"I Miss America to My Core" - British Tourists Missed America More Than They Ever Expected

[00:00:00]I've come back TO THE UK AND IT'S BORING.

[00:00:02]>> UNPACK my case from the US.

[00:00:06]>> I've been missing Americans, real I haven't had any nice conversations.

[00:00:12]Not many people walking around London with a smile on their face, even though the sun is shining. GET ME BACK TO AMERICA NOW.

[00:00:19]>> NOBODY warned them that the hardest part of visiting America is the flight home.

[00:00:22]Leaving America is supposed to be the end of the holiday. Board the plane, sleep off the jet lag, back to normal by Monday. Except for thousands of British tourists, that is not what happened.

[00:00:33]>> I miss the sense of adventure. I miss the people. I miss the freedom.

[00:00:39]>> Here's everything I bought on my two-week road trip around America.

[00:00:42]>> The holiday followed them home, into their coffee shops, into their kitchens, into their suitcases, which somehow flew back heavier than they left. So much heavier that the American government eventually had to step in. That clip is coming. [music] >> And I brought stuff home.

[00:00:57]>> You can buy 12 packs of beer in the airport and carry it on the plane with you.

[00:01:02]>> Everyone has come here and fallen in love with ranch dressing.

[00:01:05]So much so that they are taking it back by the bottle.

[00:01:09]>> And one of these travelers was not even in America when it found him again.

[00:01:13]He was at a dinner table in Romania.

[00:01:16]Stick around for that one. It might be the best story in the whole video. These are the moments that turned a two-week trip into full-blown withdrawal.

[00:01:23]Let's get started. Start with the airports because that is where it hits first. These travelers have just spent weeks living in Florida, Texas, and California sunshine, and they are about to be reunited with a British summer.

[00:01:35]There is a very specific feeling that lands on a Brit the moment the wheels touch the runway at home, and you are about to watch it hit five different people in real time, starting at Gatwick. Pay attention to the weather in these clips. Every single one looks like it was filmed inside a filing cabinet.

[00:01:50]>> Right, no one can tell me that one of the worst feelings in the world is coming back to this place after you've been on like a holiday or been away for a while.

[00:01:59]Back to the UK, boys.

[00:02:02]Mate, I don't know what it is about this airport, but it's pretty depressing, isn't it? Like, if you know what I mean.

[00:02:07]If you're from the UK, you just know that feeling already, like Oh.

[00:02:11]>> [laughter] >> Oh.

[00:02:14]Go Gatwick and that. Yeah, I'm already thinking about booking a Europe trip for next week. I can't lie.

[00:02:19]>> The Christmas tree.

[00:02:21]Just got off the plane. I'm now on the train with you on ski.

[00:02:25]Depressing times, man. I miss Miami already. I miss Texas already. Even though Texas I didn't really like, but Miami Ah, America.

[00:02:33]>> When you going to come back, Ireland, bro?

[00:02:35]>> Yeah, flying out again, bro, but >> So, I'm back in the UK and I'm already [ __ ] depressed.

[00:02:40]You know, when you go from this to this to this Oh, and this.

[00:03:06]This place is depressing. I've barely been here 24 hours.

[00:03:09]I need to go back.

[00:03:10]>> If you couldn't tell already by this absolutely miserable weather, this is what a typical summer's day looks like over here.

[00:03:16]>> We are back in rainy, drizzly, windy Scotland after a week in Florida. I had a great time when I was there.

[00:03:24]America, I love you. Let me show you what Scotland did to welcome me home.

[00:03:30]Wait, do you see this?

[00:03:40]Absolutely incredible. It's one of the most defined rainbows I've ever seen in my life. Stunning.

[00:03:48]And that's the benefits of living on the east coast of Scotland.

[00:03:52]There was a dull moment.

[00:03:54]Well, it's always dull cuz it's always pissing with rain, but we'll gloss over that. Have a good day, folks.

[00:03:59]>> Now, the weather they can forgive.

[00:04:01]Britain never promised anyone sunshine, and deep down, every Brit finds the gloom a little bit comforting. What actually breaks them is the people.

[00:04:09]After weeks of strangers asking how your day is going, and actually waiting for the answer, coming home feels like someone switched off the sound. One woman walked into her local coffee shop still running on full American settings, smiling, [music] chatting, wishing strangers a good day, and it went about as well as you are imagining. And she is only the first.

[00:04:29]>> [music] >> Watch what happens when travelers who got used to being talked to try to bring that energy back across the Atlantic.

[00:04:35][music] >> going into that coffee shop to order myself a coffee, and without knowing it, I was doing my Americanisms. And by that, I mean, you know, smiling and saying, "Hi, how are you?" Going to order, and kind of like not getting anything back. So, I'd say like, "Hi, honey, how are you?"

