I'm living abroad in the UK and I hate it.

[Anonymous]

The people are rude, the service is bad, the food is bad, you pay more for everything. I am a friendly and polite, respectful person (not a "loud, annoying American). And all anyone ever cares about is how much money they can get out of me. It's exhausting. And the road are not maintained. I had an accident when tripping in a cracked sidewalk. I was visibly hurt and no one would even move over a little bit so I could walk past on the sidewalk (beside them). I had to walk in the road while they walked on the sidewalk. That is a frequently occurrence - people not moving over so you can both have room on the sidewalk.

[Anonymous]

AMA

[Anonymous]

Why are you in the U.K.?

[Anonymous]

What is your race/ethnicity? Wondering if they treat certain races better.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry op. Do you have plans to return to the USA at anytime? I know what you mean, kind of. I've gone on trips out of the USA and while I enjoy seeing new places, I got very homesick because of the same things you posted.

[Anonymous]

Lol. I actually didn't post the "AMA" after my OP.
I came here for a vent.
My SO lives here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your race/ethnicity? Wondering if they treat certain races better.

I'm caucasian, dark hair, olive skin tone. Definitely look white though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sorry op. Do you have plans to return to the USA at anytime? I know what you mean, kind of. I've gone on trips out of the USA and while I enjoy seeing new places, I got very homesick because of the same things you posted.

I will return at some point, but the thing that sucks for me is that I used to love it here so much (when visiting). But now that I'm living here, I'm seeing so many bad aspects of this place. People are RUDE! And there is so much hate being thrown at Americans. I get these snidey comments about being American all the time and I'm so tired of it. I'm polite and respectful to these people. I'm shy and soft-spoken (but very personable). I feel like all anyone is ever interested in is my money. Every interaction is based around money. There were so many things I used to like about it here, but now I feel depressed most of the time. And little tasks are more complicated here.

[Anonymous]

Where are you - I lived for several years in the U.K., and location is important. The best bit of advice I can give you is try to think how you might love like a British person rather than an American person. It can be very expensive to try to replicate the American lifestyle in the U.K. The other thing is to become a regular somewhere. Once they realize you're not a tourist, some of the doors open to you.

[Anonymous]

That's LIVE like a British person, sorry,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you - I lived for several years in the U.K., and location is important. The best bit of advice I can give you is try to think how you might love like a British person rather than an American person. It can be very expensive to try to replicate the American lifestyle in the U.K. The other thing is to become a regular somewhere. Once they realize you're not a tourist, some of the doors open to you.

I think I know what you mean, but can you give me some examples? I walk everywhere here or take a bus. I don't drive here. I actually found it fun incorporating aspects of the British lifestyle (at first). But now everything feels overly complicate.

I'm in southeast England (Kent). What part did you live in? I've thought about maybe frequenting a neighborhood pub, but I don't really drink. Maybe a coffee shop? I'm not sure. But that's a good idea. I'm taking some graduate level classes here starting next week, so that might help.

[Anonymous]

Where specifically in the U.K.? It's a big place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you - I lived for several years in the U.K., and location is important. The best bit of advice I can give you is try to think how you might love like a British person rather than an American person. It can be very expensive to try to replicate the American lifestyle in the U.K. The other thing is to become a regular somewhere. Once they realize you're not a tourist, some of the doors open to you.

I think I know what you mean, but can you give me some examples? I walk everywhere here or take a bus. I don't drive here. I actually found it fun incorporating aspects of the British lifestyle (at first). But now everything feels overly complicate.

I'm in southeast England (Kent). What part did you live in? I've thought about maybe frequenting a neighborhood pub, but I don't really drink. Maybe a coffee shop? I'm not sure. But that's a good idea. I'm taking some graduate level classes here starting next week, so that might help.

Things like - you don't try to buy jugs of orange juice for breakfast, you think about buying things in different quantities, you figure out that people actually eat premade sandwiches from Sainsbury's and they're not half bad and the price is reasonable. Don't do conversions in your head - figure that a pound buys you in pounds what a dollar gets you in dollars and read the prices that way.

A pub is a good idea, and don't forget most pubs serve some kind of food. In my case, in Oxfordshire, there was a little restaurant in it town, which is overrun by tourists in the summer. We would go sometimes and in the beginning the service would be kind of surly. Then we popped in one Tuesday night in the middle of February and really started chatting with the server. It came out that we lived there and weren't tourists who would disappear, and suddenly we were recognized when we went in and we had people to talk to.

Join an activity or a society that does something you like. I joined a music group, any my DH did a sport. Also, if you are work eligible, get a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you - I lived for several years in the U.K., and location is important. The best bit of advice I can give you is try to think how you might love like a British person rather than an American person. It can be very expensive to try to replicate the American lifestyle in the U.K. The other thing is to become a regular somewhere. Once they realize you're not a tourist, some of the doors open to you.

I think I know what you mean, but can you give me some examples? I walk everywhere here or take a bus. I don't drive here. I actually found it fun incorporating aspects of the British lifestyle (at first). But now everything feels overly complicate.

I'm in southeast England (Kent). What part did you live in? I've thought about maybe frequenting a neighborhood pub, but I don't really drink. Maybe a coffee shop? I'm not sure. But that's a good idea. I'm taking some graduate level classes here starting next week, so that might help.

Things like - you don't try to buy jugs of orange juice for breakfast, you think about buying things in different quantities, you figure out that people actually eat premade sandwiches from Sainsbury's and they're not half bad and the price is reasonable. Don't do conversions in your head - figure that a pound buys you in pounds what a dollar gets you in dollars and read the prices that way.

A pub is a good idea, and don't forget most pubs serve some kind of food. In my case, in Oxfordshire, there was a little restaurant in it town, which is overrun by tourists in the summer. We would go sometimes and in the beginning the service would be kind of surly. Then we popped in one Tuesday night in the middle of February and really started chatting with the server. It came out that we lived there and weren't tourists who would disappear, and suddenly we were recognized when we went in and we had people to talk to.

Join an activity or a society that does something you like. I joined a music group, any my DH did a sport. Also, if you are work eligible, get a job.

The orange juice comment is obscure. I'm not sure what you mean. I can get all my groceries delivered by Tesco for a few pound a month. I can buy a jug of orange juice for a couple pounds and have it delivered to me. And I don't like the premade sandwiches. It's must more cost effective and tastes better to make my own at home. Money isn't really an issue. I just use my CC for everything and leave it to them to do the conversions.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I joined a pilates class. Nobody was there to make friends. People were there to get in and get out. It kind of sucked because I wanted to make friends.