I just think it=E2=80=99s awesome how patriotic Americans are. In the =
UK, unless=20
there=E2=80=99s a specific reason (such as a jubilee or a Royal birth), =
you=E2=80=99d be hard=20
pressed to find a house that flies the Union Jack in their front lawn, =
and if=20
you did, you=E2=80=99d immediately assume the residents were members of =
the EDL or some=20
other crazy Fascist movement and steer well clear.
Here in the UK, being patriotic is increasingly synonymous with being =
racist,=20
whereas in America everyone is proud to be American. Whatever =
their=20
race, culture, or creed, everyone puts themselves as an American first =
and=20
foremost, and I think that is wonderful.
2. You have so much more respect for weapons.
In a country where bearing arms is (largely) legal, I=E2=80=99ve =
found that there=20
seems to be a greater respect for potentially lethal weapons. I do =
believe that,=20
in a culture where weapons can fall into the wrong hands regardless of =
how legal=20
they are, it=E2=80=99s valuable to have grown up respecting the power of =
a gun, and=20
knowing how to use it safely is an important skill.
In my opinion, it=E2=80=99s better to have been taught how dangerous =
a weapon can be,=20
but also how to use it correctly, than to pretend they don=E2=80=99t =
exist=20
altogether.
3. You can say what you want.
Don=E2=80=99t agree with the opinion I just expressed? You can tell =
me so. And I can=20
disagree with you. You are free to express any and all opinions. If you =
don=E2=80=99t=20
agree with something, you can contest it, and you can do so whether =
you=E2=80=99re=20
black, white, male, female, gay, or straight. That is a remarkable =
ability in a=20
world where so many millions of people are not as fortunate.
4a. Everything is more convenient=E2=80=A6
Disaster strikes: It=E2=80=99s 1am and you=E2=80=99ve run out of =
candy. In the UK, you=E2=80=99re=20
forced into a candy-fast =E2=80=99till morn; in America, this =
isn=E2=80=99t even a problem=20
because there=E2=80=99s always a 24-hour convenience store at hand. =
I=E2=80=99m all about those=20
late-night CVS runs.
4b. =E2=80=A6and there=E2=80=99s always more.
And while you=E2=80=99re on your midnight snack trawl, you=E2=80=99re =
spoilt for choice. Want=20
M&Ms? You=E2=80=99ve got plain, peanut, peanut butter, dark =
chocolate, pretzel,=20
coconut, almond=E2=80=A6and don=E2=80=99t get me started on all the =
different kinds of Ben &=20
Jerry=E2=80=99s that are exclusively on the left side of the pond. Woe =
betide you if=20
you=E2=80=99re trying to locate the Vermonster in England, buddy.
5. Everything is cheaper.
Aside from feeling like you=E2=80=99ve got a wad of Monopoly money in =
your pocket=20
because of that blessed exchange rate, it=E2=80=99s far less expensive =
to live in the=20
US. Everything from petrol (gas) to clothes to cigarettes and alcohol is =
cheaper. In California I saw a bottle of wine for $4 that was being =
flogged in a=20
British supermarket for =C2=A36.99. And that was at half price. =
6. People like talking.
Brits are famously awkward and insular. We talk to strangers =
sparingly and=20
wrangle ourselves out of situations that involve more than a quick =
exchange. I=E2=80=99m=20
not sure why we are the way we are, but there it is.
In America, people are so much happier to chat. You can share stories =
and=20
secrets with people you meet in the line at Starbucks. If Americans are =
open=20
books, then Brits are your teenage diaries that you forced shut with two =
padlocks before throwing the keys away. And that shit=E2=80=99s no =
fun.
7. You have so much space.
America is the perfect place for an adventure. In one (vast) country, =
you=20
have all the landscapes and climates you=E2=80=99d ever want to visit. =
You can travel=20
down roads that stretch right into the horizon, or you could get lost in =
a=20
forest with no hope of ever finding your way out. You=E2=80=99ve got =
mountains and=20
deserts and eagles and bears and craters and canyons and Justin =
Timberlake=E2=80=99s=20
house.
I=E2=80=99m not saying I=E2=80=99d like to get lost in a forest or be =
eaten by a bear or die=20
in a sweaty heap in the desert, but the point is that America is =
enormous and=20
incredible. There=E2=80=99s so much space in America that is truly wild, =
that doesn=E2=80=99t=20
belong to anyone. If that=E2=80=99s not pure awesome, I don=E2=80=99t =
know what is.
