I used to look down on people who chose to study abroad in places like London or Sydney.
“What could you possibly learn when you study in an English speaking country?” I thought to myself. I saw living abroad as a way to immerse myself into a different culture, not a to live the same life I had in the States but with accents. So I spent nearly a year in Rome trying, but ultimately failing, to master the Italian language and two years in Korea fumbling over every sound that came out of my mouth while discovering a cuisine and lifestyle that were entirely foreign to me.
And then I became a huge hypocrite and moved to London.
At this point in my life it became less about living abroad and learning another language and being immersed in another culture and more about actually being able to live and study and maybe one day have a career. I knew I wanted to get a Master’s degree and since English is the only language I can really speak, my choices were somewhat limited.
On most days London doesn’t feel all that foreign. I can easily converse with shopkeepers and servers. I can read menus. I understand when they make announcements about why the District Line is inevitably stopped once again in the middle of a tunnel. I can get good burgers and beer, two things that were seriously lacking in Asia. Being an expat in an English speaking country doesn’t only make day to day life easier, it also makes it easier to understand and learn about the culture of my new home.
There are many surface level similarities between American and English culture, but if you look past these and the common language, there’s actually a strong British culture that is much different than the US.
I’ve been able to learn about the different areas of England and the stereotypes about the people, good or bad, who come from them. My friends have taught me about English history and because I can read blogs and social media posts I’ve been able to discover places like Netil Market and Brixton Village, two of my favorite places in London. I can recognize different English accents, even if I can’t understand what people are saying in them. I’ve learned to never, ever look anyone in the eye on the tube and that English people are the reigning champions of both sarcasm and passive aggressiveness. I’ve discovered that pubs aren’t a place to get drunk. They are also a community gathering place. And one that will be very crowded and loud during a rugby match of all things.
Oh, and if you think there are no differences in language try shouting “my pants are soaking wet” after a friend spills a glass of wine in your lap at pub.
Life as an American expat in London isn’t incredibly difficult. There’s never been a time where I tell the taxi driver my destination and end up in a completely different part of the city with no way to explain where I actually need to be. I can walk around, and until I open my mouth, not automatically be labeled “foreigner”. 
As an American I find London to be pleasantly foreign. There are enough differences- culturally, architecturally, culinarily- that give me that warm, fuzzy “I’m living in a different country” feeling and allow me to feel like I’m learning and being challenged. But at the same time I feel like I can live life here. That I can contribute to society and be accepted as more than just a foreigner or expat.
I didn’t know you’d come to London, Amanda. Welcome!
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Thanks Beverley! I’ve been here almost 7 months and still love it!
Lovely post Amanda- My husband is American and I’m British. We originally met in Korea and then we lived in London for several years. Because we speak the same language (kind of..) I would sometimes forget he was ‘living abroad’ but he felt like you- London and British people still had enough differences to remind him. But he also felt really at home there too. Actually, I think he ended up loving London more than me in the end.
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Yeah, it’s strange but sometimes it feels like the US but then something will happen and I’m like, oh yeah, this is really different. Nice to know he felt the same!
I love this. I too judged people for studying in English speaking countries. For God’s sake, I even frowned upon everyone at my university for choosing Spain for study abroad rather than a more difficult and exotic place in Latin America!
There ARE so many pros to choosing these places though, like you’ve expressed so nicely. Also, don’t you feel less guilty when you can contribute? In Korea I sometimes felt like such a waste of space!
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who was that pretentious
And yes, oh my god. I didn’t even really realize it until I left Korea and I was like…I contributed nothing to society there and could barely function as an adult human. So much better when you can interact!
I can totally relate to this post although I am not American. I moved to the U.K. for 3 years when I was 18. Everything seemed so different, but my life was not that difficult at all. Londoners are sometimes cold people, but I met amazing people.I’m glad to see that life as an American expat in London isn’t incredibly difficult for you and you are not a huge hypocrite.
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Oh, I did not realize you lived in the UK! I think the cool thing about London is that there are so many people from everywhere that everyone can find a place to fit in.
I love this.
I think I made the same mistake in thinking that the US was just a bigger version of the UK until I went to California and then New York, and realised how different American and British culture really are. I think that’s where my Americanphile-ness comes from.
And I definitely know what you mean about understanding more about the culture. In Mexico, it wasn’t until I’d lived there for at least a year and could speak the language that I felt like I was connecting to the actual culture. Here in Korea it’s so different and I just feel like a wet mop, standing there, unable to say anything. Haha.
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Well, I’m glad that Brits have a similar feeling about American-UK culture. It’s amazing how different it really is.
I promise it will get slightly better in Korea. Even if you don’t have a grasp on the language, just being there will help you pick up on things, especially since you are in a public school! But I know the feeling. There were many times I was like…what is happening and why is it happening lol.
This is such an interesting post to me…I moved from Manchester(a few hours north of London) to Seoul in 2013. The differences are definitely huge but so far I like Seoul more for similar reasons to yours for liking London! The only thing that *really* bothers me here is the language barrier, and hopefully that will improve with time. I looked noticeably “foreign”–as in, clearly not English or Irish in the UK, and Manchester is not as diverse as London, so I got used to being asked where I was from as though I didn’t speak English, and I kind of like that in Korea, it’s clear that I don’t speak Korean and I’m foreign.
That’s an interesting perspective! I guess you are kind of used to that feeling of looking different. It didn’t bother me at first, really, but after a while I was just annoyed by all the staring and Koreans reactions to foreigners. Like, yes, I can ride the subway and go to the store and eat at restaurants even though I’m not Korean…