Inside Map: Fill & Download for Free

That is a good question and exactly the one my husband and I contemplated eight years ago. Eventually we followed a very good friend of ours down to Florida which was closer to our place of origin, Atlanta. But we both love Arizona as well.While I have not actually lived in Arizona we have visited the state many times and surrounding areas. What’s not to love? Desert sunsets. 80 degree winters, Fantastic shopping. The Grand Canyon. World renowned golf courses. Similar to Florida, Arizona’s senior population grows in the winter months with nearly 300,000 retirees temporarily settling in Arizona for the winter months. Over 17% of the state’s population is 65 or older and boasts over 100 age-restricted communities. Also like Florida, Arizona does not tax on social security income. There is also no gift tax, estate tax, or inheritance tax. This can make a huge impact for seniors living off of their savings. With so many seniors, the hospitals have to be top notch, and they are.If you are a gardener like I am, it’s not about green in Arizona. My husband asked me, “Why do you love it so much when you can’t garden here?” Of course he was wrong, you can xeriscape with rock gardens, cacti and drought resistant blooming plants. If you are up in the mountains you can have a few evergreen and deciduous trees. What Arizona IS about is RED mountains, brilliant BLUE skies and WHITE clouds! Sedona takes my breath away. Literally. I didn’t know Sedona was known as a vortex when I first arrived, but I can honestly say that I felt the power of the place. I went into a crystal shop, because I’m a rock hound, and the girl behind the counter asked, “Are you here to be healed?” I answered, “Uh, no, I’m staying at the Hilton”. A non-sequitur, but she surprised me. “Well”, she continued, “the spiritual vortex is right up the street at the airport mesa for your healing and transformation”. I don’t doubt that for a moment! My husband is a private pilot and we flew our small, single engine plane into Sedona because there are no commercial airlines flying into or out of the town. You have to fly into Phoenix and rent a car to drive up or fly private. The airport is located on top of a mesa. You climb up, up, up, over the mountains, followed by drop, drop, drop, down onto a flat piece of rock like an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean and then hit the brakes - without a hook! Yeah, healing and transformation, lol.There are many beautiful state parks in Arizona where you can hike, snow ski in the north, fish, raft, boat or off-road in a jeep. My husband and I have rafted down the Colorado river and camped in the Grand Canyon, as well as taken a mule caravan down to Teddy Roosevelt’s old hunting camp, Phantom Ranch, which has been converted into overnight tourist facilities. Great to enjoy a shower, air conditioning, a cold drink and a steak dinner at the end of a long mule ride. It’s a different world down there. I highly recommend it.SedonaSedona, Chapel of the Holy CrossMule Ride Down the Grand Canyon(These are the mules we rode but the above photo is my first crude attempt at moving one image into another. The red rock is actually in Sedona.)Arizona Cliff DwellingArizona PictographsNow for some negative thoughts on Arizona as a retirement mecca. Arizona is HOT! But, you know, it’s a dry heat, they always say. That means to me you are watching your neighbor spontaneously combust, and you don’t have enough spit to put him out. Flying into Phoenix, I looked down and saw hundreds of swimming pools because it’s the only way people can be comfortable there I imagine. Come home, take the clothes off, and jump in the pool. I have to wonder about the evaporation rate from those pools though. It must be extreme. Everybody says that Phoenix will be the first U.S. city to run out of water. It does seem likely to me that parts of Arizona will face the same force that overwhelmed ancient civilizations in the past, extended drought. If that isn’t enough, think about how far the fallout from a super volcano explosion, like Yellowstone, would reach.Yellowstone volcano: This map shows the simulated ash fallout from a Yellowstone super eruption. (Image: Larry Mastin)Regarding Florida, my husband and I moved here because we liked the lifestyle; laid back and comfortable with good neighbors and cocktails at five. Every shopping store we need is here. Good hospitals are here. Fun things to see and do are here. It’s flat and there are no stairs - not even at the malls - if you happen to have knee or hip issues. It’s always sunshiny, except when it’s raining. The opposite of Arizona, Florida is hot and muggy as opposed to hot and dry. It’s a tropical environment. People from Viet Nam are perfectly at home here. Being a gardener, I spent the first couple months learning about palm trees, warm-weather grasses, and tropical perennials, which is a loose term because just about everything is a perennial in Florida. The only thing that will not grow here is any plant which requires a definite cold, dormant period. You won’t have that in Florida.