By Ambarish Awale,Lucy Marshall

Copyright dailyrecord

Moving to a new city, especially one that’s a considerable distance from home or abroad, can be both an exciting and daunting experience. You may have spent years daydreaming about your new life and the places you’ll see, hoping it all matches up to your dreams. After finishing her studies in America, 23 year old Kayley took the plunge and moved to Edinburgh , despite admitting she had “no knowledge” of Scotland or its customs. She shared her excitement online: “I’ll never get over getting to live out the childhood dream.” Since arriving two months ago, she has embraced Edinburgh’s storied past, settled into a flat in the heart of the city, and even made Tesco her go-to supermarket. Yet, some elements of British culture have left her completely baffled. She told her TikTok audience: “It’s a miracle that I have survived here on my own for a month.” Kayley went on to list the top four cultural surprises she’s faced since her move across the pond, reports Glasgow Live . In the US, what we call petrol stations are known as ‘gas stations’ – and that’s just the start of the differences. Kayley observed that petrol stations and their procedures are “so different” in the UK compared to back home. Unlike the American custom of paying before pumping, Brits typically fill their tanks first and then settle the bill at the till. Even though she doesn’t plan on purchasing a car while in the UK, the American expressed that she finds this British approach “really weird”. Being a devotee of ranch sauce, Kayley struggled to find it anywhere in the UK. This tangy, creamy American salad dressing is usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, black pepper, and herbs. Kayley observed: “Ranch is not a thing here – never have I felt more American than when I was trying to explain what it is to a group of Europeans and they were like ‘it is mayonnaise’. “Like no. Like honestly ranch sounds disgusting when you’re trying to explain it.” She also noticed how distinct the coffee culture is. Kayley pointed out: “They also don’t have coffee creamer, it’s not a thing that they use here so they like didn’t know what it was. “They just don’t do the same funky latte flavours that we have in the US, but matchas are really big thing.” Kayley was immediately struck by the differences in UK plug sockets when she settled into her new place. She was surprised to learn that switches must be turned on for electronics to work in the UK. She said: “I kept forgetting to turn on my microwave… There are so many light switches in this room it freaks me out. “Bathroom lights are also automatic and so are the hall lights in my apartment and it just really freaks me out sometimes. “I also learnt what a towel radiator was and I had never seen that in my life.” Kayley admitted that she initially thought ‘pence’ was an outdated term, and was shocked when she discovered it was still in use in contemporary Britain. She went on: “Once I got the hang of pound and pence, people started throwing around this term ‘quid’ and I was like what is this new money term that I now have to learn.. “I thought there was a whole new type of currency I was going to have to learn about.”