I was born in Colorado and have lived there my whole life before moving to the UK to be with my British-born husband. Applying for and being granted the visa was not difficult and "settling in" in stilll a work in progress. I have been in the UK for almost two years now and while I feel very comfortable here, I think it takes much longer than that to become truely acclimated.
What do you like the most about the UK ?
I love the history and culture in the UK, and have to admit I also love pubs. I think there is something special about a traditional British pub that is unlike anywhere else I have lived or visited. I know that many peope will find this hard to believe, but I also really enjoy the weather. Rainy, cloudy days beat the hot sunshine for me anyday!
How is the cultural shock ?
The culture shock wasnt as great as I thought it might be. I was very lucky to have my husband who could explain things to me, introduce me to new things, and make me feel comfortable in my new home. The frustrating part was in the early months, I felt like everything took so much effort; I had to think about every little thing I did because nothing was "natural". The biggest difference (and the most challenging part for me) was learning to drive all over again on the "wrong" side of the road and the "wrong" side of the car. It was extremely stressful to me, but opened up a whole new level of freedom once I'd mastered it.
Do you miss anything from your homeland?
I miss my family, especially my dad, very much. I also miss certain foods that you can't get easily in the UK, but thankfully there are many American food shops that can cure most cravings.
When did you start your blog ?
I started my blog in August 2010 as a way for me to share things with friends and family and was hoping it might be helpful to other people planning to move to the UK. In return, I have found a lot of other excellent blogs to read!
When did you register on https://www.expat.com?
I registered with expat-blog shortly after I started the blog and it looks like most people who read my blog have heard about it from your site, so I am very thankful for that.
Which advice would you give to people who would like to live in the UK ?
I would advise anyone who wants to live in the UK to not be fooled or romanced by the media portrayal of the UK, especially in movies. I was so very glad that I had spent quite a lot of time here before I moved, because the truth is that the UK is nothing like what you see in movies - everyone is not polite and "perfect" like Hugh Grant. Also, I urge people to realize that the UK, eventhough it is a small country compared to America, has so many different regions that are entirely different from the eachother. I think people tend to think that the whole of the UK is like the one place where they have visited or where they live and they could not be more wrong about that.