“Winter” occurs during the months of late December to the end of January. February is spring. We have not had the heat on in our house one time since we’ve been here. But our neighbor down the street has his fireplace going when the temps outside dip to 50F, lol, so it’s a personal thing. That’s why there are so many snowbirds in Florida who arrive after Thanksgiving and depart around Easter. The rest of us just stay inside or at our pools. Oh yes, you will need a pool and a lanai. I had never heard the term “lanai” until I came to Florida. It’s a screened in area outside for entertaining with a portion of the roof overhanging and a couple fans to provide a shaded area. Frequently a lanai encloses a pool, another essential for a very hot climate. And a screened in room is required because there are mosquitoes galore in Florida!LanaiThe wildlife in Florida is incredible! Florida is a paradise for many species of birds due to the abundant lakes, rivers, canals and oceanside, of course. If you like the ocean, you will be happy in Florida. The water is bluer on the west side near the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic on the east side is cooler and greyer with shark migrations every year north to south, just like the birds. My husband and I live on the east side next to a “preserve” (swamp) and it is idyllic for us as we are amateur naturalists. Every week we see tortoises, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes, alligators, pileated woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles (FL is second in the nation, behind Alaska), egrets, sandhill cranes, anhingas, blue herons, opossum, armadillo, raccoon, coyotes, deer, wild pigs (rarely) and black bears (rarely). The bears don’t hibernate here so you need to be careful about your bird feeders. If a bear shows up, take the feeders in so it will go raid someone else’s. Don’t think because you’re in the suburbs that you will not see wildlife here.Backyard Sandhill CranesGolf Course CompanionAnhinga Drying It’s WingsNow the bad. Florida is a Republican state. Before Trump, that wasn’t a problem for me; now it is. Many of the people here are brainwashed. If you never talk to anyone other than another Trumper and you only watch FOX News how could you possibly have a realistic view of the country, much less the world? I have had people tell me, "I only care about what happens in MY zip code." Our former governor, Rick Scott, now in Washington, decreed that Florida’s official documents could not use the terms “climate change” or “global warming” because they were not “true facts”. Tell that to the city planners and builders in Miami busy installing pumps and dikes. Never forget, Florida was at the bottom of the ocean in ages past and it will be again. The time frame, according to climate specialists is noticeable differences within 50 years. If you are purchasing property for investment purposes…don’t. Ron DeSantis, our current governor, was in a race with Georgia over who could open their state fastest during the Coronavirus lockdown, and now we are spiking again. Wearing a mask has become a political statement rather than the safety requirement that it should be, and the same people not wearing masks are the ones rushing to the bars, restaurants and beaches like lemmings over the cliff. You know how they have safety mottos? For example, “click it or ticket”? How about “mask it or casket”?But enough of that. Overall, Florida is a great spot to retire. Like Arizona, there is much to see here (besides Mickey) in the way of state parks. The terrain is not as dramatic, but the flora and fauna are a wonder. And unlike Arizona, you will never need to use hand cream.Space X Launch From Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral

AlabamaTuskegee University, formerly the Tuskegee institute, is paradoxically both where the famed African-American Air Group the ‘Tuskegee Airmen’ were educated, and also where the Tuskegee syphilis experiments were conducted against unwitting African-American patients.AlaskaWhich state do you think has the longest coastline, is it long and coastal California? Ocean on both sides Florida? Island Hawaii? No, in fact it is monstrous Alaska with her multitude of islands all along the coast. In fact, it’s not even close, Alaska has 5 times as much coastline as Florida.ArizonaSonora Arizona is a beautiful, weird, and wonderful place full of cacti, crystal shops, rock formations, and UFO spotters. I don’t know whether to love this town or hate it.ArkansasThe largest diamonds ever found in the US, were found in Arkansas, including the Esperanza, valued at over $1,000,000.CaliforniaYou might know that California has the biggest economy of any state, but do you realize how big it is? With a GDP of $2.751 Trillion their economy is larger than that of the United Kingdom.ColoradoDespite it’s image of high mountain peaks, Mt. Elbert, the highest point in Colorado, is only the 14th tallest mountain in the United States. In fact 12 of the 15 tallest mountains in the US are in Alaska.ConnecticutAlong with Rhode Island, Connecticut is one of only two states which rejected the 18th Amendment prohibiting alcohol, because they know how to party.DelawareBecause of the friendliness of Delaware law to corporations, 320 Fortune 500 companies are registered in Delaware, including 1209 Orange St. in Wilmington where 15% of all companies in the United States are based.FloridaPeople often think of the “Florida man,” when they think of Florida. But the truth is that Florida gets a bad rap. Because of a law that makes police reports available to the public it’s much easier for the