[00:04:51]And they're like, "Oh, what would you like?"

[00:04:53]And you're like, "Oh, can I have a please?" And they're like, "Sure. What what milk do you want?" And then the milks that they had weren't the same.

[00:05:01]Like, the coffee shop that I went to didn't have almond milk. I was like, "America would never do that to me."

[00:05:06]Leaving the coffee shop, I was like, "Oh, have a good one." And honestly, this woman that served me looked at me like I was on crack. Like, I don't even think she said hello to me when I went in there, to be honest.

[00:05:16]And for the first time, I realized, "Oh, I actually really miss just American hospitality and American service."

[00:05:24]>> I haven't had any nice conversations.

[00:05:29]Not many people walking around London with a smile on their face, even though the sun is shining.

[00:05:34]And now, I'm used to America, and in America, everybody wants to have a chat, everybody's friendly, and the energy is genuinely pretty high.

[00:05:44]Like, right now, everybody has got misery written all over their face.

[00:05:50]And I don't really understand it. Most of them are tourists. Should you not be in a good mood? Right? No? I don't really understand.

[00:05:58]Get me back to America where people are [ __ ] friendly. People love having a chat, man. I can't do it. I'm too social for London. I'm too social, like >> [snorts] >> And where people are actually socializing in London is the pubs and bars. But it's not a nice socializing.

[00:06:13]It's a rowdy, judgmental socializing.

[00:06:16]But look at the views.

[00:06:18]Look at the views.

[00:06:20]>> That is gorgeous.

[00:06:21]>> It's a beautiful day.

[00:06:22]>> At least it's not raining, I guess. Look how gray it is. Number two, the people.

[00:06:28]Everyone's not as nice as they are in Texas. And not only are they not as nice, I really miss the accent. Don't like hearing the British accent. I want to hear the Southern American accent.

[00:06:38]And everyone's so rude. Everyone's rushing to get everywhere. Feel like in America it's more slow and chill. Number three, the cars. Why can I not see big trucks?

[00:06:50]There's just taxis and normal cars.

[00:06:52]Foreign.

[00:06:56]>> And it is not just a holiday thing. It gets deeper the longer you stay. Listen to what 4 months in New York does to a man.

[00:07:03]>> The people. The people in New York, they're so welcoming within your first conversation. People say that New Yorkers aren't nice, but they've never been to London. They're just comparing it to the rest of America. And when you speak to someone for the first time, they welcome you with open arms and ask you where you're from and they engage in conversation and push it further. So it's so easy to make friends there. And even after you've met them once, they'll invite you out straight away for a coffee, for a drink, for a meal. You know, it's all part of the culture there. In London, people are often sad or a bit shy. And Brits are nice, but they've always got this first layer that you have to break through. And it can take months to break through that first layer and to call someone a new friend.

[00:07:39]Whereas in New New they're just going to shout you straight away. Secondly, your money just disappears in New York because people can't afford to live in such a nice place. They're out every night of the week. I know people that haven't cooked in years. They just eat out every night because they're out and about and that's just the culture there.

[00:07:54]Also, compared to London, if your friend lives in West London you live in East London, there's a good chance you're not going to see them for 6 months cuz it's such a trek, like an hour. But in New York, you never really travel more than 25 minutes. So, everyone's just out and about all the time and it's so easy to meet up with people even if you're hungover and you can't be bothered cuz it's just a short journey. So, the party just continues, the socializing just continues. So, wish me luck getting over my post-New York depression cuz I found it pretty difficult so far only after a week being back in London, but we'll see what happens. Miss you though, New York City.

[00:08:23]>> And it is not just the people. There is a physical withdrawal happening here and it involves ice. Nobody warns you before you visit that America is quietly running the best beverage program on the planet. Crushed ice. Fountain drinks that taste different in a way science has apparently not explained yet.

[00:08:41]Seasoning that goes several exits past salt and pepper.

[00:08:45]Two weeks is all it takes to recalibrate an entire British palate and then the flight home abandons it at Heathrow with no warning and no support group. The next man is about to describe a soft drink the way most people describe a lost love. And here is the thing, by the end of his clip you will completely believe him.

[00:09:01]>> Okay, look, the flavors. I'm missing the flavors, okay? All the British aren't used to flavoring and spices, right? My palate changed. I've come BACK TO THE UK AND IT'S BORING. NUMBER TWO. THIS NEXT ONE IS NO JOKE, MATE, YEAH? I'VE BEEN FEELING LIKE I SHOULD BE STANDING ON STREET CORNERS TWEAKING. I've been NEEDING IT. I CRAVE IT. AND WE DON'T do it in the UK.

