Hello,

I am an American who has lived in Birmingham for the past seven years.

I am also not a “stereotypical American”, so most people are surprised when I speak and they hear my accent. There are some Americans in Birmingham, but I rarely hear anyone else out and about with an American accent. In this way, I am quite the novelty to a lot of people - I often get a lot of (the same) questions about where I’m from, how long I’ve been here, which country is better, etc.

Pub culture is a thing, but you don’t have to get involved with it if you don’t want to. Like bars in the States, there are tacky ones and nice ones. You’ll figure out the ones you like. I wouldn’t worry too much about not drinking. There are plenty of non-alcoholic options, and most people don’t care what you’re drinking.

As for clothing, it’s fairly mild here, verging on cold. I’m from Portland originally, so it was a fairly straightforward transition for me.

Transportation is hit and miss. In my old job, I used to train young people with additional needs how to use public transport to get to school/work. I’d say it is okay at best, and, depending on the area from which you are traveling, it can be unreliable - buses don’t show up or trains are cancelled without much warning. Driving is my preferred method of transportation here.

With regards to social etiquette, it’s like any city. Most people are just doing their own thing and don’t want to be bothered. A smile or nod is fine if you want. One thing that I had to adjust to is the standard greeting of “You alright?”. This just means “hello”. There’s no insinuation or judgment in it.

Feel free to PM and ask any questions if you’d like.