8. Universities give you more room to discover yourself.
I do love the fact that in America, when you go to university, =
it=E2=80=99s up to you=20
to decide which classes you=E2=80=99ll take, and you have to take a =
variety of classes=20
to help round out your education and help you decide what you really =
want to=20
learn. I loved that I could take a class in art history and obscure =
German=20
silent movies along with my Shakespeare and my American literature. I =
love the=20
emphasis on a broader education, because not all of us know exactly what =
we want=20
to specialise in at the ripe old age of 18.
9. You drink real coffee.
I was a tea-drinker before America happened, but I decided to adopt a =
=E2=80=9Cwhen=20
in Rome=E2=80=9D philosophy and quickly became addicted to my daily =
doses of joe. In=20
America, I can wake up at the crack of dawn and always find myself =
within a=20
short walk to a freshly brewed mug of heaven. I love that a coffee =
machine is=20
just as much a kitchen staple as a toaster or a microwave, and when =
you=E2=80=99re not=20
home, you can go to any convenience store and be guaranteed a good cuppa =
cawfee.=20
In the UK, we drink =E2=80=9Cthat instant shit,=E2=80=9D and it tastes =
like gravy. Insert gag=20
noises here.
10. Your food is amazing.
Ask me what I miss most about America and I=E2=80=99d be lying if I =
didn=E2=80=99t say=20
=E2=80=9Cfood.=E2=80=9D When I lived in Pittsburgh I ate like a king =
(oh, the irony). In the UK,=20
the chances of my seeking out a decent salad on the high street at =
lunchtime are=20
slimmer than a woman who lives off iceberg lettuce. If I want a burrito =
the size=20
of my face, there=E2=80=99s no Chipotle or Q=E2=80=99doba to nurture my =
rumbly stomach. And our=20
version of Domino=E2=80=99s pizza is shamefully inferior to its American =
counterpart.
You get the gist: Americans are crazily fortunate to live in a land =
where=20
foods from all over the globe amalgamate into one big melting pot of=20
deliciousness. When I tell border control I=E2=80=99m coming to the US =
to visit my=20
boyfriend, it=E2=80=99s just a ruse for, =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m here to =
eat ALL the food=E2=80=9D=E2=80=A6and I=E2=80=99m pretty=20
sure my fat-ass BF would high-five me for admitting that. =
This post was originally published at Literally,=20
Darling and is reprinted here with permission.
=20
Get more stuff like this in your inbox!
Sign up for our newsletter and get emails of great stories like =
this.
Amy is trying her best to be a grown-up. Really. She=E2=80=99s just =
not very good at=20
it. A recent English literature graduate from Exeter, England, she plans =
to up=20
sticks and move to California to live with her (American) fianc=C3=A9. =
Amy is a=20
coffee snob, a vegan, and likes lifting heavy objects in the gym. Her =
current=20
life goal is to vaguely learn how to get her shit together and stop =
collapsing=20
into a huge heap of fail on a daily basis. Amy currently contributes to =
Literally=20
Darling; Contact Amy via =
Twitter;=20
and check out her blog.
Brad =
Interesting how you find American coffee so great. I=E2=80=99m from =
Australia =E2=80=93 the=20
home of coffee snobs =E2=80=93 and I wouldn=E2=80=99t put American =
coffee above anything. Even=20
=E2=80=9Cinstant shit=E2=80=9D.
Anthony Christopher Morey =
=20
I live in Kalamazoo a small/mid-sized city in Michigan and we =
have two=20
local roasters and we can easily obtain coffee from anywhere in the=20
world. On any given morning you may find me drinking freshly =
ground=20
coffee straight from my bur grinder brewed in my Chemex. Best I =
don=E2=80=99t get=20
started on our breweries. I am not saying that we have better =
coffee in the=20
states, but I am saying that I highly doubt that Australia can boast =
to be=20
our superior.
=20
=20
http://www.workingnomad.com Working Nomad =
=20
Find myself agreeing with the bit about Americans being more open =
to=20
talking but that=E2=80=99s about it. To say the food and coffee is =
better is=20
ridiculous and we have the whole of Europe to explore border free. I =
think=20
this article could have been so much better for a little more=20
research.
=20
Paul =
I am the opposite,. I wish I was British. The history, the culture =
we lack=20
here, and I find myself agreeing with a lot of what they stand for. I =
will=20
gladly trade places with her.
=20
strfx4 =
Ahem, you can=E2=80=99t say what you want in the US. If =
you=E2=80=99re black, you can be=20
openly racist, just like Obama. You can also call others n***** or =
tell them=20
to go pluck cotton. Try that as a member of any other race and tell =
us how=20
that freedom is working out for you!