[00:09:26]CRUSHED ICE. I WAS INTRODUCED TO CRUSHED ICE in America and it's changed my life forever. IT'S OPENED A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD FOR ME. I NEED CRUSHED ICE. I NEED IT NOW. NUMBER ONE, TO TIE IN NICELY WITH THE CRUSHED ICE, IS THE FOUNTAIN DRINKS. They just don't hit the same in the UK. I CAN'T DESCRIBE IT. MORE SPECIFICALLY, DR. PEPPER. There's something about the crushed ice and the fountain drinks in America. I have never tried anything as nice. IT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. GET ME BACK TO AMERICA NOW.

[00:09:59]>> THE ONE thing that stood out the most was the people being so nice and very welcoming. And especially the food. You see me? I love my food and oh, if there's good food there, oh, I'm coming back. I'm going to run back. Fruit. The fruit tastes so good. The peach, the watermelon. Oh, I can't forget the 4th of July. Even better than I expected.

[00:10:18][music] >> Which brings us to the part where the British stopped grieving and started smuggling. If you cannot stay in America, you can at least take America with you.

[00:10:26]Most of these travelers flew out with one suitcase and came home with two. And more than a few admit they bought the second one specifically for this purpose. And what is inside is not post cards and fridge magnets. It is ranch dressing. It is barbecue rub. It is entire shopping baskets of seasoning bought by citizens of a nation that, by its own admission, has been running on salt and pepper since the beginning of recorded history. It got so far out of hand that an actual federal agency had to step in and make a public announcement about it. Wait for that clip. It might be the most quietly hilarious thing a government has ever been forced to say.

[00:11:00]>> London, watch out because look what I have.

[00:11:05]Oh, yeah. There's more where that came from. We have mega bottle.

[00:11:09]We have dipping cups.

[00:11:11]>> Bunch of you were like, don't bring ranch, it's too heavy, bring the ranch packets. You were right. I got the ranch packets. I'm so excited. Only thing is, just add sour cream, it says. But you don't really have sour cream here.

[00:11:23]What's the closest equivalent in the UK to sour cream? I'm very curious and I know you will know.

[00:11:27]>> Something you will quite literally never see a British person doing in Britain.

[00:11:34]Shopping for seasoning, right now? Yeah, apart from us now.

[00:11:40]But, we are currently shopping for seasoning. What seasoning are we getting, Americans? I know you guys are the best with this. This one looks nice.

[00:11:46]What's this? How do you say that?

[00:11:47]Cosmos?

[00:11:48]>> Cosmos. Double pepper and cow cover.

[00:11:51]>> Cosmos dry rub. What what seasoning should we get? We've got some What's Slap Ya Mama? That's always a good one, right?

[00:11:56]We love Kinder's. Kinder's is always a good choice. What do you guys get?

[00:11:59]What's your favorite seasonings, Americans? We need to know. This one's always nice. This Cajun seasoning.

[00:12:06]Slap Ya Mama. This is really good. It really concerns me how a lot of British people still to this day do not use any seasoning. They just use salt and pepper. We need to We need to enlighten them.

[00:12:18]>> Best seasoning in world from HEB.

[00:12:21]This British barbecue is going to be different levels tonight.

[00:12:25]Here we are. Tell you what, these British taste buds are going to be blown tonight.

[00:12:36]Now, this is good food. That was a way to have this.

[00:12:42]>> America, have you seen what you have done and are doing to Brits in your country? As you know, you have thousands of Brits in America right now for the World Cup. There are Brits saying that they're going to bring seasoning home back to the UK to season the food.

[00:13:00]America, you have single-handedly changed the UK.

[00:13:05]No more salt and pepper for seasoning.

[00:13:08]IT IS TIME. AMERICA, LOOK WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THOUSANDS OF BRITS ARE SEEING THE LIGHT. THE UK WILL NOW BE baptized in seasoning.

[00:13:18]>> Everyone has been flocking to America recently for the for the World Cup. And we've all seen the videos and we've all been loving it.

[00:13:25]But, I think something has happened that no one was really anticipating.

[00:13:29]And this is where they I think this is the amusing part. Everyone has come here and fallen in love with ranch dressing.

[00:13:36]So much so that they are taking it back by the bottles, filling suitcases up to the degree that TSA has had to release an official statement telling people, "If you're bringing ranch dressing back and Chick-fil-A sauce, please put it in your checked bag." Because everyone's bringing it in hand luggage and it's causing problems for the airlines.

[00:13:59]This is insane.

[00:14:00]>> So, the food gets packed and the suitcase gets zipped, but the next thing does not fit in any bag. And it is the thing these travelers struggle to explain the most, the sheer size of the place.

