May 2020 – Closed The Distance

When I moved to the U.K., I didn’t realize how hard it would be to go without my favorite snacks. Don’t get me wrong, you can find a lot of US snacks in the U.K.-they even have American food sections in grocery stores! Over time, you do start to forget about your old favorite snacks. You do your shopping and you’ll find things that you really like! These are some things I’ve found in the last year that I absolutely love! If I live in America again, I would honestly miss these things.

1. Percy Pigs——freakin’ Percy Pigs, man!

If you have a sweet tooth and love gummy candies, this is the snack for you! These can be found at Marks and Spencer! They regular Percy Pigs, but they also have a Veggie Percy Pig that’s gelatin-free! They also have holiday-themed Percy Pigs for like Halloween or Easter and they’re so cute hahaha😂. The previous ward I worked on, we were so obsessed with Percy Pigs that we would take turns buying them every day haha. (I’m obsessed with the Veggie Percy Pigs btw😉😉) .

Don’t they look fab?

2. Cheese Tasters and Wotsits!!

You can find Cheetos puffs here, but they’re really small! I was missing the real deal. I went to Marks and Spencer and found Cheese Tasters and decided to try them! At first they didn’t quite taste like Cheetos puffs, but over time they grew on me and now I think I prefer them! Wotsits are really good too, but I think I prefer the Cheese Tasters! 😂 Wotsits you can find anywhere too!

3. Digestive biscuits

The Brits love dunking biscuits in their tea! I thought it was a strange concept, until I tried it one day! We bought some digestive biscuits one day and had some hot tea and now it’s a regular thing with me. The brand in particular is McVitie’s !😉You’ll never go back.

4. Salt and Vinegar Pringles

Brits are obsessed with salt and vinegar things! They put it in their chips (thick fries). We have Pringles in the US, but we have pizza and other random flavors! I tried the salt and vinegar flavor and now I’m obsessed. You can also find these at any store you go to!!

So addicting lol

5. Pot Noodle

If you’re missing Ramen Noodles, I highly suggest Pot Noodle (chicken and mushroom flavor is the best). They are £1 and a decent size! Just boil some water and pour it in the cup and it’s good to go! It comes with a little sachet of soy sauce! They have other flavors to pick from—-curry, beef & tomato, Bombay Bad Boy, chow mein , and others ! The most popular by far is chicken and mushroom 😍

These are just a few things I love here! I will come out with other things I enjoy and things that I really hate 😂 feel free to let me know what U.K. foods you like!

I have been meaning to write this, but I have observed a few things while living in the U.K.. some good and some..strange?😂

1. There are SO many KFC’s and barely any Taco Bells😂

I find it amazing what fast food chains have taken off in the UK. The US has so many popular fast food chains (Arby’s, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen), but somehow KFC has spread like wildfire in the U.K.! 😂. It is everywhere! I was quite surprised by that because it’s not as popular of a place in the US! As far as Taco Bell’s go, you they’re quite rare in London, and quite popular in northern England! It really sucks when you get an intense Taco Bell craving and there are none in your area ….😅. Their menu is also quite smaller and no cinnamon twists!😭

2. Ranch dressing does not exist here

Yep, I said it. A land where you can’t find any ranch dressing. You also see a lot of people eating salads without ANY dressing 😂. To satisfy my salad dressing needs, I am able to use Caesar dressing! I have introduced my boyfriend, Chris, to ranch and now he’s obsessed! We love to dip broccoli and carrots in it, even chicken nuggets! If you’re moving to the U.K., buy ranch packets, you can make your own.

3. Day drinking is not a popular thing

Americans love a warm summer day surrounded by family and friends drinking a cold beer in the afternoon and then continuing to drink in moderation all day 😂! If you ask a Brit if they want to have a pint of beer or some wine in the early afternoon, they might look a bit puzzled! Like you might be an alcoholic? They love to drink, but they tend to wait until the evenings to hit up the pub or have a good house party. 🍻 Don’t get me wrong, not every Brit is this way, but this is what I have observed since I have moved here! 😂 I remember when I lived in the US, I went to a winery with my mom in the summer and had wine slushies in the afternoon and I texted my British boyfriend what I was doing and it was like I had committed some sort of sin 😂

This awesome strawberry daiquiri in Miami

4. Unreliable trains

I was amazing at how many people in the U.K. don’t drive! In London a lot of people rely on the tube or walk everywhere and don’t have cars-I don’t blame them because the traffic looks horrendous in some parts! Even outside of London though in more rural areas where I thought more people would drive-they rely on their trains and bus services. The trains are good for the most part- not the cheapest, but they do get you around! I take the train to and from work every day, but some days your train will have signal failures so it is either extremely slow or just terminates there and you’re screwed. You must find a new way to your destination. There was a time I took a train to view a house and I thought I would take an earlier train so I could look around the town-my train had massive signal failures and I almost arrive to my viewing late… An hour delay I want to say? It’s nuts! At the moment, my train is hourly instead of 3-4 times an hour due to Covid-19! I’m so ready to drive 😅.

5. So many vacation days!

When I started my nursing job in the U.K., I started out with five weeks of vacation days! I was so surprised by that! They encourage you to take time off-it’s so great! I felt like I was pulling teeth just to get some time off in the US! Plus it’s so cheap to fly anywhere in Europe-you can take just a couple of days off and fly anywhere ! (Ryanair is a cheap airline that many people use-I recommend!).

Recent trip to Germany

Closed The Distance

Month: May 2020

My Favorite UK Snacks 🇬🇧

Things That Surprised Me About the U.K.