9 things America does better (sorry Britain!)

I loved living in the UK, but there were comforts from North America that I missed. After eight years in England, I went looking at people’s suggestions online about things America did better. Some were things I’d already been complaining about myself. Air conditioning was right near the top.

I’m Canadian, so I was comparing those suggestions with my own life back home as well as my life here. I didn’t need to dislike Britain to miss something familiar. In summer, the difference between enjoying the heat outside and being stuck in it indoors was particularly hard to ignore.

I used to love summer

Growing up, I took air conditioning for granted. If I was hot and sweaty outside, I could go indoors and cool down. I loved summer under those conditions. The heat wasn’t something I had to carry through every part of the day.

In England, I found myself working on my computer in a hot house, sweating while I used the keyboard. I felt as though I couldn’t escape the heat. If I could have had air conditioning here, I would have. Instead, I’d become much more of an autumn girl, despite having been a summer person before.

That was what I missed: being able to move between the hot outdoors and a cool home. I still wanted to enjoy summer, but working indoors without that relief had changed how I felt about it.

The unobstructed view came with flies

Window screens were another suggestion I agreed with, although my first reaction to the windows here had been positive. I hadn’t previously seen windows without screens in North America. When I moved, I thought the clear view outside was lovely. No mesh between me and what I was looking at.

Then came the downside. Opening the windows let flies and bees inside, and once they were there, they couldn’t seem to find their way back out. They’d fly against the glass rather than use the opening right beside it. My partner found that really annoying, and I understood why.

I noticed it when filming, too. I’d open the windows because I was hot, then need to close them and put the blinds down to record. A fly that had come inside could end up trapped in the room with me. Screens were one of those familiar things I appreciated much more after living without them.

A porch swing was a lovely idea

Somebody mentioned porch swings, and I loved that suggestion. I hadn’t come across one here, although that didn’t mean nobody had one. It reminded me of spending time at friends’ houses back home, sitting on the porch with snacks and music during the summer.

I thought that was such a lovely way to spend an evening. A swing on a porch didn’t need to be a complicated or exciting activity. It was somewhere to sit with people and enjoy being outside, and the suggestion immediately brought those memories back.

More space made driving easier for me

Wider roads and car parks also made my list. Driving in England had felt overwhelming at times, particularly when a road carried traffic in both directions but seemed only wide enough for one car. Add parked cars and it got even harder. It felt quite different from the roads I’d been used to in North America.

I wasn’t speaking as somebody happily driving around every day. I’d sold my car in 2020. Even so, I could remember how much more comfortable extra road space had felt, and why it was something people brought up in the discussion.

Convenience was what I kept coming back to

Thinking about the suggestions, I felt there was a broader difference in emphasis. In my experience, North American homes often gave you conveniences such as air conditioning, window screens and a dryer alongside the washing machine. Here, I noticed more character and history in the buildings, even when that made adapting them feel less straightforward.

I liked that character. I could appreciate living somewhere with old buildings and still wish I wasn’t sweating at my desk or chasing a fly around the room. Those everyday comforts were things I’d barely needed to think about growing up. After eight years away, I knew exactly which ones I missed.

Watch the home comforts and other things I missed.