once a year in a previous role and noticed that your food had a lot more additives than here. Also, there wasn't the same access to diverse fresh products. They were there but you had to travel further to get them. I don't know if this is just big cities or not in the US. Interesting to see your viewpoint look forward to seeing more.

Cycling depends on where you live, some cities are massively designed for pedestrians and cycles. My step dad lives in a tiny village, but is a massive cyclist, he cycles everywhere, for fun, most days. You just need to keep an eye out for hilltops with poor visibility, drains, and horses.

I had a friend say it is much easier to speak to people and make friends the further north you go in the UK.

I'm sorry, are we the only Country where living expenses change depending on where you live?? So, living in New York carries the same expenses as living in Kentucky does it??

Regarding taxes, everyone has a 'personal tax allowance' that is an amount you can earn without paying any tax. At the moment it is £12500, so earn less than that per year and you won't pay any tax. If you earned say £20,000 you only pay tax on £7500, and so 20% on £7500. 20% is the basic rate of tax for amounts under any income £50,000 per year. Any amount over £50,000 and it increases to 40%, and 45% over £150,000. Also many people at the moment who are working from home will get an extra £312 per year tax allowance (to heat your home while working). National insurance is 12% of your weekly earnings between £183 and £962 per week (2020-21) and then12% of your weekly earnings between £183 and £962 (2020-21) 2% of your weekly earnings above £962. There will be in many cases a work based pension contribution as well. Great video.

Hey I think a lot of your answers are based on London and the South. Growing up in York everyone knew everyone in my street and normal for people will sit next to you on public transport and want your life story. You can get very cheap property in some northern places.

I think the thing that would shock most Americans, and most likely put them off hiring a car, would be the huge taxes on gasoline. Currently it's about $9 a gallon and I know there's fears that it might reach $3 in the US. It's one of the reasons many cars here have engines sizes of between 1 & 2 litres, rather than 5 to 7.

A dehumidifier might help. UK houses try to keep the heat in, but they also retain the moisture from showers, cooking, breathing etc. We got one late last year and it's made such a difference and the house seems warmer too. It shocks me how much water it's collected when I empty it after a couple of days. Side note - I guess the person could ride a bike actually in the countryside... along trails and such.

This is the second of your videos that I have watched today; the first was the NHS v USA medical care. Your explanation of the differences in our cultures and behaviours is very good.

Hi If you think it's rainy in the southeast of UK, try, north west Scotland esp Fort William.

If you are having condensation or black mould issues in your house in the UK you need to have either really good AUTOMATIC extractor fans in both the bathroom and kitchen or have a positive pressure unit installed which will completely stop all condensation problems.

One difference I noticed there… when it’s your birthday the people in your office give you a cake. In England it’s customary to bring a cake in yourself for your birthday.. and ask people to celebrate with you

Of a salary you can expect taxes and deductions to total about 30%-35% of total income. But remember that includes health insurance, state pension contributions, unemployment contributions and child support. So don't forget to deduct that from your side too. The welfare state and NHS have been around since 1948, I think it's doing pretty well. No one goes bankrupt through illness or serious injury. I think make a pretty powerful statement. VAT (Value Added Tax - what you call Sales Tax) was raised to fit the EEC requirement. So it may become a political issue to reduce it now we're out of the EU?

Just to address my OCD they are Railway Stations not Train Stations 😄

I´m from Brazil and have lived in London for some time. Love the UK!

When talking about weather in the UK..Canada is considered a cold snowy country on the whole...but most folks don't realise the southernmost point of Britain is further north than the northernmost part of the contiguous United States (the 48 adjoining states, so this does not include Alaska or Hawaii), while London lies further north than almost all major Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto. Hence the weather is not like the med...which would be nice.....but can be rather damp.

Open a window or two. The ancient network of footpaths and bridleways is a huge asset for leisure. Ordnance Survey maps are the best for such walks.

I live in Derbyshire now, I was born a Londoner come visit Eyam get out of that city you live in and bring your bike

Thanks for this, I like your outlook xx

Lived in Florida for 12 years and almost every home we lived in had mould in, never had a mouldy house in the UK. So glad I’m now back.

Cricket matches stop for tea at 4pm.

taxes have you checked what you get for that

This is the first of your videos I have seen - just suggested to me out of the blue by RU-vid. I am impressed! I have moved in the UK all my life as a child, university student, and throughout my professional career to retirement. I think your answers to people's assumptions are very largely accurate. I smiled many times whilst watching. To anyone who wanted to move to the UK or even just to visit, I suspect your book will be a very valuable resource. I will return to see what you are up to....... After pressing "subscribe".

