England

[BellaRuth]

I'm not sure if I'd count as foreign on Happier Abroad, being from a Western country, but feel free to ask anything you'd like, as in reality we do have quite a different culture from America

[Winston]

Yes I guess what's foreign to you is a matter of perspective. But you'd be a great advisor and source of info on England for sure.

What are your favorite places to visit in the UK? What do you think of Scotland or Ireland?

It's too bad you haven't been to America, if you did, you could do a thorough compare/contrast between the two cultures. I'd love to someday.

In general though, the English people I've met seem to be more broad-minded, down to earth, and soft/reserved than average Americans. But then again, most of the English people I've met are travelers, not regular working people.

[BellaRuth]

There are so many beautiful places in the UK. I do like central London, but I'm more drawn to the countryside.

I'd recommend every visitor checks out the South West, if possible. Many tourists go to Bath, but it's well worth the extra miles down to Devon or Cornwall. For me, nowhere beats the South West.

Scotland also has beautiful places but it seems to be a country of contrasts. On one hand you have elegant, historical and romantic Scotland, particulary in Edinburgh and the rural Highlands, but on the other hand you have a lot of poverty and desperation, particularly in Glasgow and the little industrial towns.

I haven't been to Ireland.

I'll definitely go to America one day. My boyfriend has been a few times and I've asked him about it. We'd love to visit Oregon and West Virginia because of the beautiful landscapes, and also one of the more traditional states such as Idaho, Iowa or Ohio (no idea what the difference is between these)! I love the idea of visiting 'real' America, going to all these places I've heard of- Wallmart, Taco Bell, the mall, and just seeing everyday life.

I'm not sure what to say about your views on English people. In my opinion the general English attitude is as you say, but as I am one of them, it's hard to tell. I can't really find much of a general difference between us and most Polish or German people who tend to integrate extremely well. We seem to be more fun than the Scandinavians yet more polite than the French or Spanish. I'd also point out that the vast majority of English people are travellers- I am the least well-travelled of anyone I know, and I've visited about 6 countries. I don't know one single person without a passport, or anyone who doesn't travel abroad once a year. After all, Europe and North Africa are no big deal at all to fly to, often relatively cheap and with no visa issues. Therefore don't think of travellers as a certain 'type'.

[Renata]

[NinjaPuppy]