If I was to move from england to america, what would I notice about life there?
Nothing obvious like currency, or sides of the road, or no round abouts.
Mass media and the Internet have blended our cultures and we are no longer as different as we once were. Most of the differences in daily life would be subtle, or familiar from hollywood films.
The first thing you notice is the cost of living is less in the USA than in the UK - and far less than than in London. Another answer mentioned gasoline, which is currently about $3/gallon in the USA and is more than ��1/liter in the UK. A one way bus ticket in New Orleans (where I live) is $1.25 and the same type ticket in London is ��2 (currently a little more than $4).
There is no USA equivalent to the influence that the Continent has on the UK. The USA is more distant from other countries, except for Canada and Mexico. Canada is basically the same culture as the USA and Mexico only influences the southern areas of the border states.
Another answer mentions the size of the USA, and that means more than just extra time to get from one end to the other. There is an assumption of _wide open spaces_ in the USA that is impossible in the densely-populated UK. The USA also has a diversity of terrain (mountains, deserts, prairie, etc.) that can be staggering.
Socialized medicine is not a reality in the USA. Medical and dental care is probably better in the USA than in the UK, but you have to pay for it (via medical insurance). The USA has no national health scheme and one has to be very poor to qualify for Medicaid.
Americans are a highly mobile society and most people move several times in their lives. For example, only about 10% of San Francisco_s population was born there.
The mass media and the mobility of the USA society means that accents are not as diverse in the USA as in the UK today. A New Yorker and someone from Houston or Atlanta speak almost the same way. Someone from Manchester (in Britian) may be unintelligible to a Londoner.
Government officials and military officers swear allegiance to the Queen (or King) in the UK. In the USA, we swear to _....preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America..._. It is a subtle but important difference.
The UK banned firearms in the 1920s to reduce the chances of a Communist revolution. Firearms are a fact of life in the USA and ownership is protected by the Constitution. I agree with and support the private ownership of firearms - but we pay for that right with accidents and sometimes terrible incidents.
The drinking age in the USA is 21, even for beer and wine.
Americans get fewer vacation days than the workers of any other developed nation. Paid maternity leave is very rare in the USA.
Waiters in the USA make most of their income from tips -_service_ is very, very rarely included in the bill.
There is very little violence (almost zero) among the crowds before, during, or after sporting events in the USA. There are no _football hooligans_ or anything equivalent in the USA.
Americans may not be as orderly standing in line (standing in a queue), but it is is NOT true that line-jumping is commonplace or acceptable. Please do not follow the advice of That Wasn_t My Hand.
To conclude, someone from the UK would have no trouble with daily life in the USA, and the reverse is also true (except for driving...).Humor and accents.Having never been, I can only take the differences I see from your folk who skipped across the pond to the States. I don_t think you_d be too shocked by anything, there_s a different kind of football here, it_s baseball instead of cricket, and there are some dialect differences. For example, as a fan of the Denver Broncos, it is perfectly normal and acceptable to say that I _root_ for them, which means _cheer_ or _pull_ for them. I understand it has a completely different meaning in Jolly Ol_ England.You guys talk funny. :)
Seriously though, it isn_t all that different. The food is better here, as is the weather (usually). I was a child when I lived in England, so it is hard to remember.well there humor is more sublte from what I remeber. They also prefer football scoccer and not american football.ummmm....... place!distances/The cultures are somewhat similar considering that America_s founders were from Britain originally, though there are some notable differences. Americans have a tendency to not wait in line in an orderly fashion, or as you say across the pond _queue up_. Don_t be surprised if you are, say, at the bank, or a ticket line for a movie, and everyone rushes the front counter at once and argues loudly.
This is not considered rude here, and in fact, is quite respected. If you move here and wish to blend in, I suggest cutting in front of the person at the beginning of the line and turning your back to them. They will admire your seemingly innate American virtue and will compliment you thusly.Britain is the size of a postage stamp surounded by water.Where as the USA is a wide open plain.Also our fuel is 4 times more expensive so everything else is too.
