There I was, sitting in a New Jersey Burger King, while the restaurant manager I was on a date shouted the lyrics to Rule, Britannia! at the top of his lungs.
I had just started eating my Whopper meal when he started belting it out, his arms firmly placed on my shoulders.
"She's British! She's British," he shouted at the various people who were just getting on with their day, but were clearly wondering what on earth was going on.
Well, this is going to be fantastic, I thought.
This date was the first of many I had planned to go on as research for a book I was writing about dating as a British woman in the United States.
I was in my mid-40s at the time, and had no real plan other than which states I would be visiting, placing newspaper adverts in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Miami, and Philadelphia claiming to be a single woman looking for love.
I hoped everyone would be as weird and wonderful as the man I'd met in that Burger King, and they did not disappoint.
One gentleman, after a couple of drinks, informed me that he had taken the liberty of booking a hotel room for us after knowing me for only a couple of hours—I politely declined.
Another was fidgeting so much at lunch that I had to ask what was wrong.
"Take your coat off?" I suggested.
"No. I've got my dead cat in there," he replied.
The cat had died that morning, and he hadn't had the chance to do anything with it yet apparently.
Of course, he wasn't as strange as the man who asked whether he could have some hair from my hairbrush, because he wanted to eat it.
After noticing that one date had brought his children with him, he kindly informed me that he had previously dropped his wife off at the mall, but not to worry because his children wouldn't say anything.
But my favorite date of all? The man who brought his mom with him.
He told me that he wanted us to meet, because during the Second World War, she had befriended someone who was English and she thought we might know one another.
The man sat there quietly as his mother and I tried to figure out whether it was possible I may know this person, and afterward, she turned to me and said: "Should we see each other again?"
Not everyone was as eccentric as that. I dated many nice, normal men who just wanted to meet someone, but during each date I always found myself playing up being British.
I spoke in my very best Queen's English accent, and some people would genuinely ask me about the Queen and Princess Diana, as if we knew one another.
I occasionally teased my dates about life in Britain and they believed every word. I would tell them that every day at 3 p.m. we stopped for tea and cucumber sandwiches. Yes, even at school and at work.
Eventually, I left the U.S. and returned to East London, where I met my husband of over 20 years. The two of us now live in Orlando, Florida, where he works in property.
Years ago, I thought it might be possible to marry a Chad, Brad or Hank, but upon reflection—I don't think it would have been a good fit. Dating a British person means working through our sarcasm and very dry humor, which I think can be difficult for many Americans.
Of course, both dating and the perception of other cultures is different because of social media, but I have been here for a long time and I still hear the words "I love your accent" three or four times a week.
As a result of my experiences, I also run a dating website to match up Brits and Americans, and still often see many misconceptions about life in the U.K. Some people still think we walk around with canes in constant fog, while others believe England is entirely quaint and leafy.
I often see U.S. users using British slang incorrectly, including using swear words as greetings. I saw one man say: "Hello, w*****, how are you?" Another started his conversation with: "B****** to all of you!"
One thing I find amusing is that I often hear American women say: "I want to meet an English man because all American men do is drink beer and watch football."
But in England, I constantly hear women say: "I'm so sick of English men. All they do is drink beer and watch football."
In my experience, while there are similarities between Brits and Americans, there are also many differences. I believe that American men are far more out there and brash; they're straight to the point and they don't get our crazy humor.
I feel that "dating" is definitely more of a big deal in the States. For example, in the U.K. dating would mean an exclusive relationship where you've met one another's parents, but in the U.S. you could have gone for a few drinks together and be dating.
I believe that the U.S. and the U.K. have a great love for each other, and that relationships can work very well. To any Brit considering moving, I would say to go for it.
The world is your oyster, and America can be a wonderful and welcoming place—plus, you can have lots, and lots of fun.
Rochelle Peachey is a journalist and the founder of dating website I Love Your Accent.
All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
As told to Newsweek's My Turn associate editor, Monica Greep.
Do you have a unique experience or personal story to share? Email the My Turn team at myturn@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
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