local news to get ahold of stories like these. They happen in every state, you just hear about them in Florida.GeorgiaBecause of a number of laws incentivizing production, Georgia has recently become a movie mecha, with over 700 movies and tv shows being produced there including Captain America: Civil War, Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, The Hunger Games, and more.HawaiiThe Hawaiian flag has a Union Jack on it because the former King of Hawaii was an anglophile, who wanted the British Empire to annex his Kingdom, but in a very uncharacteristic move, they declined to do so in order not to stir the pot with the United States, who also had her eyes on Hawaii.IdahoBecause of it’s isolation, Idaho is a popular destination for preppers, cults, and anti-government extremists. In 1992 it was the site of the famous Ruby Ridge standoff between federal law enforcement and Randy Weaver, an anti-government, white supremacist, Christian fundamentalist.IllinoisDespite people thinking of Chicago when they think of Illinois, more than 80% of Illinois’ land is used for farming.IndianaIndianans are called Hoosiers, and Indiana is the Hoosier State, but no one actually knows what a Hoosier is.IowaIowa is much more of a swing state than a lot of people realize. We think of it as conservative but it voted for Obama twice, for Clinton twice, and for Gore, and three of its four congresspeople are Democrats.KansasWhen Kansas became a state it was given the opportunity to vote on whether it would come into the union as a free state or a slave state. This led to an influx of slave owners and abolitionists who poured into the state hoping to sway the balance and raised militias conducting acts of terror and violence in what is now called Bleeding Kansas.KentuckyBefore it became a state of it’s own, Kentucky used to be the Western territories of Virginia. Similarly, Tennessee was a part of North Carolina and Mississippi and Alabama mostly belonged to Georgia.LouisianaIn the 1930’s Governor Huey Long became extremely popular and successful as governor of Louisiana thanks to his social programs that helped support Louisianans in the midst of the Great Depression. But he also became the border-line dictator of Louisiana and was referred to by President Roosevelt as one of the three most dangerous men in America.MaineMaine has an insane amount of totally empty land. In what’s referred to as the “100-Mile Wilderness” in Northern Maine, there are vast swaths of uninhabited areas surrounded by inhabited areas that have only a handful of people, and I’m talking less than ten in many of them. Just look at these election results where everything in white is uninhabited.MarylandWhen Maryland was established it was the personal property of Lord George Calvert, who’s coat-of-arms can still be seen today in their flag. The city of Baltimore is named for his noble title of The Baron Baltimore.MassachusettsPeople tend to underestimate how far north Europe is because of the warming of the North Atlantic current. If you stand on the beach in Cape Cod what’s across the ocean from you? France? Ireland? Nope, Spain and Portugal.MichiganMichigan and Ohio once fought a small scale war over the Port of Toledo and the land around it. They called up a combined 1,600 militia to fight this war and congress had to intervene to prevent more serious bloodshed.MinnesotaThere’s a little bit of Minnesota called the Northwest Angle that’s separated from the rest of the state by a lake and really, reasonably should be Canada, because people still had bad maps when they were drawing the border.MississippiBecause of a paperwork mistake Mississippi failed to officially ratify the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, until 2013. This doesn’t matter much because it had already been law so slavery was illegal, but it’s good for Mississippi that this wasn’t noticed at the time because ratifying the 13th Amendment was a requirement for readmission to the Union of Confederate States. Honestly, are you surprised coming from the state who’s flag looks like this?MissouriMissouri was not originally set to have its famous boot heel, but a wealthy farmer in the area led a group of concerned citizens to add the region to Missouri because they had heard that Arkansas was sickly and full of Panthers, Snakes, and Bears. I guess those things can’t cross a border.MontanaPresident Theodore Roosevelt used to go to Montana, among other places, to hunt often. This was something he used to build his image as a manly outdoors-man, but he was never really roughing it, he stayed in luxurious cabins and pavilions and took photos in studios for the papers.NebraskaWhile it is a commonly believed myth that Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state (that title actually belongs to Alaska) Nebraska still has an impressive amount of rivers for a mid-sized state right smack in the middle of the country. It has almost 80,000 miles.NevadaNevada has more federally owned land than any other state, with almost 80% of the state being owned by the federal government.New HampshireThere’s an archaeological site in New Hampshire called “America’s Stonehenge.” On the internet you’ll find a lot of conspiracies and rumors saying that it’s thousands of years old and it has all kinds of inscriptions in old world languages. In reality it’s a stack of rocks with an