Now that we’ve been in the UK just over two months, we’re finally settling in enough to share some real first impressions — the things that surprised us, delighted us, and made us rethink what “normal” even means.This week we talk about the beauty of the countryside and the way open spaces are woven into everyday life. It feels like everything is accessible here, from footpaths that cut across farmland to green spaces tucked between villages. We’re pretty sure the nationwide recycling culture plays a big role in how clean and cared-for everything feels, too.We also dive into how small so many buildings are compared to the US, how nothing gets torn down just because it’s old, and the strange-but-lovely contrast of narrow homes surrounded by endless fields. Add in the sense of community — pubs, cafés, tiny bars, and parks that seem purposely built for talking to actual humans — and it’s been genuinely refreshing.Representation and inclusion keep surprising us as well, especially in media and public life — it's interesting to notice how the UK does it differently. We wrap things up with our favourite British superpower: saying something negative in the most positive way imaginable. It’s not what you say… it’s how you say it.We also chat about:How many things do you really have when you say “a couple”?Can Americans get away with saying “quid”?What can you learn about a whole culture from the children’s menu?And with Christmas just around the corner, we’re getting excited for a festive month full of fun videos ahead.Finally, we've heard your recommendations and we are excited to pass those recommendations forward!Thanks for being here — and for letting us share what these first months have looked like from the inside.

🎧 New episodes daily

🌍 Visit ⁠⁠www.HowGreatIsBritain.com⁠⁠ for updates, resources, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠

#UKLife #LivingInTheUK #ExpatLifeUK #AmericansInUK #MovingToTheUK #BritishCountryside #UKCulture #BritishLife #UKTravel #DiscoverBritain #LifeInEngland #BritishChristmas #UKHolidays #CulturalDifferences #CommunityLife #SustainableLivingUK #RecyclingUK #CountrysideLiving #EnglandVlog #ExpatFamily #LifeAbroad

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After our time in Bristol, it was finally time to move into a place of our own—and what an adventure that turned out to be!This week, we share what it’s really like to rent a home in England, from the waiting and paperwork to navigating letting agents and figuring out how utilities actually work here. It’s a process that feels familiar and completely different all at once, and we learned a lot along the way.We’re also filming this episode from beautiful Cornwall, where we took a short break to celebrate Gemma’s birthday and catch our breath before the next chapter begins. And yes—after months of hints and guesses—we finally reveal where we’ve settled in England!

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

🌍 Visit ⁠www.HowGreatIsBritain.com⁠ for updates, resources, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain#MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #MovingAbroad #FromUSAtoUK #LifeInTheUK #UKRenting #ExpatJourney #BritishLife #RelocationJourney #FamilyMoveUK #LifeAbroad #InternationalMove #LivingInEngland #CornwallUK #NewHomeUK #LivingAbroad #RelocationUK #RentingUK

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After a tough week in England, we finally started to find our rhythm—and Bristol was exactly what we needed.

This week, we explore how the city helped us start to focus on something other than the stress of settling in and remember why we made this leap in the first place.

From returning the rental car and wandering the streets on foot, to discovering castles, museums, comedy nights, and river walks, Bristol quickly showed us there’s always something to do—and so much to enjoy.Places we visited included M-Shed, the Bristol Old Vic, Cabot Circus, the Bristol Improv Theatre, Victoria Park, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Blaise Castle, Freedog Soft Play, the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol Central Library, Arnolfini Arts, and even a hidden farm right in the heart of the city (Windmill Hill City Farm)!

There was still plenty of real life happening in the background (because moving abroad doesn’t pause for sightseeing), but Bristol gave us the chance to breathe, laugh, and just be in England for a bit.

So how great is Bristol? Listen and find out!

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

🌍 Visit ⁠⁠www.HowGreatIsBritain.com⁠⁠ for updates, resources, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠#BristolUK #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #MovingAbroad #FromUSAtoUK #LifeInTheUK #UKTravel #VisitBristol #BritishLife #RelocationJourney #FamilyMoveUK #TravelEngland #ExpatJourney #InternationalMove #LifeAbroad

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We still can’t quite believe this actually happened… we met Her Majesty the Queen.

