I grew up in the US, and my husband grew up in the UK. Here are 15 differences that surprise us most.

I was raised in the United States, but my husband grew up in the United Kingdom. We've noticed many differences across our cultures, including our idea of what "pancakes" usually are. iStock, Lia Ryerson I grew up in the US, and my husband grew up in the UK — we've noticed many differences. In the UK, eggs are not refrigerated, and ordering a coffee won't get you what you'd get in the US. Things normal to me in the US aren't in the UK, like celebrating Halloween or tipping bartenders. I was born and raised on the East Coast of the United States. After moving to Scotland in the fall of 2017, I met my husband and settled into life in the United Kingdom as an expat for several years.  Growing up in separate cultures means we've had to navigate a slew of differences in our everyday habits, expectations, and worldviews.  Here are a few of the most surprising differences between life in the US and the UK, as experienced by my partner and me: My partner thinks it's strange that servers take your credit card away in some US restaurants. ESB Professional/Shutterstock The first time my husband and I ate together at an American restaurant, he was alarmed when the server took his credit card away to swipe it after the meal.  He was also totally perplexed by the need to sign a receipt, which apparently isn't the norm in the UK.  In UK restaurants, the server typically brings the entire card machine to your table. While they supervise, you insert your card and follow any on-screen prompts before grabbing your receipt and leaving.  Though my husband thinks that taking a customer's card away after a meal is a security hazard — someone could copy your card details out of view — I prefer the convenience of simply handing my card to a server and letting them take care of the rest.  Fall activities, like hayrides and "leaf-peeping," are completely alien to my Scottish husband. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Growing up in New England, where October is essentially a monthlong celebration of pumpkin spice and apple-picking, I was startled to find that the rest of the world doesn't worship autumn in quite the same way.  My husband is completely baffled by the idea of actively making plans to admire fall foliage. He could not stop laughing when I first explained that some people in the US go for walks or drives just to look at the changing leaves. When I mentioned that this is often called "leaf-peeping," he nearly collapsed.  He's also confused by the concept of going on hayrides ("Where do you even go? Why would you pay for that?"), driving to a farm to pick pumpkins, or getting lost in a corn maze.  Halloween is much more of a big deal in the US than it is in the UK. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and it's a huge deal in the US. I love the decorations, the horror-movie marathons, and the seasonal treats. And so, I was gutted to find that the sum total of Halloween spirit in our Scottish city amounted to a flyer advertising a children's spooky story hour at the library and a lone bin of sad-looking pumpkins at the supermarket.  My husband finds it strange to tip bartenders and buy your own drinks at a bar. bogdanhoda/Shutterstock The UK is famed for its "pub culture," or the socializing and social drinking that happens in its many cozy bars and pubs.  Although buying a round of drinks is an optional act of generosity in the US, it's standard practice in the UK. Members of a group will rotate who is responsible for each round, and skipping your turn is seen as rude.  Though I can definitely see the advantages of electing a single member of your group to fight their way through a crowded bar, I find the US method of independent drink-buying means that you can imbibe at your own pace and don't have to keep tabs on your friends' drinks.  Speaking of tabs, it's somewhat unusual to open one at a UK bar unless you're a true regular. Tipping is also not standard, though it's certainly appreciated.  Everyday patriotism is a little weird to my husband. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo One big thing I've learned from living abroad and being married to someone who didn't grow up in the US is that overt, casual patriotism is a very American thing. Most people in the US probably wouldn't bat an eyelash if you flew an American flag outside your home or showed up for a lunch date in a red, white, and blue baseball cap. Plus, popular music in the US often features lyrics that proclaim pride in being American, and many cars are plastered with patriotic bumper stickers.  Patriotism is different in the UK, at least in the more urban areas where I've lived. In my experience, donning a patriotic T-shirt as everyday wear or flying a Scottish flag on your front lawn would be unusual. You might wave a Scottish flag at a rugby game, but my partner and I have noticed that people in the UK aren't as fixated on "doing" patriotism as many Americans are.  Having electrical outlets or light switches in a bathroom t