(Image: itsankislife on Instagram)
A woman who lived in India for 29 years travelled over 4,000 miles to live in County Durham - and the culture shock was "scary".
Ankita Joshi made the daunting decision to move her life from Jaipur, Rajasthan to Durham in order to further her education in the UK.
The 31-year-old initially moved to York in 2024, before she and her husband moved to Durham in September of that year. The duo have remained in the North East since.
Mr and Mrs Joshi are both currently studying - one doing a PHD in physics, and the other doing a degree in UK Taxation.
The move was, unsurprisingly, quite daunting as Ankita recounted the fear she felt stepping off the plane.
She said: “I was so scared because it was such a new experience to me and in such a different country as well, but I found people are really helpful here.”
Friends International Coffee Corner in Durham has enabled her to meet new people.
Plus, Mrs Joshi has also started volunteering at Age UK and Oxfam, through which she found a pleasant surprise within British culture.
Ankita has been sharing her new life and adventures on social media - raking in thousands of likes and views on her videos.
(Image: itsankislife on Instagram)
The mature student was shocked by having to put her food waste in a separate bin, and the lack of fans in UK homes during hot weather.
The social media creator shared that she first noticed the differences when doing her first ‘big shop’.
She said: “I grabbed the trolley, but it was locked - I didn't know I needed to use a coin to use the trolley so that was very weird.”
She added: “I was little hesitant; What if people thought I was stealing the trolley? So I just did my first shop without one!”
Ankita also cannot believe how polite people are.
Ankita said: "Everybody says please and thanks, or sorry, all the time and it really surprised me – especially when I took the bus.
"I was really shocked but I love it because it’s so polite.
"Whenever I go to a restaurant or I buy something new I am constantly using the words and it's so nice!"
The politeness has also come with a much wider confidence, often finding herself talking to people on the bus and in the community – something she never would’ve dreamed of before the move.
The UK Taxation student didn’t let it keep her down though and instead started turning these ‘embarrassing’ experiences into comedic videos.
In one of her videos on her Instagram page Its Ankis Life, she also highlighted the confusion she had around disposing spoiled milk, while another explored the endless confusion around which switch turns the bathroom light on.
Speaking on the impact her videos have had, the influencer said she now feels a ‘responsibility’ to keep creating content and sharing life in the UK.
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She hopes to create more content in and around the North East - as she tries out the local hotspots.
Ankita definitely doesn't regret moving her life to the UK - and is encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.
She said: "Brave and don’t be scared.”