unknown use that’s probably related to farming, and archaeologists think it was built in the 18th century.New JerseyNew Jersey is one of the only states where the biggest employer is not either Walmart, a hospital, or a college. In New Jersey it’s the Wakefern Food Corporation, a grocery store conglomerate which owns several chains including ShopRite and Price Rite Marketplace. I’m sure this doesn’t annoy Walmart at all.New MexicoNew Mexico is the only state with two official languages, English and Spanish. To be fair though, most states don’t have any official languages.New YorkThere are parts of New York inside of New Jersey. The border between the states is defined as the line through New York Harbor that you can see below, but Ellis Island and Liberty Island, which are on the NJ side of the line, are still parts of New York.North CarolinaIn 1961 the Air Force accidentally dropped two nuclear bombs on North Carolina. a B-52 crashed, over the town of Goldsboro, dropping its bombs. They did not go off.North DakotaNorth Dakota is famous for it’s bison and the loss of them, by 1900 less than 600 were left. But because of conservation efforts, there are now over 90,000 again in North Dakota.OhioOhio has the only flag in the union that’s not a rectangle because they just have to be special don’t they? Geez, what are you? Nepal?OklahomaWhen land was opened up to white settlement in Oklahoma in 1889, apportioning land to settlers as part of the Homestead Acts, people literally stood on a line and waited for a start signal to run to plots of land and claim them as their own.OregonWe think of Oregon today as a progressive place, but they have a dark history of racism. Oregon entered the union as a ‘white homeland’ that forbade black people from living there, and in the 1920’s it had the highest per capita KKK membership of any state. This is still alive in some parts of Oregon with groups like the Proud Boys.PennsylvaniaThe first discovery of oil in the US was in Pennsylvania, but today they rank only 17th in oil production, producing very little compared to other states.Rhode IslandWhy is Rhode Island called that when it’s not an island? Well when the colony of Rhode Island was originally founded, it was entirely on what is now called Aquidneck Island, but was then called Rhode Island It expanded onto the mainland later.South CarolinaMost know of the Battle of Fort Sumter which kicked off the civil war. But did you know that the battery which fired on the fort was manned by cadets from the Citadel, the famed South Carolina military college which is still open and teaching classes today?South DakotaMt. Rushmore, in South Dakota, was originally supposed to depict the presidents’ whole upper bodies, but it ran out of money. You can still see where they started carving George Washington’s lapels.TennesseeTennessee was the first Confederate state readmitted to the Union, in 1866, after the Civil War, and was never put into one of the military occupation districts that the rest of the Confederacy was. This is because the Union Army had liberated Tennessee early and Union forces were present in Tennessee through most of the war.TexasTexas is home to the lowest population density county in the United States, Loving County. With a land area of 677 square miles Loving County in west Texas has only 134 people. That’s only 1 person for every five square miles. Compare that to New York County which would have 351,000 people in five square miles.UtahThe two halves of the transcontinental railroad came together in Utah. Obviously this is a lot further West than it is East, this is because the crews building from California had a hard time getting through the Sierra Nevada Mountains.VermontMany say that Texas was the only state ever to be an independent country, but in fact this is far from the truth. Not only was there the Kingdom of Hawaii and the short-lived Bear Flag Republic in California, but for more than a decade there was the Vermont Republic. In 1777, the area that is now Vermont was disputed between New Hampshire and New York, and when the United States declared independence, so did Vermont.VirginiaVirginia has produced more US Presidents than any other state, but they’re mostly front-loaded. Seven of the eight had become president by 1850 and six of the first ten presidents were from Virginia.WashingtonWashington was originally planned to be called Columbia, after the Columbia River. But it was changed so as not to be confused with the then-new country of Colombia… that worked out well.West VirginiaMany people think that the Siege of Yorktown was the last battle of the American Revolutionary War, but in fact the last land battle of the war was not until a year later in what is now West Virginia. The Siege of Fort Henry in 1782 saw 350 combatants take part with one American wounded and an unknown number of British casualties.Wisconsinthe official city bird of Madison (which, why do you need an official city bird) is the plastic pink flamingo because of a 1979 prank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.WyomingWyoming was the first state to grant full suffrage to women in 1869, but today they have the second lowest proportion of women in their state legislature of any state at 15.4%. Oh how things can change.This took me much longer than I expected it to to write, so if you made it this far, please be sure to give it an upvote.To hear more of my commentary follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

