Our Story

Nice to meet you, and thanks for joining us (now insert a warm smile, and an offer of some Yorkshire tea!). Us three ladies originally met in Yorkshire, and bonded over clotted cream and tales about what its like to live in Britain as an American chick, late twenties, no kids, and homesick on occasion. Through lots of Cadbury’s consumption, cheap wine and bitching about visa costs, we found that we shared a lot of the same ideas about British life!

Since our Yorkshire days,  Yankeebean has since moved ‘down South’, and is our unofficial “Southern” correspondent. She likes to brag about how much nicer it is weather-wise down there. Meanwhile, Peaceful is ‘up North’ still dishing on Yorkshire life and still complaining about the cold. And lastly, Pacificbird is our expat who has returned ‘home’ back to America with her British man. They plan on making the Pacific Northwest their home for good. With three different scenarios about being an American expat, you can take your pick!

Peaceful Yorkshire

Allow me to introduce myself! I am Ms. Peaceful Yorkshire, and I live in England  ‘up North’ in Yorkshire. I am a professional musician, and make my living performing and teaching. I feel so lucky because the UK is the best place to be a performer!

I live with my fiancée,  Mr. Chill, a laid-back Northern guy. We live in a sprawling Victorian  Terrace House where I am usually freezing. I make him his steak and ale pie with one hand while typing my PhD thesis with another. He faithfully brings me Betty’s tea in bed every morning while I complain about the damp.You can’t get more classic then that, right?

I am a lady doing it for herself, working hard to make my council tax, sometimes too bold, a bit brazen, sarcastic,  and always offending the English Genteel folk, unknowingly of course. I bring to you my experiences of understanding your controlling English sister-in-law,  Yorkshire chav dating, and the debate if you should attempt sex at a Band B. Oh and in these credit crunch times, don’t forget Aldi shopping! I am sure you can relate to it all too, or at least laugh with me about it.

As you might know, living in the UK as an American woman can be delightful, but frustrating and confusing all rolled into one. I love Mr. Chill, my hunka hunka Brit man,  but honestly, there are days I long for the heat of mi familia and my hot American climate. Rain again? Oh dear me, I am British more and more because I am talking about the weather!! (Blaaaahwdy hell…!)

Yankee Bean

In 2000, I met an awesome English guy and never looked back.  Now, after braving it through a long-distance relationship, going through Visa hell, and adjusting to some of the hilarious differences between England America, here I am!   So I find myself down South living, working, playing and blogging.

Most of the time I love it here, sometimes it drives insane and sometimes it just baffles me.  Even after all this time, there are still things that take me by surprise about  the UK.

I’m a web designer, a pianist and voice over artist (but never all at the same time) – so I spend most days either buried in a computer or up to my neck in sound.

I lived in Yorkshire for the first 4 years of my time in the UK, but moved South when opportunity came knocking.   I guess that makes me the Southern Correspondent – for all your yank in the south p.o.v. needs.

Oh, and my fellow American-women-in-Yorkshire and I are going to stay anonymous.  When the three of us get together is one of the only times we can rant and rave without worrying about offending someone… it’s like cheap therapy except with wine and home-cooked food.  We’re staying anonymous so we can stay brutally honest!

Pacific Yorkshire Bird

Okay, so one of the first things I had to get used to when I starting seeing my British man and getting to know his ‘mates’ was the use of the word ‘bird’ to describe me and various other women hanging around.  I didn’t know whether to be offended or endeared.  Love it or hate it, I now accept that it is part of who I am.

I was born in the Pacific Northwest, lived in Yorkshire for 4 years, and moved back to the Northwest in May 2009.  At the beginning of this blog I was writing from the perspective of an American woman living in Yorkshire.

Now, I am sort of the Stateside correspondent sharing my experiences of coming home and bringing my lovely new husband with me.  In terms of my own personal culture I live somewhere between these two worlds.  And this is what She’s not from Yorkshire is all about.

Navigating differences and similarities.  Discovering things about the UK and the US that would have never occurred to us if we’d never got to live in England.  Celebrating the things that we love and hate about each place.  Fostering a sense of camaraderie.  Finding our own way in occasional awkward situations.  Overcoming being ‘his American bird’.  Fitting in without losing who we are.   So this is me: Pacific in origin, Yorkshire in location for a time but now returning to my roots, and to some I am ‘our mate’s bird’.