American Who Has Lived In The UK Shares 10 Differences That Make Them Look Like Night And Day

Sophia Mitrokostas, who grew up in the United States but eventually moved to the United Kingdom where she now lives with her husband, thinks that a lot of things that are common in the US aren't so common in the UK, such as celebrating Halloween, going on trips to enjoy the fall foliage, and tipping bartenders. You can see the cultural differences in everyday life too.

"The first time my husband and I ate together at an American restaurant, he was alarmed when the server took his credit card away to swipe it after the meal," Mitrokostas wrote on INSIDER. "He was also totally perplexed by the need to sign a receipt, which apparently isn't the norm in the UK."

In UK restaurants, the server typically brings the entire card machine to your table, and with their supervision, you insert your card and follow on-screen prompts before grabbing your receipt and leaving.

"My husband [also] finds it strange to tip bartenders and buy your own drinks at a bar," Mitrokostas continued. "The UK is famed for its pub culture, or the socializing and social drinking that happens in its many cozy bars and pubs. Although buying a round of drinks is an optional act of generosity in the US, it's standard practice in the UK. Members of a group will rotate who is responsible for each round, and skipping your turn is seen as rude."

Lyndsey Reid, who moved from the UK to the US, also experienced a cultural shock after crossing the Atlantic. "The UK and the US may share a common language, but the cultural differences can make the two places feel as if they're worlds apart," Reid explained on Business Insider.

"The biggest culture shock came when I entered the workforce. It's well-documented that the American office culture is pretty different from the way we work in the UK, in part fueled by the notion of the American dream, that unwavering belief that anyone can be successful if they're determined and willing to work hard. And it seems that an all-work-and-no-play mentality has bred a workplace underpinned by a sense of fear that you're never quite working hard enough."

Reid said that nowhere was this quite as obvious — to her at least — as Americans' attitudes toward vacation days. "In the UK, almost all full-time workers are legally entitled to at least 28 days of paid vacation a year. Most employers will include the eight bank and public holidays into that figure, leaving the average British worker with about 20 days of vacation," Reid explained. "At my previous job, I had 25 days of vacation, eight paid bank holidays, a day off for my birthday, and the opportunity to buy an additional five days off. We worked hard. But we were given adequate time away from the office to rest, reset, and rejuvenate."

So you can imagine Reid's horror when she was offered her first job in the States and found out her paid time off was an accrued total of 10 days — "a measly two weeks, including vacation and sick days." The worst part, she said, was that the employer seemed to think that was generous, prefacing the section about PTO with: "We know how hard you work and recognize the importance of providing you with time for rest and relaxation."

As for Chimichanga007, they said the immigration process was quite difficult, and they went through a lot to get to the UK, but they plan to return when everything with the world goes back to normal.