If 10 years sounds like a long time, that's because it is! It’s a full decade. It's the difference between 33 and 43 candles on my birthday cake. It's how long it took to build the Colosseum. It's the amount of seasons that Friends aired. And it's now the number of years that have passed since I relocated from North America to Europe.
To commemorate this anniversary, I'm sharing 10 things about the UK that still tickle me, all these years later, as well as 10 significant moments that I've experienced over the last decade.
AMUSEMENTS & MUSINGS
1. LAVATORY MAPS: In a typical London eatery/pub, you'll rarely find that the loos are on the same floor as you are. In many instances, a map is required to locate the washrooms. You'll most likely have to climb or descend at least one flight of stairs, follow a narrow passageway and then complete a mini obstacle course to find the facilities. Be prepared for approximately 20-30 minutes to pass before rejoining your party.
2. LAME NAME GAME: Though you will eat superbly at many restaurants in London, you may not recognize just how glamorous, delicious nor spendy said establishment is based solely on what it's called. Many of the names are curiously obscure and/or do not encourage appetite. The following are just a few examples of class acts masked by head-scratching designations: Crazy Bear (what part of an insane, feral, carnivorous mammal doesn't whet your palette?), BiBo (are we eating or beatboxing?), Sexy Fish (just gross), Jacuzzi (this might be one of London’s most glamorous and opulent Italian eateries, but it's named after a soggy breeding ground for festering germs), One Twenty One Two (someone here is lacking the most basic of math skills) or The Soak (sounds more like a spa than an expensive dim sum spot).
3. PRESSING BUTTONS: Locals are guilty of laughing at the hapless tube newbies hammering away at the 'open' or 'close' buttons, unaware that the doors will operate only whenever the driver decides, and no sooner. Despite their existence, the Underground door buttons serve absolutely no purpose. They are not passenger-operated and are utterly redundant.
4. THREE LIONS: I mentioned this point back in 2016, after two years (point 11) of living in the UK, but the fact still remains...England's commitment to their beloved men's national team is commendable, but football still hasn't 'come home' since 1966, despite many close encounters. Although, it would be one heck of a party if it did!
5. PRIVILEGE: After 10 years of living without, I have just about accepted that air conditioning, garbage disposals, clothes dryers and window screens are a privilege, not a right. Although these household items feature standardly in most American homes, you won’t find them in the majority of European dwellings.
6. ETIQUETTE: An excellent, and quick, way to learn the British curse words is to queue improperly or stand on the lefthand side of any escalator in Britain.
7. PHUNNY PHRASES: England and America are two nations separated by a common language. Pissed is a prime example -- In America, it's synonymous with angry, whilst in Britain it means drunk/tipsy/sloshed/wankered/trolleyed. I'm still learning to fully speak British, but some of my favorite Britishisms include - Picky bits (snacks), going out out (having a big night out), banger (great song), punching (dating someone who is out of your league), lollipop lady (crossing guard), squeaky-bum time (tense climax at the end of a sporting event), swifty (a quick, alcoholic beverage), full of beans (enthusiastic).
8. ADVERTS: TV advertisements in the UK are generally rubbish. They rarely make sense and frequently have nothing to do with what they are supposed to be promoting. However, the annual John Lewis Christmas commercials are heartwarming and have become as much a part of the festive season in the UK as tinsel and Santa. Every year, these short stories get the public talking...and sobbing. What they have to do with John Lewis though still remains a bit of a mystery.
9. BLUE PLAQUES: For over 150 years, more than 900 plaques have been placed on London buildings, humble and grand, to honor the notable women and men who have lived or worked in them. I love how these historical markers serve as permanent reminders of important contributions made to the history of this country.
10. THIRSTY THURSDAYS: Post-Pandemic, Thursdays have become the new Friday, with commuters making the final day of the work week a permanent work-from-home fixture. There's something magical and joyous about the streets of Central London filling up on a summer Thursday, as people spill out onto the pavement to enjoy a pint and the rare, pleasant weather. Collared shirts become unbuttoned, bottles pop, music levels increase and morals get looser.
