My British born kids made many observations about America and loved experiencing a different place with a different climate and spending time with American relatives and friends.

Here is what they did and thought:

• The toilets are great, they actually suck stuff down and flush automatically
• Why are there such big gaps in between the toilet doors? People can see in!
• You have to ask where the bathroom or restroom is (not the toilet). But there isn’t a bath in there nor do you go there to rest – ??
• Loved meeting and hanging out with American cousins
• Loved seeing and spending time with American grandparents
• Loved meeting up with American friends who used to live in the UK
• Everything is bigger – the food, the drinks, the roads, the cars, the houses, the bathrooms, the fridges, the stores, the cats, the bugs, the parking spaces, the signs, the trucks, the space between things, the trees, the rivers, the lakes, the crisp packets, the restaurants – everything is bigger
• American snacks are addictive
• Walking isn’t the same – there’s too much space in between places so it takes too long to walk
• Best new discovery – confetti eggs
• Best city – NOLA
• Best restaurant – Perla’s in Austin Texas
• Best beach – Jupiter Island, Florida
• Best store – The Dollar Tree
• Best American service – free refills
• Best street – South Congress, Austin Texas
• Best unexpected gem – Railroad Arts, Tallahassee
• My eldest ate a burger of some type nearly every single day
• My youngest had a coca cola (or two) nearly every single day and is now having withdrawal symptoms
• They found the money to be very confusing but people were kind and helpful
• Swimming pools are everywhere. This is a major attraction.
• Americans love their ice. We loved their ice!
• Gas is amazingly cheap – we over budgeted for our road trip
• Everyone smiled. Everyone said hi, everyone waved hello
• The 12 hour drive across Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be
• Now, a 4 hour car journey is a walk in the park – in America that is
• Cruise control. What a great invention. Would never work in the UK!
• Florida lives up to its name – the Sunshine State
• There are literally millions of places to eat
• People eat out – a lot. And not just for dinner. They eat out for breakfast, lunch AND dinner
• The outdoor culture is different and refreshing
• The wildlife – wow. Just wow
• We all made new friends – humans, reptiles and mammals

And here is a small selection of our photos:

A huge thank you to our travel agent Louise of Travel Counsellors who helped us with kindness and efficiency in a most difficult and distressing situation. We don’t know what we would have done without her.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger and mother of three.

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So what is going on over there and how has it got so crazy? According to what I hear from the British public, they think the whole election is a complete joke with Trump being called a “baffoon” by British politicians. I asked a few American expats who live here in Britain and also some Americans based in the States what they think.

Valerie Adler is an American who lives in Britain, France and goes back to the States for long stays:

“Donald Trump has every right to be a self-involved, self-aggrandising, pompous ass. What worries me is the sheer number and collective frenzy of his fans. By all appearances, many (half? more?) American voters are more motivated by sensationalism rather than sense. The GOP process is a complete circus in which the candidates win applause by ridiculing one another’s private parts in one moment, and invoking a Christian God in the next to defend indefensible positions on immigration, abortion and healthcare. There is not one Republican hopeful who makes me feel even a shred of hope.

The man who should be president is unlikely even to run. Bernie Sanders is thoughtful, outward looking and a true force for good…for the country, for the environment and for women. Much as I will be happy to see a woman in the Oval Office, I have reservations about Hillary’s loyalties to corporate America.”

Heidi Walker is an American who lived in Britain for nearly 20 years, China for 2 years and is now currently living in North Carolina, USA:

“Since I am an optimist by nature I choose to see the positive aspect of the current US presidential race for both the Republican and Democratic parties.

I am also a registered Democrat and my choice of candidate at the moment is Bernie Sanders. I will be happy if Hillary Clinton is the eventual Democratic nominee but I am partial to Bernie’s views on healthcare for all. This is in no small part due to the almost 20 years that I spent living and working in the UK and singing the praises of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). For years I told my British friends about the high cost of medical insurance in the US and I marveled at how the NHS is taken for granted. Imagine having a baby and never seeing a bill, or needing to file an insurance claim. That is the reality in the UK. And is just one example of how healthcare as a “right for all” plays out.

On a more subtle level, imagine leaving a job that you are no longer enjoying and not having to worry about losing healthcare insurance for you and your family. Yep, once again this is reality in the UK. No system is perfect and I was a huge fan of Obama because of his commitment to make health insurance more accessible for Americans. So that is one of my primary reasons for supporting Bernie Sanders in the primary stage.

Now, I must turn my attention to Donald Trump’s attempt to secure the Republican nomination and the fact that it looks like he will do exactly that. I choose not to react with fear but rather I choose to be optimistic because I believe that the majority of American’s feel as I do that his racist rhetoric is dangerous and reminiscent of Hitler.

