When you live in a limited amount of places for most of your life, you take for granted a lot of the things that you learned growing up.

Therefore, when you go to a new place, there is sometimes an adjustment period when you have to adapt to the differences. Better known as “culture shock”, it can vary in degree for different people. I do not think that I experienced a significant shock when I arrived in London for my semester abroad, but there were definitely differences that I was unaware of before traveling overseas.

Here are 15 of those differences that I came to realize during my four and a half months in London.

1. Multiple shower dials

If only newly arrived me knew that when the shower was scalding and I didn’t realize that the lower nozzle was turned to the hottest, most unbearable level.

2. Pedestrians don’t have the right-of-way

No, I’m not kidding — best of luck out there in the real world.

3. Stand to right side of the tube escalator

It’s basically law. You will stick out if you’re standing on the wrong side.

4. You don’t make conversation with strangers on the tube

I learned that from our program director within the first two days. You also keep your voice down when you’re talking to your friends and don’t speak about personal matters. People will look at you oddly if you do the contrary.

5. Rain stops no one

By the time I was preparing to leave London, when the rain would start, I would simply throw up my hood without missing a beat and keep walking.

6. Jaywalking isn’t illegal

That reality was slightly more jarring when I returned stateside and realized that I could actually get in trouble for jaywalking; something I had grown used to doing. I’ll never get over the amount of people who would run straight into traffic to cross the street, though.

7. You’ll feel blessed if you find a trash bin

I would sometimes walk blocks with garbage in my hand before I would find a trash bin. Forget trying to find one in the underground. I couldn’t figure out why that was until one of the program coordinators explained to me that the Irish Republican Army would use bins as bomb drop locations.

8. You’ll see Maltesers in cinemas and grocery stores

I was unmoved by the change in movie snack, but Erin was in her Seventh Heaven.

9. There’s a Pret A Manger or Costa Coffee on practically every block

I hardly ever went to Costa, but I’m missing Pret’s toasties something-terrible.

10. Tap vs. still vs. sparkling water

Tap is basic water that you would expect in any restaurant. Still is the same, but it comes in a bottle that you have to pay for. Sparkling water is carbonated. Be clear what you want or you may be in for a surprise.

11. Coins are expected

If you hand over a big note for something inexpensive, the cashier will be unimpressed. I’m still uncomfortable handing a larger bill to the cashier for a smaller item now that I’m back in the U.S.

12. It costs more to eat-in at a café than ordering something to take-away

That may be the same everywhere, but I had never experienced it before.

13. They say “take-away” instead of “to-go”

Another instance of cultural vernacular was that people over there would say “pre-drinks” instead of “pre-gaming.” I had an in depth conversation with my cousins and family friend about that while we were at dinner one evening.

14. The tube shuts down at a certain hour

If you’re out late in the middle of the week, it can get complicated getting back home. If you’re out on the weekend, though, there are certain lines have Night Tubes and there are also Night Buses that run from certain stops.

15. “Keep Calm and Carry On” isn’t just an expression

Britons are tough and even when life gets hard, they’ll unify and keep moving forward.