UPDATE DEC 2016: even funnier is seeing the DailyMail[1] use this as a source of content. Please do read below for better understanding.UPDATE DEC 2013: Funny - in seeing this on Business Insider and being a transient in London from 2000 to 2004 then 2011 to now, I have a number of similar observations to aspects of life in London compared to life in the States - and specifically to the comparison of NYC, San Francisco and South Florida.Please note, this is not describing the rest of England - which is very different to London. And, much like NYC, there are distinct boroughs within the city - far more than I found in NYC.Cost of LivingOkay - yes, the British pound is "stronger" than the dollar, but consider that this is an island nation and yes, things are more expensive. And yes, salaries are less than the US for similar roles and taxes are slightly higher - especially with the VAT (value added tax) found on almost everything. But the handling of your taxes is much easier on your salary since they subscribe to a PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) system, but the challenge is when you leave a role at the wrong time, you can find a large chunk of your taxes taken out due to the perceived salary and then wait a year to get that refund.But once you go through the standard stages of grief, I mean shock, you get used to it.FoodThe old adage of "British food is great, if you like fish and chips, bangers and mashed or chicken tikka masala" is now a load of bollocks (bull$!@t). There are amazing restaurants to be found in London - some great restaurants and farmers markets (my favorite, bar none, is Borough Market). Once you learn to navigate the different supermarkets (Tesco, Sainburys, Waitrose, Asda, etc) and discover their online interfaces, you begin to appreciate the convenience.BUT, weekends are terrible when you consider that everything closes by five pm (1700) on Sundays.Tea or Coffee?One of my favorite distinctions: do you drink tea or coffee? From my experiences, coffee is taking over England though Starbucks (company), Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and the food joints, but a robust coffee culture (e.g. the Grind shops) is around that is driving up quality overall.And yes, you can still do high-tea at the Ritz, but the norm is putting the kettle on and pouring out a cuppa.HousingYou begin to appreciate your US home all the more when you do the house/flat search. Estate agents are (for the most part) terrible sales people, if you are not aiming high enough and sadly, once the contract is signed or you show any slight hesitation on the flat, their interest wanes. They are like the telephone salespeople of the States who call at dinner time, but they are "suited and booted" (in a sharp suit and pointy shoes) and work as if they are all from Oxford or Cambridge, but actually from East London or Norwich.You can try to use Craigslist or moveflat or SpareRoom or easyroommate, but the quality is often challenging - you discover why people are using these services versus the estate agents. These flats are often difficult to get used to (incredibly small, misshapened or tough to get to in general).One thing you will miss is water pressure. Sadly, the Victorian mains and the age of many homes were designed with limited water and poor pressure. Some people say they have "power showers" which are often essentially electronic devices designed to add some pressure at the expense of a loud and powerful noise. Who needs leaf blowers when a power shower will do.TransportIn 2000, I gave up my Honda in San Francisco and swore to remain true to public transport and periodic taxis. And, in the 16 years, I have been pretty successful in both London and NYC. London has the best transport system anywhere (yes even better than NYC) in so far as the buses and the Tube run relatively on time and the wifi in the subways make life a lot more livable. The amount of vagrants is much less and the Tube rides are, for the most part, quiet (except when taking it around 11pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when pubs are letting out).Taxis are expensive, which is why you now use car services like Addison Lee or Uber (company). But there is nothing better than using a Black Cab in London - if the cabbie is actually well-versed. Much like NYC cabbies, if you go beyond their comfort zone, they too have no idea and use the sat-nav (e.g., Google Maps) just like you do.Trains are expensive and for the most part, anywhere in the country is usually a well-worn train. My favorite train experience in England is the EuroStar and it now comes to St. Pancras Station which is a wonderfully easy station to use.You also need to understand the transport hubs of London - which are essentially the train and bus stations of London (Victoria, London Bridge, Blackfriars, Paddington, St. Pancras, Liverpool St.) - and these are scattered throughout the city.Work LifeI love Dawn's description of lunch - yes, you are doing the sandwich thing - which I used to joke was essentially "white bread, a slice of lettuce, a thin slice of tomato, mayonnaise and a single slice of meat or some mashed up meat salad". Today, the old sandwich shops have faded and stores like Pret A Manger, EAT, Pod and you