The media is expert at crafting continuous “breaking news” and in many ways the media has played a role in Trump’s rise. He has received four times as much coverage as any other Republican candidate because he drives ratings, pure and simple.

The other reason that I choose to remain optimistic that good will prevail, by which I mean a Democratic candidate will win if Trump is the Republican nominee, is that this election cycle has energized the disenfranchised on both sides of the aisle. Finally, Americans are calling out the campaign finance system that can only be called corrupt at best. Finally, Americans are demanding that their candidates are authentic and not simply spinners of headline making sound bites.

The American public is engaged in this election like no other, turnout for the primaries is breaking records and that is another reason to be optimistic.

If every American who has the right to vote gets it and exercises their right then I am confident that Donald Trump will experience being on the other side of his own boardroom table and the American people can send him a resounding “You’re fired” message.

God Bless America

And this from an American Facebook connection on Bringing Up Brits:

So, this kind of sums up how a lot of us see trump right now lol…

So, as we pack for our trip to the mother country, the land of opportunity and freedom, we are excited (so excited!!) but also apprehensive about what we will find and what we’ll see. It is certainly an interesting time to go back ‘home’ and hopefully an educational time too for my British family. From my point of view, the main objective for us is to spend time with family and friends, have fun – lots of fun – and learn and see new things. It is also the first time in 12 years that I will see my sister and we get to meet her two sons and spend some time hanging out with them and getting to know each other. Hopefully we’ll do just that. Hasta la vista, baby!

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger and mother of three.

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Yesterday all my children asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day and I said just them. Seriously. I’d like to spend it all together – and we are. Birthday lunch then cake and ice cream for the birthday girl at home with friends and family. Although no one can come till much later in the day because they all have plans with their own mums or mother’s in law, again, epic mum fail on my part!

Ho hum, let’s focus on what is really exciting; my second child and only girl is turning 13 years old. 13. Teenager. She’s smart, talented, beautiful, generous and kind. And she’s a teenager. And with that comes trauma, drama, stink, mess, lip, rebellion, independence, frustration and stress. And lots of cake.

Happy Birthday to my gorgeous daughter Anna Grace Victoria Fenn.

Photo by Pete Jenkins

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger and mother of three.

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Hurry, competition ends Monday March 1st!

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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What I found so interesting was that because we both landed in the UK around the same time (Elfa arrived only three years after I moved here) we were both very settled and very used to life in the UK as Americans married to British men and with British born children. Often times when I meet other Americans I’m the ‘veteran’ where as with Elfa, we’d had very similar experiences during the ‘early days’. (Don’t get me wrong, of course I don’t mind being the ‘old’ one, the one who’s been here longer because I love supporting people and talking to about what it’s like to live here.) So it was great to chat and get to know one another while on the exact same wavelength.

We did have some giggles about American vs British which is always good fun! And we each told our yogurt stories and how our children mock us, scold us and get angry at us for pronouncing yogurt the wrong way. We say yo-gurt with a short o that rhymes with ‘go’ instead of saying it the British way e.g. yog-urt with a long o that rhymes with ‘log’. If you’re not sure what I mean, listen to this.

I think it’s normally more pronounced than that example but it does give an idea of the different pronunciations. Although we do both pronounce some words the British way and we both use lots of British words, phrases and colloquialisms, saying yogurt the British way is simply one step too far!

The reality is that we’ve both become very British in our own ways, obviously because of our surroundings, our husbands and of course our children. But maybe there’s more to it than that? We love living here (for me, it took a long time to love it here) and we both like the quality of life and what is on offer with regards to bringing up children and all that entails such as school and healthcare. I’ve not met many other Americans here who are like that. Most still very much have the American mindset (in the negative sense of comparing and contrasting in a critical way) and are here only as a stop-gap or for a temporary work placement. It was a real pleasure to meet another American who, apart from where we each live, is very much like me and in a similar expat/American/British situation.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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I’ve laughed, cried, guffawed and cheered with the Crawley family and their jolly servants and fell in love with Sybil, Tom, Matthew, Mrs Patmore and even Carson and Edith (poor Edith no more!). I have my sister-in-law to thank for introducing me to Downton Abbey a few seasons in but I caught up on them and then joined in for the final two. And now it’s over and my education has ended.