EXPERIENCES, ACHIEVEMENTS & DEFINING MOMENTS
1. HITCHED: After five-years of soul-destroying, yet humorous, dating in the UK, I finally found my person. Little did I know that he had been sat beside me at work all along. It took another five years before he 'Put a Ring on It', but we celebrated, with our nearest and dearest, one month before this anniversary.
2. CENTURY CLUB: London is a great place to live if you want to spread your international wings. It's a global metropolis and incredibly well-connected. During my time in Europe, I became a member of the Travelers' Century Club - having visited over one hundred of the world's countries and territories. In the past decade alone, I visited over 70 countries (the green bits on the map below), many of them on multiple occasions.
3. GLORY FORTY: Graduating from the Dirty Thirties, I entered my forties whilst living in the UK. The milestone wasn't celebrated in the Caribbean, as originally planned, because COVID was tormenting humanity, but, as a birthday miracle, England lifted its national restrictions on the exact date of my birth (2nd December), allowing me to dine in a restaurant and stay in a hotel! What a treat!
4. SPORTS: I have attended some thrilling sporting events over the past 10 years, including the round of sixteen at the FIFA World Cup in Russia (which resulted in the host nation's penalty shootout triumph over Spain), sitting Centre Court at the prestigious Wimbledon (on a few occasions) and going to the 2024 Paris Olympics (to see France and Argentina quite literally duke it out in the football quarterfinals, in Bordeaux).
5. FESTIVALS: I'm not big on music festivals, but I love a good event. Over the past decade, the top European celebrations that I have frequented include the Running of the Bulls (Pamplona, Spain), Las Fallas (Valencia, Spain), Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany) and Carnival (Madeira, Portugal).
6. BRITISH SUMMER SOCIAL SEASON EVENTS: There are a few 'see and be seen' London festivities that take place each summer and I have had the pleasure of attending almost all of them: Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot, Polo in the Park, the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race, BST Hyde Park Concert Series and the Tennis Championships at Queen's Club. Still on the list is the Henley Royal Regatta. There's always next year!
7. DUAL CITIZENSHIP: No, I still don’t have my UK passport (it is on trajectory for mid-2026), but I did become a citizen of Lamb Island! Psychic illusionist, Uri Geller, bought the island, off the coast of Scotland, for £30,000, in 2009. Since buying The Lamb, Uri turned it into a micronation with its own flag, constitution and anthem. In 2022, he offered citizenship to anyone who wanted it, for $1 (£0.82 at the time). All proceeds went to charity. It would be amazing if one day Lamb Island joined the EU!
8. NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATIONS: Over the past decade, I spent NYE in a different city each year, and in most cases, a different country. Below is the list:
2014-2015: Madrid, Spain
2015-2016: Valletta, Malta
2016-2017: Kerala, India
2017-2018: Porto, Portugal
2018-2019: Sal, Cape Verde
2019-2020: Vilnius, Lithuania
2020-2021: Surrey, UK
2021-2022: Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
2022-2023: Muscat, Oman
2023-2024: Mexico City, Mexico & Belgrade, Serbia
9. EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR: In 2023, I achieved peer acknowledgement in the workplace when I was voted Western Europe/META Employee of the Year by my colleagues. It was humbling and encouraging to be appreciated and recognized by my coworkers.
10. TRAVEL + LEISURE: Back in 2016, I had a photo featured in Travel + Leisure as a 'Top Editor’s Pick' for the T&L annual photo competition. This photo was taken at Blagaj Tekke (a historic monastery) in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
My time overseas has been enriching and rewarding. I have experienced new things and places; I have gained cultural awareness and life-long relationships and I have become even more resilient and resourceful. I look forward to seeing what's in store for me, over the next 10 years of my life, wherever they may be spent!
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