learn more about Nandos (a chicken place using peri-peri sauce).Everyone sits at their desk and bangs on their computer primarily, and depending on your role determines your clothing choices. Even in startups, sales is often suited and booted in sharp suits and thin trousers (not pants, as we say in America). Engineers or Developers are relatively shabby in t-shirt and trousers chic. And everyone else seems to dance to their own drum.You can usually tell a person profession from their dress: finance and insurance people are in the dark suits and the only hint of color is their tie and shoes, which will not make sense to American fashion. Seniority is often determined by who is wear their jackets in the office -- you can tell who the junior manager is by their newer clothing and jumpers (sweaters) over their collared shirts.A general assumption is that hierarchy happens -- and there is very little overt political aggressiveness in the workplace. Passive aggressive is sometimes the norm and the worst thing that could happen is embarrassment from an overt action turning out wrong or answering a question "wrong". But, when "pub o'clock" comes (around 4-6pm), join your workmates and get ready to discover what life is in a culture centered around pints and pubs.You learn more about the feeling of a company in the pub than you will in team meetings. And be ready to be discussing football (e.g., soccer) and various coach moves. Weather is the safe discussion with others outside the workplace, but you quickly discover that gossip is the currency of the realm within the workplace.Best event: Christmas parties. The English do it best - especially since the culture of companies are actually determined by the success or infamy of the previous year's Christmas party. And, like you have heard, the stories of hookups happen and become fodder for their primary social currency.Social LifeFunniest thing about having a social life in London is to determine which pub or club your friends go to. In London, the following factors usually determine your ability to connect with others:your accent (geography based)your secondary school (read: high school)your uni (read: college)The stories you will hear of blitzed nights out where people can not remember what happened is the norm. As many others have said, this is a culture of "functional drunks" - capable of carrying on until 3am in the morning, stumbling home and then waking up for work on Friday, with only a slight reduction in performance.Meeting others can happen as an American, since your accent provides no hint of geographic background that is within the English discerning. My favorite experience is saying hello to people in a locale I just joined and watch the turned heads and smiles that suddenly appear. Just remember not to be too loud and you will be well received.And get ready for an experience called "fancy dress" parties. The Brits love to dress up in proper costumes and they have a blast beyond none other. Spend some cash on a fancy dress rental (read: costume) and enjoy. I assume this is due to their desire to be other people in a safe experience.If you are married and live in a more suburban locale (e.g., Dulwich), you learn about the family parties and other events that happen with incredibly regularity. And yes, we have fewer conveniences, but a lovely connection with people and great foods (e.g., cheese and wine parties are amazing).BankingCompletely agree with other comments - it is a challenge if you do not have a bank relationship yet, but you can overcome this by getting an HSBC account in the States (or a Citibank account) and then work with the British branch to help you. Lloyds, RBS, Natwest and other British banks are tough if you have no history.Health CareI agree about the support for NHS, but what they do not tell you about is the joy of finding a GP for yourself. Your GP is determined by your physical residence, so you have to go to the specific clinic near your home. You may be lucky and get a great one, or you could potentially have to use private clinics which does incur a fee. But everything else regarding emergency room and other services are quite true.I have not had the joy of having any surgery or major issue as of yet, but I am somewhat concerned with some horror stories I have heard about waiting times and hospital quality. But getting something like BUPA or some other service can be a benefit.Job SearchingYou get to rediscover recruiters -- and there is every type of recruiter for each role in the universe. Heck, even students and part time staffers have Fish4Jobs for roles.TelevisionYou will discover that the overly glitzy commercials that we see from Madison Avenue is not the same here, but they do enjoy their particular brand of humor. Television is primarily contests (yes, they do more games shows than the US), documentaries (yes, you learn more about WWII than anything else), travelogues, gardening, antiquing, some really well done dramas, lots of thoughtful talk-shows (Stephen Fry's QI is a fav), terribly reality shows, and lots of American shows that get imported. And, lots of movies that seem to prove that America is about strange forms of love and our military drive. Oh - and if you are up late, you can discover the strange acts of sex, guns and other deviants in America.Footnotes[1] What Americans REALLY think about life in the UK