Here is what I’ve learned from Downton Abbey (a few of them tongue in cheek of course!):

• Why British houses don’t have closets – they didn’t need them because they had people to bring in their clothes and then take them away again
• Why British people love tea so much and that it’s essential to brew a whole pot when you want to “have a word” with someone
• Why women wear hats at weddings
• Why the Fat Controller wears a top hat
• Where being indirect comes from “So, will we be seeing more of Mr. Gillingham?” AKA “Are you going to marry him?”
• Why people care so much about the class system
• Why people place so much importance on social etiquette – one mustn’t embarrass others by not having the appropriate set of tails
• That black tie is less formal than white tie (I think??)
• Why British people think all Americans are rich and vulgar
• Why people call my boys Master ie., Master George (love this!)
• The British have a deep respect for kindness and thoughtfulness
• Why a good cup of tea makes you feel better and can solve all your problems
• That posh people sound exactly the same no matter where you are in Britain
• Why children are put to bed so early and not allowed to eat with the parents
• That you’d better make sure your husband has a will or your inheritance might bypass you
• How to do that thing when you smile or nod to show that you understand but don’t actually say anything out loud or directly to that person
• How to do that knowing look to a stranger when their child is screaming or they are carrying too many heavy things, for example, to show your solidarity and understanding but you don’t actually say anything because if you did, you’d break the code of conduct and then all would be lost
• When to stop speaking and to simply nod
• That ‘we could do that‘ means ‘I’m never ever ever in a million years going to do that’
• That ‘You’re very kind’ actually means ‘I love you and want to kiss you and have your babies’
• Making snooty remarks and being mean to each other is totally acceptable behavior and really, if you don’t do that then you’re not being very friendly at all
• You don’t have to be a princess to wear a tiara to dinner, you just have to be the daughter of an Earl
• British formality still sometimes makes me do a double take, internally only of course
• Still don’t understand the difference between a butler and footman!
• Where eating with your fork upside down comes from
• London was a very charming place – it still is

So, as I continue my study of the Life in The UK for my citizenship, I will never forget how Downton, in its own small way, contributes to my love of this country.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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Here’s our Christmas in pictures.

Happy New Year everyone!

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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I had not celebrated Thanksgiving properly before, nor remembered much of the American culture I had experienced 4 years ago on our Holiday to Florida so I didn’t exactly know what to expect. As soon as we walked through the door we were greeted warmly by people we didn’t even know yet they still managed to keep conversations amongst themselves whilst saying hello to us. It was very crowded (for me) but nobody seemed to care or notice. It then occurred to me that British and American cultures were so vastly different that it seemed almost futile to attempt to compare them or say that one made more sense than the other. It wasn’t just the loud stereotype that defined the Americans I met however I did feel like the British stereotype of being anti-social and being reserved was precisely how I was acting- or trying not to act like. I find it strange how the day before I felt like I was just me but when being one of the very few people in that house who was born and considered themselves British, I felt like nothing more than a stereotypical English girl. Not that that’s a bad thing, it just was strange how this experience changed my view of myself entirely. The counter tops were lined with dishes of thanksgiving food that we ate. This included: Chocolate pie, macaroni and cheese, bean bakes, casseroles, pumpkin, turkey, ect. For the most part during the evening we talked and ate food. – Anna Grace, age 12

It was like I was in America as everyone was so different to how British people are, for example the woman who was hosting the thanksgiving party didn’t even notice as we walked straight into the house until she recognised my mum. We then just helped ourselves to plates of food and socialised with the people there. They were all very welcoming and nice and seemed very happy to talk with us about this and that, this gave the whole event a very social and fun atmosphere. – Sam, age 14

We are so thankful for this experience, a little bit of American culture weaved into our British lives.
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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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What a special day, hope everyone is having a wonderful time and has lots to be thankful for.

We are breaking tradition and having an American Thanksgiving dinner with American expats in Brighton and Hove. So, a VERY special celebration this year!

Plus, it’s my birthday today

And… Happy Birthday to my Dad and to my little sister. A VERY special day indeed!

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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This trip was made special by our discovery of the city of Malaga. We’ve been to Spain as a family at least six times, probably more, flying in and out of Malaga airport. But we had never actually visited the city. Of course we’ve been all over the Costa del Sol to Nerja, Maro, Almeria, Torremolinos and Torrox etc, but we had never actually spent any time in Malaga itself. Why not? I have no idea! Somehow we just never considered it to be worth going to – silly really as it’s a fantastic city. So, this trip we decided we would rectify our mistake.

I recommend Malaga, especially if you have children. There’s tons to do from the family oriented harbour front to the playgrounds dotted around, to the interactive museums and beautiful walks. Stunning Spanish architecture, cultural capital of the Costa del Sol and all round great place to simply sit in one of the many cafes and contemplate the world around you. And of course to people watch. We were only there for one afternoon and I’m sure there’s much more to see and do so we’ll plan another visit into our itinerary for next time.

Meanwhile, it’s back to work and school starting with a business course that I’m teaching tomorrow. Best get going with my lesson plan!

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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