In this unforgettable episode, we share the full story of our royal encounter in the UK — from the surreal moment we realised we were about to shake hands with the Queen, to what was said, how it felt, and the unexpected twist that made the day even more extraordinary (yes, it involved the BBC!).

As an American–British family who recently moved from the USA to England, moments like this stop us in our tracks and remind us exactly why we made this life-changing move. From anticipation and nerves to total disbelief, this was a true once-in-a-lifetime British experience.

If you love stories about life in the UK, moving abroad, expat life, or iconic British traditions, this episode is for you.

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

🌍 Visit ⁠www.HowGreatIsBritain.com⁠ for updates, resources, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

#MeetingTheQueen #RoyalFamily #RoyalEncounter #LifeInTheUK #MovingToEngland #ExpatLifeUK #AmericanInTheUK #BritishCulture #LondonLife #BBCExperience #MovingAbroad #USAtoUK #RoyalExperience #BritishTraditions #ExpatJourney

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What happens after the excitement of moving abroad wears off?

When there’s no car, no permanent home, and no clear sense of what comes next—what does starting over really feel like?

In this episode, we share the most emotionally challenging week of our move from the USA to England. After less than a week in Deal, Kent, we leave the coast behind and travel to Bristol, ready to begin the next phase of our UK relocation. What we encounter there, however, is far more difficult—and far more honest—than we expected.

This episode explores the emotional reality of moving to England, from culture shock and uncertainty to grief for the life we left behind. We talk openly about the quieter moments of an international move—the fear, the doubt, and the weight of rebuilding from scratch—balanced, as always, with humour, perspective, and two very large cups of tea.

If you’re considering moving to England, relocating from the USA to the UK, or navigating expat family life, this episode offers a real, unfiltered look at what the transition can feel like once the adrenaline fades.

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

🌍 Visit www.HowGreatIsBritain.com for updates, resources, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

#MovingToEngland
#FromUSAtoUK
#ExpatLife
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#LifeInTheUK
#InternationalMove
#RelocationJourney
#BristolUK
#FamilyMoveUK
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#CultureShock
#LifeAbroad

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After months of planning, paperwork, and emotional goodbyes, we finally made it—our family has officially moved from the USA to England 🇬🇧✈️

👉 Follow our full journey, resources, and episodes at www.HowGreatIsBritain.com

In this episode, we continue our international relocation journey as we pick up in Paris, where we’re reunited with our two dogs after their long transatlantic flight. From there, we drive through the French countryside, make an essential patisserie stop, navigate customs, and cross the Channel via the Dover ferry before arriving in Deal, Kent—our first home base in England.

Our first week living in the UK is filled with small, meaningful moments: exploring Deal Castle with our new English Heritage passes, walking the pebble beaches, finding heart-shaped stones, visiting the historic village of Sandwich, and taking our very first British bus ride. All while adjusting to jet lag, parenting abroad, and the surprise news that our household shipment would arrive far sooner than expected.

After an unforgettable week by the sea, we pack up the rental car and head west to Bristol, where the next chapter of our new life in Britain begins.

If you’re considering moving to England, relocating from the USA to the UK, or curious about expat family life, this episode offers an honest, real-time look at what the transition actually feels like.

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

Visit www.HowGreatIsBritain.com for updates, links, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

#MovingToEngland
#FromUSAtoUK
#ExpatFamily
#MovingAbroad
#LifeInTheUK
#InternationalMove
#RelocationJourney
#DealKent
#BristolUK
#BritishLife
#ExpatPodcast
#FamilyMove
#LivingInEngland

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How we left the US and our arrival in Paris, France, all in pursuit of moving to the UK!This week, we’re taking you back in time to our final days in America—a whirlwind of logistics, emotions, and last-minute adventures.Between prepping the dogs for international travel, selling a car we absolutely loved, and continuing to get rid of so much stuff, we were running on pure determination—and coffee (thanks, Starbies!). But it wasn’t all work. From a magical day at Disney World to an Epic one at Universal, and one final surprise involving tea and dolls, we made space for lots of fun before our goodbye.Through it all, we couldn’t have done any of it without our incredible friends, who showed up again and again to help us finish strong and make sure we actually got on that plane in time.In this episode, we share:• The heartbreak of realizing your childhood is now considered “ancient history”• How Covid ended up affecting the sale of our car• The surprising fate of Brett’s pillows• And did we actually bribe people to come say goodbye to us?