Irony =
You just proved her point. In some countries, if you criticized =
the=20
nation=E2=80=99s leader, there=E2=80=99d be a knock on your door =
=E2=80=94 actually, not even a=20
knock =E2=80=94 and that comment you just wrote would be your =
last.
strfx4 =
=20
Not quite. You can make an anonymous comment like this easily =
in any=20
western country, and several others. But there are countries out =
there=20
where what you say in public is not limited by the color of your =
skin. =20
The US is not one of those counties.
=20
=20
=20
Mr.Nice =
To me this sounds like it was written by an American who lived in =
the u.k=20
for awhile I agree with some of the stuff but America is not that =
shiny=20
city on the top of the hill=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6. shit lots of =
problems and why America is=20
cheaper then u.k because you have free health care in u.k everybody is =
covered=20
in America we don=E2=80=99t =E2=80=A6. guess, at the end it =
depends on what you choose to=20
see in both countries =E2=80=A6.
Amy Longworth =
=20
Thanks Mr. Nice. I appreciate the response, but I think =
you=E2=80=99re reading a=20
little too far into it. I=E2=80=99m not trying to say America is =
perfect, it was=20
just a light-hearted little article about some of the things that I =
have=20
taken from my frequent visits to the US. My points are totally =
subjective!=20
Also, with regards to the cost of living: there=E2=80=99s only so =
much I can say=20
in -100 words. My point is that as a tourist (which I am), the US =
offers a=20
cheaper (temporary) lifestyle =E2=80=93 i.e. for food, alcohol, =
cigarettes and all=20
those vices that I indulge on when I travel to the US for a holiday. =
And=20
yes, I am in fact British, and very proud of =
that.
=20
=20
James =
1. English people are patriotic, but not in such an in-your-face =
way=20
Americans are.
2. Americans respect weapons? Hahahaha
3. To an extent. But it=E2=80=99s more fun giving a sarcastic, =
facetious response.=20
And some Americans seem more willing to say what will make you happy =
than the=20
truth.
4a. I=E2=80=99ve noticed the opposite.
4b. More shit snack food, yes. Much less good real food. You have =
to sell a=20
kidney to buy a cauliflower.
5. Only because of the exchange rate and you being British. And =
obviously=20
Californian wine will be cheaper in America=E2=80=A6
6. This is at least partially true, although once you open a Brit =
up (i.e.=20
a beer or two) they can talk for England.
7. *Empty* space. And roads connecting them.
8. This has been nice. Although I dislike the style of teaching. =
Chalk=20
boards?? We=E2=80=99re not in the 1900s any more=E2=80=A6
9. More-so, but most people have Keurigs, not *real* coffee making =
stuff=20
(grinder, press etc). Still, valid point versus UK.
10. No. It=E2=80=99s just not. She just likes a lot of food, hence =
why she likes=20
eating the =E2=80=9Cbigger=E2=80=9D pizza and burrito =E2=80=9Cthe =
size of her face=E2=80=9D. In the case of=20
food, bigger =3D/=3D better, sorry hun. The quality is terrible, and =
there=E2=80=99s more=20
variety of in food in London.
I=E2=80=99m from Exeter too =E2=80=93 that=E2=80=99s a small town, =
you can=E2=80=99t compare it to much!=20
People do keep more to themselves; it=E2=80=99s an older crowd. =
Currently living in=20
NJ, but this includes NYC too. I=E2=80=99ve lived in London for a =
couple years=20
too.
=20
Amy =
Exactly! There is respect for weapons and thousands innocent =
people die=20
every year because some nutcase wants to shoot up a school. Who cares =
if ppl=20
are patriotic?! This isn=E2=80=99t event their true country! Native =
Americans were=20
slaughtered.
=20
Doug =
Amy =E2=80=93 you are clearly misguided and your article sounds =
like a love letter=20
to the country you are desperate to adopt you. My advice is please =
remain=20
in the US forthwith. I suspect you have never visited/lived in any =
of the=20
major cities in the UK and therefore would recommend you have little =
to no=20
idea about what you are talking about. Please fell free never to =
come=20
back. Toddlepip.
Amy Longworth =
=20
Ouch. This was intended to be a light-hearted article about some =
of the=20
things that I, personally, love about the US, from my personal =
experiences.=20
I=E2=80=99m not trying to stir up animosity here. But I have lived =
in the UK for the=20
majority of my life and the fact that you seem to think I have =
=E2=80=98no idea what=20
I=E2=80=99m talking about=E2=80=99 is immensely =
insulting.
