Latest news with #JessicaHanson
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
American woman who moved to the countryside in Wales lifts a lid on the shocking downsides to living in the UK
An American woman living in the countryside in Wales has lifted a lid on the shocking realities of residing in the UK... warning others it's not as dreamy as you'd think. Jessica Hanson, 42, originally from Miami, Florida, was living every American girl's dream when she met and fell in love with a 'dashingly good looking British' guy named Dickie Paterson. The two wed in 2023, and purchased a house in a small village in Wales called Conwy. Hanson was excited to move to the quaint town, but soon after settling in, she quickly realized that life there was very different from life in America. From sky-high prices and terrible weather to unfriendly neighbors and strict rules, Hanson admitted to the Daily Mail there were a lot of downsides to residing in the UK that took her by surprise. Living in such a small village also meant there weren't a lot of food options, stores and restaurants closed super early, and things like Uber and DoorDash were non-existent there. It was a shocking adjustment for the Florida-native, who admitted it feels a little too 'dystopian' for her liking. 'Regarding ease of life, I expected it to be the same. But it just isn't,' she explained during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail. 'Admittedly, that is because I'm not in central London, but rather in a small town in Wales. But the lack of conveniences is what I have the hardest time with. 'At time of day or night [in the US], I can have anything I want delivered. Groceries are brought to your doorstep in half an hour. 'Hot food from every type of cuisine you could think of is available. Everything is just so easy there.' And that's not all. Hanson also explained that setting up the WiFi in their new home was a nightmare. 'Setting up my utilities for the UK house was wild to me. In the US, everything is click the package you want and put in your credit card, and you're set up,' she continued. 'Getting WiFi for the house was a nightmare that included me having to talk to an actual person for nearly half an hour, and then I had to set up a UK bank account because the only way to pay was by connecting an account that had a sort code (ours don't).' She also slammed the immensely high cost of energy and gas - as well as the constant bleak weather. 'Holy hell,' she exclaimed. 'Where I lived [in the US] gas was $2.36 a gallon. In the UK it's something like $10 for the same measurement. It was a shocking adjustment for the Florida-native, who admitted it feels a little too 'dystopian' for her liking. She's seen left in Florida and right in the UK She said it's cold and windy for 'two thirds of the year and practically 'gray all the time,' adding, 'It gets to me, mentally. I get lethargic and sad' 'And the cost of heating? I don't know how people afford it there, since it's generally always freezing (to me anyways).' She added that it's cold and windy for 'two thirds of the year and practically 'gray all the time.' 'Where I live, specifically, there seems to be a 75 percent chance on any given day that it's going to be cold and misty,' she shared. 'It gets to me, mentally. I get lethargic and sad when I'm over there because I don't want to go outside. 'I miss just being able to go outside in a T-shirt and shorts and walk around comfortably.' Hanson also claimed that the people are not nearly as outgoing in the UK as they are in the US. She explained that people in the community in Florida where she lived were 'super friendly,' and recalled getting 'waves and hellos from so many strangers.' But in her new neighborhood, it's the total opposite. 'In the US, people talk to you wherever you go. They check in. The ask about what you do, where you're from,' she said. 'Children run in and out of houses on neighborhood streets, to the point where sometimes I laugh when I'm in a house and ask a friend or family member, 'Whose kid is that?' And they just shrug. 'That's not been my experience in the UK. Of course, this could be because of the weather. 'Not many people are out running around streets to begin with, I guess, since it's so cold and windy for two thirds of the year.' She added that there's a slew of bizarre 'rules' and 'expectations' in place that are hard for her to adjust to. 'The nanny state mentality creeps me out. They lowered the speeding limit in my entire county to 20 mph recently. That is bananas to me,' Hanson revealed. 'It feels a little dystopian. CCTV and speed cameras are omnipresent. 50 mph [speed limit] on the freeway. Why? 'In general, British freedom feels, to me, like a polite prison where there are rules for everything, forms for every exception, and you're expected to say thank you for the privilege.' When asked if there were any upsides to living in the UK, Hanson said the groceries are slightly cheaper and the views when you drive through the countryside and 'gorgeous.' 'Oh, and the dairy. All dairy is fantastic,' she added. 'Once I was introduced to British cheese, I simply couldn't eat the American nonsense we pass off as 'cheese' anymore.' Hanson recently posted a video to TikTok in which she shared her opinion on living in the UK and naturally, it did not sit well with Brits. It went viral, but resulted in her facing immense backlash. In response to the hate, she told the Daily Mail, 'I have a very thick skin and I don't mind being made fun of by all of the British people who poke at me in the TikTok videos. In fact, I get quite a chuckle out of how outraged people get.' 'In the end, I'd say, "Life is what you make it." You can choose to see the best things about a place or dwell on the negatives,' she concluded. 'I've been trying lately, super hard, to find the positives and focus on those, like when there's a warm day and the sun is shining on the rolling hills and doesn't set until 9pm and you can sit outside without a sweater on. 'I try and cement those days in my head. Or when I get to hear my amazing step-children talk in their posh little British accents to my nieces and nephews and hear them all giggle. 'Maybe the Daily Mail's readers can give me some tips on what to look for so I can keep looking for the best parts of Great Britain in my newest journey of this crazy life. I think that would be helpful indeed.'