Another Great Video! I would not have wanted to visit the UK from Australia, had I not seen informative videos like these on RU-vid. So Thankyou! 😀

"rain drags on to infinity" that made me chuckle

16:50 you're bang on here, go to any Wetherspoons and you'll see how unsophisticated we all are, outside of this pandemic obviously.

Regarding the dampness (not rainfall) of the UK, I have this: I worked with a woman from Moscow. When it snowed, she complained about being cold. When we laughingly called her out on this, she pointed out ... it was a different kind of cold. In Russia, it's usually a 'dry' cold, the atmosphere is dry. In the UK, it's cold and moist. The reason why we Brits talk about the weather is because we get a lot of it, in varied amounts and different qualities. Tea: it's not the beverage but the time you can take drinking it. Doesn't matter the flavour or brew (each to their taste), are you angry? Something's gone wrong? Work is getting you down? You need a break? Time for a brew! :) Ghosts: plenty around, and there's a lot of competition between sites to pull in attention ... to tourists. The thing is, we Brits live in very old buildings. We're used to the idea. Brit humour: we're best at what we call "taking the mickey" i.e. sarcasm, satire etc. We have, I think, an indirect sense of humour. As opposed to just telling a joke, dropping the catchphrase, and getting the laugh, our comedians tell of a situation, the outcome sounding funny, the misunderstanding etc. and expecting the audience to join the dots ... then laugh! Oh, and a bonus misinformation point: we Brits don't drink warm beer! As opposed to American 'beer' which is usually lager, British ale and beer is served at room temperature. Which (it being the UK) isn't particularly warm. Our lagers, however, and many ciders are served chilled. To preserve the atmosphere ... *ahem* Have a nice day, y'all! ;-)

I live within a few miles of a famous haunted place ,called Borley Rectory. A man once told me of an incident when he was working in the village of Borley with some others and it came time in the late afternoon to stop work. It was winter time, so as he got on his bicycle to go home it was already dark. After a few miles he stopped to light a cigarette ,putting his plastic raincoat over his head to keep the match alight and was quite startled to see another cyclist flash past him ,nearly knocking him over. Next day one of his workmates was all excited ,telling everyone that he had seen this ghastly apparition by the side of the road ,all lit up and glowing in the dark.

As a person living in an idyllic village in Wales, UK I can safely say there are cyclists everywhere and it is perfectly safe to cycle pretty much everywhere. It’s a common mode of transport. The national speed limits are a lot lower on our roads too, mostly 30/40. And I’d say 80-90 percent of drivers expect to encounter cyclists, horses, children, pedestrians etc. And even so, there are hardly any cars around. It’s part of our road theory driving test. My village is perfect for a cyclist, as there are some places that are slightly too far away on foot, but too close to warrant a drive so cycling is a great middleman. And it’s a much smarter choice for the environment and for health. I always see people cycling to work in the mornings. London life is not representative of the rest of the UK.

Liking your vlogs, interesting to hear a point of view from an American. Surprised you haven't mentioned other benefits of working in the UK, 4 weeks paid holiday, paid sick/maternity/paternity leave, 48hr working week if you want. Also the class system that is still relevant today (our politicians will say otherwise) as does the glass ceiling. Anyhow glad to hear your enjoying your stay, apart from the making friends, that's geographical, go north much friendlier!

Loved the video!!

I like the way you call your own opinions, assumptions at the end. Yep it is all about perceptions, bc 1 person will have a completely different experience 2 another. And having a good sense of humor in the UK is a fundamental requirement, as it can open the door to more opportunity.

Ghosts pmsl..... M8 I have always laughed at how Americans gripe on about ghosts and spirits on America etc etc....here we don't give a flying fudge about so called ghosts and haunted places in the UK.....

Housing, go look outside London or south east

Regarding taxes, it's good to point out that taxes are tiered. So the first 12k you earn is no taxed, anything you earn after that is taxed at 20%. If you go above 40k then that money is charged at a 40% rate etc. www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/tax-rates/ Basically if you earn more, you chip in with a bit more to help out. But people tend to think that if you are in the higher bracket you pay a higher percentage for your whole salary which is untrue.

Very true about the weather. I'm British and I'm home for Christmas for the first time in three years. I live in Rwanda, which has the perfect climate all year round, like an eternal spring. We also get the torrential downpour and then the sunshine. Being back, I was pretty surprised how grey everything is. You don't realise growing up here, but when you've been away somewhere sunny and you return, it's like you're looking at the world through grey-tinted glasses. Just... grey. Everywhere. I think I've seen about six hours of bright sunshine in three months.