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An American woman who moved from New York to London revealed the surprising differences she had to learn the hard way

An American woman who moved from New York to London revealed the surprising differences she had to learn the hard way

Aimee Pearcy

Olamide Modupe moved from New York City to London to pursue a Master's degree.StockByM, extravagantni / Getty Images

A TikToker has created a series sharing things she "had to learn the hard way" about moving to London.
She said she was 29 when she moved to London to pursue a Master's degree during the pandemic.

After living in London, England, for three years, TikToker Olamide Modupe has created a video series sharing things she "had to learn the hard way" about moving there from the US.

Modupe told Insider that she is originally from Los Angeles, California, but that she moved to London from New York when she was 29 to pursue a Master's degree during the pandemic.

She has been documenting her journey on her TikTok account, where she posts travel, beauty, and fashion content.

Modupe has built up an audience of over 19,000 followers with her videos, which aim to showcase the information you "can't find online" about moving to the UK, she said. Here are some of her discoveries.

The water is not fluoridated.

@olamide.modupe
i still haven’t found the perfect lotion yall American living abroad, expat life, American in London, American in Europe, American in the UK, how to move abroad
♬ original sound - Olamide

The process to find an apartment to rent is very different.

@olamide.modupe adulting in london is SO different - let’s talk UK salaries, renting and homeownership #livinginlondon #americaninlondon #expat #londonlife #londontiktok ♬ original sound - Olamide

Budgeting can be a struggle because many UK employers don't pay weekly.

@olamide.modupe alright let’s get back into it ! UK payroll, holiday/PTO, & when’s the right time to make the move to London #AmericaninLondon #UKsalary #budgeting #visa #lifeinlondon #expatlife ♬ original sound - Olamide

You can start taking vacation time right away after starting a new job.

In the UK, you typically get access to your vacation time as soon as you sign your contract. Jerome Maurice / Getty Images

Modupe told viewers that in the US, you have to accrue your vacation time before you can use it and that you don't get access to any of it right away.

"In the UK, the second you sign your contract, all of your holiday days are there. They're available to you," she said. "You get it immediately. So you're booking the trips immediately."

Several viewers pointed out that while it is technically possible to take all of your vacation days at the beginning of your work contract, you would typically have to pay these days back or work extra days if you decided to leave the company before you had worked enough to accrue the days that you had used.

Modupe also pointed out that the statutory annual leave entitlement differs in the UK and the US.

In the UK, people who work a standard five-day week receive at least 28 days of paid annual leave per year. In the US, there is no minimum paid annual leave — it is at the discretion of employers. The US ranks among the top 10 countries with the least paid time off, according to a report published by the career resource website Resume.io in 2022.

One viewer wrote that having so little vacation time in the US was "very sad." Modupe replied, "They work us to the bone."

Bar culture is very different.

@olamide.modupe my first time ordering a long island iced tea, they said the American recipe is above the legal limit and they are barred from making it (which is probs for the best!) if you have any q’s about life abroad comment below ! i love talking about this & ill try to answer them! ♥️ #americaninlondon #expat #lifeinlondon #americanineurope #nightlifeinlondon ♬ original sound - Olamide

Return policies are stricter.

@olamide.modupe Do chores with me while we talk UK return policies and renting in London ! (re: council estates, I want to emphasize that it was that apt in particular that was managed in a shady and dishonest way, taking advanatage of covid so that we had to go off their word [shoutout, NextMove Islington]. Council estates in general are communiry hubs and a vital resource for low income families/immigrants - like myself/students/etc.! Just make sure you see the apt itself before you rent it & don’t rely on pics/videos/a salesy rental agent/or your understanding of the word “estate” lol) #americaninlondon #rentinginlondon #expat #americanineurope ♬ original sound - Olamide

It's never too late to make the move.

Modupe has no regrets about her move. kokouu / Getty Images

Videos of people sharing tips for moving states or revealing things that they wish they knew before moving abroad often go viral on TikTok. People have also used TikTok to share reasons why they want to leave the US.

In July, American TikTokers who moved abroad used the platform to reflect on things about the US that made them feel fearful even after they had left the country.

Despite the potential culture shock, Modupe encouraged anyone keen to move to take the plunge.

"I literally moved during the pandemic," Modupe said in one video. "The time is right now. No matter where you are in life, just do it."

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