I need to hear good things about the UK

This is how Whole Foods is for me. Luckily I won't have to be without WF since there's one in Kensington! (And it's amazing!!!!!!!!!)

Comedy programmes!!!!!!!!

QI, Have I Got News For You, Mock Of The Week, Nevermind The Buzzcocks, all of them I couldn't live without!

Haven't been to a Waitrose, there aren't any near us, unfortunately...
I have been liking Aldi's and Lidl's for some things, as they are uber cheap and carry some nice sausages and things...
Sainsbury's seems pretty good, except the one near us doesn't have those fried onions for the green bean casserole...  :\\\'( 
they do have French's mustard and some other good stuff....
Will have to check Tesco and ASDA later on, but they are so overwhelming after going to the smaller stores for so long!  (and a pretty long journey for us besides) They are supposed to open a Tesco right in our village this fall, but haven't even started on it yet...   

So far, I'm loving the smaller space!  Less to maintain.  Not so crazy about not being able to hide the litter box, BUT - I'm much better at picking up after myself than I was with a big space.  Everything gets done in a timely manner because I can't ignore it!!

Little fridge for a single person is cool too!  In my big American fridge, I'd forget that I bought XYZ, let it rot, buy QRS.  Can't help but see exactly what I have = know that it's there = eat it.

British produce is YUM!  Awesome tomatoes for a country that has such a short growing season.

French pressed coffee once I learned how to prepare properly.  It's like I've never tasted good coffee before. 

Best. cheese. ever.  Fresh baked bread is the norm, not the exception.

After living in a one horse town in the North Georgia Mountains (Dahlonega, I love you, but you suck  ), I'm in HEAVEN. 

Sure the little things can get annoying, but I'd rather be here than anywhere. 
 
Dude at ASDA was standing in the middle of the aisle and I stood there (all passive) waiting for him to notice me and move.  Finally, after I said "Pardon me" - he said "Sorry Love!!"  and was very sweet.  It's crowded here in Bristol (especially at ASDA in evening).  People are just used to it, but it you say something - they respond!  Or they glare at you but whatever.  Just like any crowded place.

Holly is happy.  For the first time in a LONG while             

Oh, there are lots of good things!  Much less materialism.  The NHS (not perfect but better than trying to survive in US without insurance) A milder climate (more rain but hardly any heat waves/blizzards) Proximity to the rest of Europe. The BBC. Public transportation. The British sense of humor (humour!) ... etc. etc.
I think the thing that hit me when I first moved to the UK (back in the 70's) was how it reminded me of what the US was like when I was younger and what it was like for my parents.  It was a great relief to leave all the craziness of the US behind.

I just want to say again how much I heart the NHS. I really do. So much so that I gushed to the nurse who dressed my burn this morning about how much I love it. It's not perfect, but it's a wonderful thing that too many people here take for granted.

I love that I can walk in to the drop-in Minor Injuries Unit at the local hospital, and walk out again 10 minutes later after being looked after wonderfully by wonderful staff - and not have to fill out a million forms!

In the past five years, I've had a minor surgical procedure (two weeks after my arrival on a fiance visa, and based on my US records alone!), am being investigated for lupus ( ), and have been undergoing treatment from a specialist in Biomechanics for my flat feet, and have nothing but grade-A treatment in all of these areas.

Yay NHS! 

As a ponderer of the move to the UK...
                     I must say "Thank you for all the great info"

I am pretty sure I posted in the Welcome Wagon months ago...but I have been lurking here for a while now.

I leave for my move to the UK in 19 days, and have all of a sudden had overwhelming anxiety about it.  Why, I don't know.  I love the UK.  I lived their for 5 years before and felt more at home there than I do in the US.  So, I too am going to post the things that I am most looking forward too when I get there.

Seeing my wife of almost 8 years again (she went back to set things up ahead of me to take care of things on this end)

KEBABS!!!!  I can't explain how much I love Kebabs.  Sure you can get them "kind of" in the us, but nothing replaces going to the kebab stand after a night out.

Football, football, and more football!

The absolutely amazing countryside and golf courses
Feeling that I can still dress "trendy" even though I am 31. 
Pubs in general.  Bars in the US and pubs in the uK are night and day imo....
the soo much more laid back approach to life.

Some people might be in shock at this one...but seeing my inlaws!!!  I absolutely adore my inlaws and simply can't wait to see them again.

There is soo much more, but just typing this bit out made me feel tons better, so I may come in here in spurts and type some more.

That's great, George!  It's good to remember the positive things....

I love the friendly people, fish and chips beside the sea, all the different flavours of crisps, getting to spell words like flavour with a u  , being with my husband, my brothers and sisters in law, my adorable niece and her posh English accent, my Geordie nephews playing football in the alleyways, my doctor, my work colleagues, bread, pastries, etc., brown sauce, pies of all kinds, and just loads and loads of other stuff! 

After being here for 3 days:

How easy it is to get around. Not only public transportation, but at least here in Newcastle its very compact and easily navigated.
How friendly people are (again, I've heard this is especially true here in Newcastle)
Living next to a 14th century wall, 11th century castle, and cathedral.
Everything here is gorgeous... much moreso than Detroit anyhow
Food prices! So much cheaper than the US.
How energy-efficient things are/strive to be


More to come I'm sure...

Off topic comments have been moved here:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=50219.0


And again: 

As someone who's lived outside the UK for 19 years, I thank everyone for telling you all the great things about it. There are tons of US groups all over the country and obviously, forums like this. You will love it.
The main thing is, (and this applies to every move), to go in with the attitude that you're going to have a great adventure. If you go in dreading it, or intending to miss the US, your friends and family - then you will.  Good luck.

I've never been happier than I have been in the last 6 months since I have been living in the UK. Obviously a great deal of that has to do with how great my husband is and being able to be with him everyday, but there are so many other things that contribute to my feelings of contentment and what I suppose I could only describe as "inner peace." Part of it is the beautiful countryside, the sea, and small-town life, but having lived in a small town in Texas I was miserable, so I still can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the sense of humour, the fact that materialism seems less here and I don't feel pressured to own certain things (I don't even have a mobile phone anymore, and I am actually glad for that! It's nice to go out without having people calling you all the time and feeling obligated to answer.) Part of it is the weather, because I feel more comfortable in cold weather than hot weather. And a lot of it has to do with the people around me, who seem more relaxed, fun, and easy going than what I am used to, and it affects my mood in a positive way. I still can't put my finger on it, but I know I feel lucky to be here every day and I really feel like I belong here, and that I will live here (or somewhere in Northumberland) until I die. And I've never felt that settled before. Though, we will see if my thoughts change with time, but as of now, that is how I feel! 

My wife is a Brit and we live in the US and are still in the planning period of when we are going to move to the UK, I showed her this list, and seriously broke down crying, She misses the UK so bad sometimes and she really appreciates the fact that so many of us from the US can love the UK so much.

My wife is a Brit and we live in the US and are still in the planning period of when we are going to move to the UK, I showed her this list, and seriously broke down crying, She misses the UK so bad sometimes and she really appreciates the fact that so many of us from the US can love the UK so much.

Awww, bless her. I hope your plans work out so you can move back.