8 things that surprised me about moving from the US to the UK

Sophia MitrokostasJun 4, 2020, 00:52 IST

Grocery-store layouts in Scotland are different from ones in the United States.Shutterstock

I moved from the United States to the United Kingdom in 2017.
In my experience, living near a major city is much cheaper to do in Scotland than it is in the US.
Grocery-store layouts in the UK are confusing to me, especially when it comes to locating items like bread or eggs.
In the UK, going to the doctor involves very little paperwork and almost no bills, which is a huge difference from healthcare in the US.

I moved from Massachusetts to Scotland in 2017. In the time since, I've encountered a dazzling array of differences between life in America and life in the United Kingdom.

From food to healthcare, these are some of the things about living in the UK that have surprised me the most.

My housing costs plummeted, even though I'm now living in a major city.

Edinburgh, Scotland. f11photo/Shutterstock

SUVs and pickup trucks are almost nonexistent where I live now.

It could be related to steep gas prices. bibiphoto/Shutterstock

I am confused and delighted by the British mastery of queuing.

People in London who are waiting in line for a cricket match. REUTERS/Philip Brown

People in the UK seem to take more vacations than those in the US do.

Those in the US aren't entitled to paid vacation days. jf/Getty

I've been unable to find some of my favorite US snacks, and I've also encountered some flavor and food combinations that are unusual to me.

A chip butty requires just a few ingredients. Shutterstock

The grocery store layouts in the UK make no sense to me.

I struggle to find eggs and bread while in some UK grocery stores. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

I feel people in the UK can be more reserved than people in the US.

To me, small talk seems more normal in the US than it does in the UK. Shutterstock

Going to the doctor typically involves almost no paperwork and zero bills.

I spent much more on healthcare in the US. Christopher Furlong/Getty

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