Anthony Christopher Morey =
=20
Pffftt=E2=80=A6to Brad, Amy, if you like our country, welcome! =
You have hit on=20
our great strength vast regions with a variety of climates, =
attitudes,=20
political outlooks, gun laws and food cultures. We are not =
perfect, but=20
what country is.
Amy Longworth =
=20
Thank you Anthony =20
that is what I was going for. I=E2=80=99m not suggesting =
America is this=20
perfect bastion, I was just saying it=E2=80=99s a cool=20
place!
=20
=20
=20
Kelsey Wallour =
=20
I think you=E2=80=99re article is lovely, Amy! And I=E2=80=99m =
sorry some of these people=20
are being such fuckwads >=3D-(
=20
Stephanie Schuck Glaser =
=20
What a refreshing article, Amy! I enjoyed reading your perspective =
on the=20
US. We definitely have problems, but It was nice to read an article =
that=E2=80=99s=20
complimentary.
=20
Bettyp44 =
I=E2=80=99m an expat who now lives in California=E2=80=A6once you =
live here you=E2=80=99ll change=20
your view on a lot of this (superficial) stuff and you=E2=80=99ll =
quickly see that,=20
when only using dollars and not your converted pounds, things are so =
not=20
cheaper. Good luck honey, you=E2=80=99re in for a huge =
shock!
=20
=20
Vito M. =
the last 2 points are so wrong LOL
=20
=20
http://www.reverseretrograde.com/ Coleen=20
Monroe
This is article makes me very sad, because it is filled with so =
many=20
misconceptions.
I=E2=80=99m an American living in the UK, and I can tell you that =
there are people=20
who like to chat in queues, 24-hour convenience stores (and =
mega-Tescos),=20
=E2=80=98real=E2=80=99 coffee made from beans, and a whole lot of the =
other things that this=20
author appears to have overlooked.
Look, the US and the UK both have great qualities. I should know. =
But this=20
is doing a disservice to the UK in the hope of making the US look =
better. It=20
frankly isn=E2=80=99t. I appreciate wanting to fit in with a new =
country, and in a way=20
we=E2=80=99ve swapped places. But seriously. What a waste of=20
time.
=20
pd6578 =
what an awful list, I love America but seriously Freedom of Speech? =
when=20
the hell were you last arrested in the U.K for saying something =
unpopular?=20
Also why is their respect for weapons a good thing? give me no damn =
weapons=20
over frequent mass shootings any day.
ZoomZoomDiva =
=20
It is a myth that mass shootings are frequent. A person has a =
greater=20
chance of being struck by lightning than killed in a mass shooting. =
It is=20
the media attention that makes them seem more =
frequent.
pd6578 =
=20
Compared to the U.K where I can remember 3 mass shootings in my =
entire=20
life they are very frequent!. Dont get me wrong I am a Brit living =
in=20
Canada hoping to make the move over the border one day because I =
love the=20
place but some of the things on this list are nonsensical. The =
cost of=20
living one is very true though.
=20
=20
=20
http://alyssawrites.com/ Alyssa =
Ooh, Exeter! I=E2=80=99m going there next month for a wedding. I =
agree about the=20
uni thing, but that depends on your course really. I disagree about =
the 24=20
hour thing =E2=80=93 I get Ben and Jerry=E2=80=99s at all ungodly =
hours from the 24 hour=20
off-licence below my flat. Win!
Also, on the wine thing =E2=80=93 I read that 50% of the price of a =
bottle of wine=20
is VAT. Considering that Brits drink 1 billion bottles of the stuff a =
year, I=20
suspect it=E2=80=99s to pay for the strain on the NHS it makes =20
=20
tweedle twelve =
=20
I=E2=80=99ve never been forced to candy fast, as it is described in =
point 4a. There=20
are plenty supermarkets open 24/7. In Scotland they are open all day =
every day=20
(even sunday night). My coffee machine is a much needed part of my =
kitchen, =20
always filtered coffee on the go here. A lot of my friends also have a =
coffee=20
machine. I think someone else did mention=20
research. =E2=80=A6.
![](3D"http://cdn1.matadornetwork.com/blogs/1/2014/04/statue-of=)
![](3D"http://cdn.matadornetwork.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/im=)
=20
=20 that is what I was going for. I=E2=80=99m not suggesting = America is this=20 perfect bastion, I was just saying it=E2=80=99s a cool=20 place!
=20
=20
