@HaroldsSocalledBluetits
I agree that the media can be a little one-sided, where Americans aren't exposed to the same levels of UK media. And it can definitely lead people to believe that they know what American life is like. It's hard to capture because the climate and culture varies a lot around the country. Of course it would, there's so much space! I suppose that's part of the reason I'm astonished by the strong cultural identities here in such a small amount of space.
Actually on that point - do you have roads that go into huge areas of mountain country that no one's been to in decades?
I don't know about decades, but it's possible! There are certainly areas where people can live fairly undisturbed. I think unless someone has been to the US and driven a great distance it's difficult to get a true sense of scale. If you live in a village here, the houses are still likely to backed in very closely and you're not that far from the next village. I haven't visited all of the UK but it seems like you don't truly feel alone, the way you can in many places in the US. I grew up in a fairly rural area and my friends often found it a bit creepy! Wyoming has been mentioned, and is a good example. I had a quick look on Wiki and it estimates the population of Wyoming at about 6 people/mi². To put this into perspective, the pop/mi² in the UK is 704/mi². For the whole of the US, wiki lists the population density at 86/mi². This is where I got the figures from, for anyone that's curious. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density
@BonnieF
You have moved from that vast continent to a country slightly smaller than Oregon. Do you feel conscious of the fact that you now live on a very small, very crowded island?
Hi Bonnie! Absolutely, I'm aware of it. It didn't get to me immediately, but we took a trip up north to Northumberland and I realized that this was the most open, forested land I had seen. I find myself missing trees and green spaces. The newer estates feel like seas of identical brick boxes, stamped and cut in a factory. It goes from road to brick house with often little green space in between. And if there is any, it is usually occupied by cars! I've lived in major US cities so it's not as if I've never lived around people before. But it feels strange for even more rural areas here to feel so connected and close. I miss space.
@Biggreygoose
Just how much hatred of the home office visa process do you have? grin And have you calculated just how much money it's going to be to get IDLR? (Word of advice: don't)
I've been known to have a good rant. 
In all honesty though, I feel lucky to even qualify for the process and be able to afford it. Most of my anger for the Home Office is for all the people who don't even have the opportunities that I have. The ones who have lost their jobs and their homes and healthcare and families because of bureaucracy. My parents were immigrants and I've seen many friends and relatives struggle with even visitor visas in the US. So I think I went into this process with a slightly different perspective and a tougher attitude. I've found many people here surprised when I tell them a little bit about the process and of course there are those who assume that getting married to a Brit means you are automatically a citizen. The truth is that it is a difficult process and I worry every time I am trying to re-enter the country. It is difficult to settle here knowing that I don't have the right to permanently reside. Also knowing that if our marriage were to break down, I would have to fairly quickly leave and return to a country where I no longer have a home or a job. We are continually saving up for the next application because I know that the fees will keep going up. And of course saying no to all the companies asking us if we'd like to go paperless. No thank you! Are you settled here now or partway through the process?
@CraftyYankee I miss Target! If I could import one store, it would be Target.
@Annabelle4
Would the average American person know what Rugby is?
I think that MissConduct is correct in that the average person would be aware of it, though perhaps not overly familiar with it. I imagine everyone has heard of it.
@GhostsToMonsoon
When people hear your accent, are they curious about why you're here - especially in the Midlands, where there aren't many Americans?
Yes! I can tell that people are surprised when they first hear me speak. They're often curious and I think it has helped me meet people. The range of responses is pretty funny. You have the people who politely enquire if I'm Canadian. The ones who ask "Why on earth would you move here?" and the ones who tell me "I would never want to live in America." I've often been tempted to say "Good job I didn't ask you to!"
@ShotsFired
So what do you call the thing you do when you use pens or pencils to make a picture on a piece of paper? (We call that a "drawing", that you, er, "draw" confused )
This has been answered, but yes, that is a drawing as well. When you think about it, we use the word "draw" to mean many different things. We draw pictures, curtains, baths, guns. We draw on experience, we draw winners for a raffle. We are drawn to people and places. A tie in a game might be called a draw. It has so many meanings yet we manage to distinguish them from context.
@MissDollyMix
Thank you! This thread took off far more than I expected and I'm really enjoying hearing from so many different people. How long were you in the States and how long ago was that? Do you ever think about doing an extended trip back?
@Candyflip
Why do Americans say boo-ee for buoy, yet don’t pronounce buoyant boo-ee-ant?
We do, but only around other Americans. It's a bit of a secret handshake to distinguish if we're talking to a fellow patriot.
In all seriousness, it's just one of those things that make sense when you are used to it and don't make sense if you're not. We slightly change pronunciations all the time without thinking. Photograph and photography, for example. I can't explain why buoy is pronounced differently between our two countries, but if it helps, there are loads of names here that make no sense to me as well.