01-06-2025
American woman living in the UK shares the one shocking difference nobody warned her about
An American woman who moved to the UK has shared the one shocking difference that nobody warned her about.
Melissa Mendez, originally from Florida, was in search of something new, so she packed up her bags and relocated over the pond to London, England.
But as she adjusted to her new life in the UK, she said she quickly noticed one major difference between the two countries that she never expected... how 'blunt' British people are.
'Us Americans tend to take things very personally,' she told What's the Jam recently.
'So I found it really refreshing to see how families interact, how they are so open but also super blunt.
'It is very endearing and just takes the pressure out of things.'
Melissa also noticed the English people tend to be more 'stoic' than Americans when it comes to their reactions to big news.
'In America, people have big reactions,' she continued. 'I have found that in the UK people have very stoic behavior towards any type of big event.
'The only time you'll ever see a big reaction from a British person is if their football team loses or if there is no tea in the house.'
Melissa was also happily surprised over how lush the environment was.
'As soon as I was out of the airport on that first day and started driving from Heathrow to London I couldn't believe how green everything was,' the content creator, who has 17,000 followers, revealed.
'It really looked as if someone just increased the saturation - everything was so green and lush.
'I now have a garden which I love to do. In Florida, you can't really grow an English garden because the weather is just so hot.'
So far, Melissa said she is loving her new home, and is so happy that she took the plunge.
She said: 'I have found it absolutely amazing. It is the first time that I have lived in a place with seasons so I have been able to enjoy what people do depending on what season it is.
'I find that people have a hard time when they move to another country when they don't immerse themselves in the culture.
Melissa also noticed the English people tend to be more 'stoic' than Americans when it comes to their reactions to big news
'I think that is the main way to get accustomed to the new place, new culture, so I try to do that every day.
'I get involved in my community, and make new friends and it has been great.
'I hope for many more years of growing my garden, enjoying the weather and making new friends.'
Melissa opened up about the differences between the UK and America in a video shared to her TikTok, which has since gone viral, gaining tens of thousands of views.
And people flocked to the comment section to discuss her take.
One user commented: 'England's green and pleasant land.'
'When the Romans first came they called it "the garden,"' revealed another, to Melissa replied: 'It's like a fairytale.'
Someone else said: 'Fun fact: London is classed as a forest city.'
'England has some of the best countryside in the world,' read a fourth comment.
'It rains a lot but there is an upside to that,' dished another viewer.
Someone else added: 'I feel like I take this for granted. It is very green here, especially on the spring side of summer.'