Newsweek
20-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Newsweek
American Millennial Unprepared for Reality of Move to UK-'Different Planet'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An American woman who moved to the UK in search of a better life says she's been left disappointed—and the people of TikTok have thoughts. Jessica Hanson (@jessicahanson879), 42, who splits her time between Miami and Conwy, a small town in Wales, has gained attention for her viral series critiquing the less glamorous aspects of British life. Her latest post, which focuses on the lack of air conditioning in UK homes, has drawn reaction online, garnering 2,691 likes and 82,900 views on TikTok. "I've gotten a huge kick out of how many views those little videos got. I split my time between Miami and a small town in the UK, and every time I go back to my house in Wales I think 'jeez life is so much harder here. Gas is $10 a gallon, it's permanently freezing, but putting the heating on costs a fortune, are there are just none of the conveniences I'm used to,'" Hanson told Newsweek. In her latest video, Hanson admitted she initially underestimated the culture shift that would come with living in the UK. As the owner of a shipping company in South Florida, she bought the Welsh home two years ago, with the intention of spending more time there. Though things have not gone how she initially envisioned. A split image of Jessica Hanson taken from her video explaining the differences she has found between living in the UK and US. A split image of Jessica Hanson taken from her video explaining the differences she has found between living in the UK and US. @jessicahanson879/@jessicahanson879 "When the days are 9 billion degrees here in summer, I do occasionally long for a misty cold British day, but by the time I've been there for a bit, I can't wait to get home and see sunshine and happy people," she said. She thought it would be easy because both countries speak English, but said she now finds everyday life harder than expected. She launched a new series on TikTok: "Same Language, Different Planet." In one video, Hanson admitted she had genuinely thought it would be easy to live in the UK. She pointed out the lack of air conditioning across the country, noting there was no ductwork or central systems. Instead, she said, each room relied on its own radiator, creating what she described as "tiny climate control time zones." Hanson questioned whether this resistance to comfort was simply something Brits accepted, contrasting it with the ease of pressing a button for a set temperature in the U.S. She ended by urging Americans never to take their HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems for granted, saying they would deeply miss them if they were gone. While air conditioning is standard in most American homes, most UK residences do not have any form of built-in AC. According to a 2022 New York Times report, the UK's historically mild summers meant that cooling systems were never seen as a necessity. Homes were built to retain heat rather than release it, with insulation and double-glazing designed for colder months. Additionally, much of the country's housing stock is older, making retrofitting AC units both costly and impractical. The 42-year-old also expressed frustration with the UK's higher tax rates and unreliable public transport. According to Taxes for Expats, while the US uses a largely flat federal tax system, the UK's progressive tax structure means residents pay significantly higher rates as income increases, with fewer itemized deductions available. However, she did point to one undeniable benefit of life in the UK. "On the other hand, on a sunny day, there is truly nothing like the countryside. I actually pulled over and cried once, it was so gorgeous, so there's that," she said. Despite that beauty, Hanson revealed that the sense of local community she hoped for hasn't materialized. "There isn't the feeling of community that I was expecting. At least not where I live. Every time I am at one of my sisters' houses, there is always a random neighborhood kid running in or out, or ball being played in the street. "In fact, we just had two friends over from Manchester to visit for a few weeks and every day they'd come back to the house and say, "My God everyone is so friendly here. We got head nods and waves all morning and talked to 3 people just at the beach." It cracked me up how amazed they were. According to my (adorable) misanthropic husband, Americans can be 'a bit much with all the talking' but I know he secretly likes it," she added. She also expressed her shock at the persistence of class divisions in British society. "It's BANANAS to me that the great great grand daughter by marriage twice removed, or whatever, of some guy who once got a title, but whose family has lost all of their money is considered 'better' somehow than someone who actually made money for themselves (new money) in the UK. "It's so different from over here. Nobody really cares who your family is or was. They care about what you've accomplished. That has been the biggest shock for me," she shared. TikTokers had mixed responses to Hanson's take on British life, namely her aircon critique. "I'm an American who has lived in different countries for 20 years (in UK now). I mean this with all of the kindness in the world, but just because something is different doesn't mean it's lesser," one user said. "Dude it's 10°C (50°F) today in April, you don't need A/C for 99% of the time!!" shared another. "Woman it's April, what do you need air conditioning for in April?!" added a third. Another viewer chimed in: "We'd need AC for about 14 days (not 14 days in a row)." "I thought us Brits had thicker skin than some of these comments suggest. We would love aircon but it's just too expensive and not practical for our relatively tepid temperatures, and limited space," another user commented. Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
