A British woman who moved to America has revealed all the ways life in America has changed her.
Millie Hart, 31, moved from the West Midlands to Ohio with her husband Mark and their children more than two years ago.
Post under your TikTok handle @milliehart01The mother regularly shares videos about being British in America, including the differences between the houses, food and even American phrases she now prefers.
She has amassed more than 1.2 million followers, who watch her as she navigates life in a country different from the one she grew up in.
This week she published a video in which she reflects on how the United States has changed her so far, after a few years of installation, and it has already been seen by more than 180,000 people.
Millie Hart, 31-year-old British expat, moved from the West Midlands to sunny Ohio with her husband Mark and their children more than two years ago.
I can’t live without air conditioning
Millie admits that now, after getting used to the air conditioning, she can’t go without fresh air and has difficulty when she visits home.
She told viewers: ‘I couldn’t live without air conditioning. I came back to England last year and my dad literally called me “the air conditioning girl.”
‘I cried and moaned the whole time because it was too hot, there was no air conditioning and I couldn’t breathe.
‘I never realized how much the British need air conditioning until I went back there and asked ‘why don’t we have it? Why do we suffer like this?’
Driving further is no big deal
Secondly, while the West Midlands native might previously have considered driving to another UK city a long trip, her time in America has led her to be more accustomed to traveling further afield.
Millie explained: ‘Driving four hours is no big deal. Until I moved here, driving literally 30 minutes down the road in Britain was like going out for the day.
This week she published a video in which she reflects on how the United States has changed her so far, after a few years of installation, and it has already been seen by more than 180,000 people.
“I don’t know if it’s because there’s more traffic and it takes longer to get places than here, but honestly, long car trips have become more normal for me.
‘I’m used to it. I drive forty minutes to Keagan school and forty minutes back twice a day, it doesn’t bother me.
Decoration for the seasons
Autumn, or as Americans call it, is just another season for those of us in the UK, and a sad one at that.
But for those who live in the United States, falling leaves are an excuse to celebrate and dress your home in glorious orange and red decor, something Millie is now a big fan of.
She said, “I do things like decorate for fall; yes, I have pumpkins.” I have real pumpkins in my house in the fall and a doormat that says “Hello Fall.” I’ve never done that in my life.
The mother continued: ‘And I say things like ‘Damn, did you just see that raccoon run down the road?’ and “We’re going to hit that deer if you don’t slow down” and “Damn raccoons are back in the trash can.”
Relying on heating pads
Millie’s fourth point, and perhaps most specific, is that heating pads are popular in the US and she now relies on them, even though she has never used them in the UK.
She told her followers: ‘I didn’t realize how important heating pads were. I feel like everyone in America has a heating pad.
‘And now, a little pain in the back: a heating pad.
“My American friends call me if I have back, stomach, knee or head problems: heating pad.”
As the TikToker has a mixed following around the world, both British and American social media users took to the comments to talk about cultural differences.
Basketball hoops, green grass, and storm doors are important
Delving into other quirks she’s noticed about herself since crossing the pond, she revealed that Americans take a lot of pride in the garden and that basketball hoops are an important feature.
The 31-year-old joked: “I’m the proud owner of a basketball hoop and it has bricks on it so the wind doesn’t blow it away.”
‘Having green grass is more important than anything else. I will not be defeated, my grass will be the greenest and if I see a weed in that grass, oh no. There are no dandelions around here.
He added: “Now I say things like, ‘Close that storm door, it’s going to rain in a minute,’ and ‘Who left the storm door open because the wind comes and blows?’ In the end, that storm door will break.”
A storm door is a type of door that is installed in front of an exterior access door to protect it from bad weather and allow ventilation; They are common in the US, but we don’t have them in the UK.
Changing tea for coffee
The last way Millie changed her life is potentially the most offensive to Brits: she swapped tea for coffee.
In the UK, there aren’t many problems that can’t be solved with a hot drink, but in the US most homes don’t even have electric kettles.
She sheepishly admitted: ‘I don’t offer people a cup of tea anymore, I offer coffee and I also drink it myself. I have a coffee machine.’
As the TikToker has a mixed following around the world, both British and American social media users took to the comments to talk about cultural differences.
Speaking of the 40-minute journey Millie takes every day, one surprised Brit wrote: “A 40-minute journey here would take me to Manchester.”
Meanwhile, an American exclaimed: ‘I just bought a teapot for the first time and I don’t understand how we live without it as Americans.’ “It’s very convenient.”
Another questioned: ‘The lack of air conditioning [aircon] In other places it baffles me. It’s so charming. Why suffer?’
“It took me three working days to figure out what air conditioning is,” joked one British viewer, while another argued: “But we’d only need air conditioning for two weeks a year.”
However, others revealed they had already made the switch, with one writing: “Putting air conditioning in our UK home is literally the best upgrade we’ve ever made.”
Another chimed in: ‘I’m with you on the air conditioning! We installed it last summer (live in the UK) – an absolute game changer!’
‘The heating pad is the truth. “That’s what the Midwest is like living there,” one US native joked, and another asked, “Are you all [sic] Are there no heating pads in England?
Mille explained: “We do, but I’ve never had one.”
Other Americans joked: “What have we done to him?” and ‘She said autumn, not autumn.’ You’re American now.’
“Fall decorations are the best, right?” someone else gushed.