COSPhil

On your move to the USA.....

What did you find you missed/found difficult to get used to etc? Between cultures?

Perhaps most interested in the less obvious bits that you weren't expecting.

For USC's who have had their UKC spouses come over to live with them, what did you find challenging?

I'm quite interested generally but as I'm sure this to some extent will vary state to state, I am (as always) most interested in responses from those in the West, particularly Colorado.

Bink

Honestly, I really miss being able to walk places. It was part of a day-to-day routine in the UK but simply isn't possible for the most part here in Houston.

I also miss our grocery stores. Didn't really appreciate the difference between the UK and US stores before I lived here. It's not that they're bad, there are some decent stores like whole foods, it's just that the ingredients they stock are different from that which I'd like. Lamb for example is hard to find and expensive. I'm learning to adapt though and my cooking has changed slightly to suit.

100weight

I miss bread. The bread here is different to what we used to get back in the UK. And hot cross buns. I'd give my eye teeth for a couple of 12packs!

And I miss the ability to pop across the channel to France.

CWT

Mama Drama

looooooool Ditto, I'd pay a fortune if there was an option to have a bag of Hovis or Kingsmill, better still for a Greggs Pasty Mmmmmm (My husband doesnt understand why no bread I have tried here so far can compete)

lansbury

Decent Indian restaurants. There are some but few and far between, and expensive. Found a gem of one in South Lake Tahoe Monday. Other than that been here almost 6 years and don't really think about the UK much in terms of what was there that isn't here.

tonrob

Flapjacks.

Mr Weeze

Have you tried Phonecia (to the OP - sorry it's off topic)

COSPhil

No problem at all. I have heard good Indian is hard to come accross in the USA.

However, since I'm quite a big fan of Mexican then I'm probably getting a decent trade-off.

HighCountry

10 years in, there isn't much that I miss anymore. I suppose the one thing you can't work around is the lack of shared experiences. Your history is foreign to the natives and vice versa.

lansbury

Toilets that are at a proper height. Why do they make them that bit lower here. You can buy higher ones, we have, they are called AARP toilets.

HarryTheSpider

I miss not having to unblock the loo every few weeks.

Apparently here they use a 3 inch pipe whereas back home in UK it's a 4 inch pipe. Doing the maths that's almost 100% more capacity in the UK pipe...

Oh, also Sunday Roast, and lamb. And pasties. And greenery (we live in AZ!). And the walking around - I really do appreciate small town centres where you can walk from shop to shop.

Balanced news programmes, and the local free papers.

Actually, there are many things I miss, but not terribly. I had to stop and think. If I had to name 2 it's the greenery & the roast dinner.

Sally Redux

Humour, sense of belonging, walkability, history, news, cryptic crosswords, cider, crisps with flavour, pickled onions, simple healthcare, trains, town centres, greenery, temperate climate, lack of earthquakes.

Bink

Lamb's harder to find, but I've started the Sunday Roast tradition in our house. Wife is a massive fan of Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding now. We have a roast every Sunday, without fail. It's such a small thing but honestly it's amazing how good it makes me feel.

Jerseygirl

You can usually find lamb at Costco...and very nice it is too.

morayeel

I miss being able to walk places. When I was back in Elgin I could walk to the library, asda, tesco, doctors, dentists, leisure center!! etc I didn't need a car. I miss the healthcare(don't have insurance here). I miss pea pods!!haven't found them here in Mississippi and I miss the flavoured crisps. I miss the old houses and buildings.