One of the intriguing aspects of living abroad is getting set up on what I call an “expat date.” This is not a conventional date where singles can meet. This is about couples. Specifically, Americans meeting other Americans.

Naturally, meeting another American couple means that you have at least one thing in common, which is nice. The source can be a college friend, former co-worker or another expat couple. “Hey, have you met (name), they just moved to London from the States too” becomes a familiar sentence.

Luckily for us, we have not had any negative experiences as of yet, but like dating, sometimes things do not work out. I have heard stories of people meeting up for dinner to then spend an hour in silence once they realise they have nothing in common besides the whole USA thing. Just because a couple shares a nationality does not mean they are compatible and you should be “besties” instantly. It is okay to not like them. I dislike lots of Americans.

Breaking the ice (initially at least) is easy. Opening with “have you dealt with the NHS yet?” or “can you believe the tube closes at midnight!” can begin what turns into an hour long conversation. Commiserating about the differences is an American expat past time.

We have been here for two months and met great people, had a couple over for dinner, been to a house warming and even been on a few expat dates. So far so good. If we find ourselves on the a bad date , I will try to remind myself that it is only dinner and hey, can you believe how bad the customer service is here?