I moved to the UK from Florida 20 years ago. Living here has been full of surprises in the best way.

• I left Florida for the UK in 2005 and have since lived in London and Cardiff, Wales.
• The food, humor, and free prescriptions in Wales all pleasantly surprised me.
• I've also developed a stronger tolerance for wet weather.

Growing up in the US, I never had any interest in visiting the UK, let alone living there. After a one-week vacation at my friend's mom's timeshare in London, though, I decided that the UK was where I needed to be.

So, in 2005, I found myself on a one-way flight from Florida to London with the aforementioned friend — and I moved to Cardiff, Wales, shortly thereafter.

The culture, humor, and much more kept me in the UK, 21 years later.

Healthcare is free at the point of delivery

When I moved to Cardiff in 2006 and registered with a doctor, my first visit ended with bewilderment at my lack of insurance co-pay.

"No, you don't owe us any money," the receptionist said. "You can just leave."

I asked one more time, just to be sure, before I sensed her growing irritation and quickly exited the premises.

Paid for through tax contributions, the National Health Service (NHS) is one of my favorite things about living in the UK. Also, in Wales, I was shocked to discover that prescriptions are free if you're registered with a general practitioner.

Brits don't take themselves too seriously

My English friend's beloved father passed away in mid-2025. On what would've been his father's birthday this year, he told me, "Dad's obviously not celebrating it, because he looks like the contents of a vacuum cleaner now."

The humor here can be dry and even dark, but I love how Brits "take the piss out of each other." On my first outing with friends, I was shocked to find that no subject is too precious to rip apart.

It didn't take long for me to adjust, though. When I first went to the US after spending some time in the UK, I was taken aback by how earnest and polite people seemed. Now, I make sure to recalibrate my sense of humor accordingly whenever I'm in the States.

I'm walking much more than I did in the US

Another surprise was how easily I could get around without a car. In Cardiff, I can walk just about anywhere I need to go in half an hour — which also helps me stay fit without much effort.

It's easy to explore the rest of Wales, too. I'd never been on a train before coming here, but with over 200 stations dotted around the country, it's become my favorite mode of transport. Now, I can access most cities and towns in Wales by rail.

Cardiff's walkability (and reliable public transit) is a stark contrast to the midsize US city I grew up in. Fort Lauderdale is a slightly smaller city — its population is just under 200,000, compared to Cardiff's, which is estimated to be around 400,000 — but I needed to drive everywhere, often in chaotic traffic.

Gun culture feels a lot less prevalent

I've yet to meet anyone over here who owns a gun. Firearms control in the UK is "among the toughest in the world," according to the UK government. In order to own a gun here, you need an explicit reason and approval from the police.

Plus, everyday police officers I see in the UK aren't strapped, either, which initially came as a huge shock after living in the US. That said, I have seen authorized firearms officers at large events or high-security locations, such as Buckingham Palace.

The food was way better than I'd hoped

Growing up, I'd heard that British cuisine was subpar, but I've had some of the best meals of my life here — most notably, Indian food, which was new to me and is now a serious dependency.

I'm subtracting a few points from the UK, though, for its ubiquitous use of corn, or "sweetcorn" as it's called here. It's found in sandwiches (usually mixed with canned tuna and mayo), in salads, and even on pizza. I'm still not sure why.

The wet weather doesn't stop anyone

When I was a college student in Gainesville, Florida, I would only select morning classes in the summer to avoid being caught in the torrential downpours that would hit every afternoon.

However, because the UK is so wet — at times for weeks or what feels like months on end — getting rained on is unavoidable. People here often walk around in gale-force winds and rain, seemingly unbothered.

When I first witnessed this, I was astonished, but it didn't take long for me to adjust and start doing it, too. The old Florida me would be horrified.

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