[00:14:10]Here is a number for you. Half of Americans do not own a passport. [music] Half. For years, British visitors treated that statistic as a punchline, proof that Americans refuse to see the world. Then they drove across a couple of states, watched the landscape, the accent, [music] and the entire culture change outside the window, and the punchline quietly turned into an apology. One man standing in a Texas water park is about to explain the whole thing better than any geography teacher ever could. And he is going to do it while holding a free refill.

[00:14:39]>> Americans never leave America. 50% of Americans don't even have passports, and now I completely understand why. I'm back in Texas and traveling to even a different part of Texas is like traveling to a different part of the world. I'm at Schlitterbahn, a water park, and where we are now was all founded by Germans. So, everything has a German reference in this whole town just outside of San Antonio. And that's completely different to where I was in Dallas. And obviously where I've been in Boston, Atlanta, Washington. Everywhere you go in the US is like a completely different world. And I now understand fully why Americans don't travel anywhere apart from inside the US. Cuz you can go anywhere in the US and get a completely different experience depending on which state you're in. I do love being back in Texas though, And this water park was fantastic. Being in a Texan water park was a great experience. Country music was blaring.

[00:15:29]Everyone was super friendly. Free Coca-Cola all day, which blew my mind for $20. That would never happen in Europe. I'm just going to put it out there. Once you have been traveling around America for a substantial amount of time, when you come home, it is a very strange and slightly, truthfully, depressing feeling, okay?

[00:15:59]Traveling around America really opened up my eyes.

[00:16:03]Really allowed me to see how I could be living and just how many opportunities there are and how many different amazing places there are, all [snorts] in one country.

[00:16:17]Like since I've been back home in the UK, I haven't felt like myself, which sounds so crazy. I now live for that adventure, that crazy lifestyle, that meeting new people, seeing new people every day, and I just long for it. And in America, it is so amazing.

[00:16:38]>> [sighs] >> Seriously, Americans, what have you done to me? I need to come back.

[00:16:43]October, end of October, back in America. I can't wait. It's really kerfuffled me, man, coming home from America. It has kerfuffled me.

[00:16:52]>> After the World Cup, they're going to go back to Europe, park their car, and instinctively think, "I wish I could stay inside for this. Because once you get used to drive-thru life, you don't forget it."

[00:17:07]>> Now, everything you have seen so far happened to people who went to America.

[00:17:11]This next story is different, and it is the one I promised you at the start.

[00:17:15]This man is not in Texas. He is not in Florida.

[00:17:19]He is at a dinner in Romania, thousands of miles from the United States, when a couple from Texas invites his family to eat with them. He says that for one evening, it felt like being back in America.

[00:17:30]But, it is what happens at the very end of the meal, right before they say goodbye, that you cannot script. Watch this one all the way through.

[00:17:37]>> I've been missing Americans. Really, we just had dinner with a couple from Texas, who have chance to travel to Romania, and they text us saying, "Hey guys, we're watching you couple years.

[00:17:50]We'd love to have you on dinner." And you know what? During this dinner, I felt like I've been again in United States. You can tell that I kind of advocate and promote Americans. No, it's matching. I don't know why, but I felt really like a home just being with Americans. We got a great dinner, and in the end of the dinner, they give a envelope to my daughter, and it was 100 bucks there. Guys, thank you so much.

[00:18:17]We'll get the bike for her tomorrow for this money.

[00:18:19]>> And that is the real story underneath all of these clips. It was never just a holiday. Something about the place gets under your skin, and quietly stays there. And it comes out in the strangest ways. So, what did America actually do to these people? Because it was not the landmarks. Nobody in this entire video cried about a monument. It was the small stuff. A stranger who wanted to chat in the queue.

[00:18:41]A waiter who brought water without being asked. Crushed ice rattling in a paper cup. Deck chairs on a front drive. Flags on a porch. A mailbox at the end of a garden path.

[00:18:51]The ordinary Tuesday texture of American life. The stuff Americans walk past a thousand times without noticing. Turned out to be the one souvenir nobody could pack. And to be fair, Britain is still beautiful.

[00:19:03]The countryside, the history, none of that went anywhere. And several of these travelers said so themselves. But, sometimes it takes an outsider to point at the thing you stopped seeing.

[00:19:13]Sometimes it takes a suitcase full of confiscated ranch dressing to remind a country what it does better than almost anyone on Earth, which is make a complete stranger feel like they belong there.

[00:19:22]Nobody warned these travelers about the flight home, but judging by every clip you just watched, most of them are already pricing up the flight back. Now we want to hear from you.

[00:19:32]If you have visited America, what did you miss first? And what did you smuggle home in your suitcase? And [music] if you are American, which everyday part of your country wins visitors over fastest?

[00:19:42]Tell us in the comments, and a like and subscribe genuinely helps.