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

Website: www.HowGreatIsBritain.com

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠⁠#HowGreatIs #MovingAbroad #LeavingAmerica #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #AmericanInUK #FamilyMoveUK #FromUSAtoUK #DogsMovingAbroad #LifeAbroad #ExpatFamily

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It’s the last few days in our family home — and somehow everything is happening all at once.

We wrapped up our final garage sale (where even a professional garage-saler wanted our “trash”), only to realize that our “timely” plans were anything but.

Cue late nights cleaning until 4:30 a.m., frantic trips to the dump, and donation runs to clear out what was left behind.Then came the big moment: signing the paperwork to sell our house and emptying it out at the very last second — just as the new owner pulled into the driveway. Talk about timing.

Now that the house is no longer ours, we’re trying to slow down and play tourists in our own town before our international move to the UK begins. But of course, there are still boxes to sort, forms to fill, and plenty of loose ends to tie up.

In this episode of How Great is Britain, we share:• What to do when a professional garage-saler wants your trash• How tiny sunglasses let you get away with anything• The difference between moving internationally vs domestically• And how traumatic is it to throw out those plugs and wires you’ve been holding onto for a decade or more

So join us as we wrap up one chapter, stumble into the next, and try to catch our breath along the way!

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠⁠

#MovingAbroad #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #InternationalMove #FamilyMoveUK #SellingOurHouse #MovingWithKids #ExpatFamily #LeavingTheUSA

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It’s the final week before moving out of our home, and we’re knee-deep in piles of keep, donate, sell, and why-do-we-have-this-in-the-first-place?

From predawn starts to 2 AM finishes, we’ve been hustling to clear out our possessions and memories and literally put them out to sea.

And just to make things even more interesting, we accidentally packed our tea mugs—so we’re doing all this without our trusty cups of motivation!

In this episode, we explore:

• The chaos of sorting and downsizing in one final week

• The shipping container surprise that threw our plans off

• If a nursery rhyme makes for good hip hop

• And what to do when doubt inevitably starts creeping in

So pull up a seat (and a big mug—since we can’t), and join us for the latest chapter in this very full, very final week before the big move.

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠⁠

#MovingAbroad #UKMove #FamilyMoveUK #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #InternationalMove #HousePacking #Downsizing #GarageSale #FromUSAtoUK #RelocationJourney #AmericanInUK #ShippingContainerProblems #LeavingtheUSA

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We are officially in the thick of it. One week until we move out of our house—and suddenly, everything feels very real.

In this episode of How Great Is Britain, we’re clearing out years of clutter while preparing for our move from the USA to the UK. That means attic purges in 100-degree heat (37.7°C), back-to-back garage sales, and getting two dogs ready for international travel—all at the same time.

In the middle of the chaos, we’re also pausing to say thank you. Our channel grew significantly this week, and we’re genuinely grateful to everyone who’s following along on this journey. We couldn’t do this without you.

🎧 In this episode, we talk about:

• The rising stress of packing up an entire life

• Selling one home while trying to rent another—across the ocean

• The surprisingly confusing difference between UK, England, and Britain

• And yes… Brett and Gemma finally got haircuts. It was time.

So grab your favourite chair, make an aggressively large cup of tea, and catch up with us.
We’re so glad you’re here for the ride.

Take care,

Gemma & Brett

🎥 Prefer to watch? Full video episodes are on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

#MovingAbroad #UKMove #FamilyMoveUK #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #HousePacking #InternationalMove #UKRentalSearch #LifeInTransition #FromUSAtoUK #RelocationJourney #AmericanInUK #LeavingTheUsa